Irina Karmanova is a Public Affairs Officer in the Bureau of Global Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. The mission of the Bureau of Global Public Affairs (GPA) is to serve the American people by effectively communicating U.S. foreign policy priorities and the importance of diplomacy to American audiences, and engaging foreign publics to enhance their understanding of and support for the values and policies of the United States. Irina is a recipient of three Meritorious Honor Awards, two Franklin Awards, and is a graduate of the Executive Leadership Program.
Irina joined the Department of State in 2009, and her previous experience includes positions in the Office of Nordic and Baltic Affairs in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs; the Office of Press and Public Diplomacy in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs; the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues; the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy (ACPD); and the Office of International Visitors in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Irina’s international experience includes assignments in the Public Affairs Sections of the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine; the U.S. Consulate in Kolkata, India; the U.S. Embassy in Canberra, Australia; and the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Irina's other experience includes the National Archives and Records Administration and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Irina Karmanova received both a Master of Arts (MA) in Global Communication with a concentration in Public Diplomacy, and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in International Affairs and Russian Language and Literature, from the George Washington University in Washington, DC. In her spare time, Irina enjoys travel, photography, attending cultural events, and painting. Irina has taught Global Capstone at GW since 2019.