Irina Karmanova

Irina Karmanova is a Public Diplomacy Officer in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, which works to advance U.S. interests on policy issues that range from the depths of the ocean to the vastness of outer space. Irina previously served in the Bureau of Global Public Affairs where she led outreach campaigns and programs that communicated U.S. foreign policy priorities and the importance of diplomacy to American audiences. She also recently served as Communications Director for the Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy and the Subnational Diplomacy Unit, which leads and coordinates the Department's engagement with mayors, governors, and local officials in the U.S. and around the world. Irina is a recipient of three Meritorious Honor Awards, two Franklin Awards, and is a graduate of GSUSA’s Executive Leadership Program. 

Irina joined the Department of State in 2009, and her previous experience includes positions in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Irina’s international experience includes public affairs and public diplomacy assignments in U.S. Embassy Kyiv, U.S. Consulate General Kolkata, U.S. Embassy Canberra, and U.S. Embassy Buenos Aires. 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, hiking, and painting. Irina has taught Global Capstone at GW's Elliott School since 2019.