Info Session- The Foreign Service and How an Embassy Operates

When: Tuesday, September 15th 2026, 3:45 pm - 4:45 pm EDT

Location: Elliott School of International Affairs, 505, 1957 E Street Northwest, Washington, D.C

Join Ambassador (ret.) Gordon Gray, Kuwait Professor of Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Affairs of the ESIA at George Washington University, as he leads an information session entitled “The Foreign Service and How an Embassy Operates.”AGENDA3:45-  Presentation4:05-  Audience Q & A  4:30- Networking 4:45- Event ConcludesBIOPrior to his retirement from the U.S. government after 35 years of public service, Ambassador Gray was the Deputy Commandant at the National War College. He was the U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia from 2009 until 2012, witnessing the start of the Arab Spring and directing the U.S. response in support of Tunisia’s transition. He served in Iraq as Senior Advisor to the Ambassador from 2008-2009 and was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs from 2005-2008.Ambassador Gray’s other foreign assignments include Egypt, Canada, Jordan, Pakistan, and Morocco, where he began his career in government as a Peace Corps volunteer. Before joining the faculty at the Elliott School, Ambassador Gray was a Professor of Practice at Penn State’s School of International Affairs. He was previously Chief Operating Officer at the Center for American Progress and Executive Vice President at the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce. Ambassador Gray holds a B.A. from Yale, an M.A. from Columbia, and an honorary M.S. from the National Defense University.ESIA NO-SHOW POLICY IS IN EFFECTIn order to ensure the effectiveness of the services offered by the Elliott School's Graduate Student Services and maintain professionalism and courtesy between graduate students, alumni, professional staff, and our Employer Partners, the No-Show Policy is in effect for this event. DRESS CODE-  BUSINESS/BUSINESS CASUALNote:  The dress code for all employer events is business professional unless otherwise stated. Students who are dressed inappropriately may be turned away. Please reach out to your career coach or GSS if you have questions about what professional dress entails.