Michelle G. Los Banos, a foreign service officer with the U.S. State Department of State, will serve as 2014-16 diplomat in residence at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.
Los Banos will serve as a resource to students and graduates interested in working in the foreign service and the state department. She will be attending career fairs and conferences, as well as holding smaller meetings and informational session and mentoring students across all three departments in the Luskin School.
“I am extremely excited to support my organization and help strengthen our future diplomatic corps by recruiting talented and diverse individuals to work for the state department,” Los Banos said. “Being a senior fellow and getting to work with students who might share similar interests is also very exciting. It will give me a chance to share the experience and knowledge that I’ve gained in the world of diplomacy with someone who might be passionate about public service.”
Los Banos is a San Francisco native who holds a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and a B.S. in foreign service from Georgetown University. Her 12-year career in the foreign service has taken her to Turkey, Nicaragua and Italy. Most recently, she served as deputy division chief in the Cultural Programs Division of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the state department in Washington D.C.
“We are honored to have Ms. Los Banos join us here at Luskin,” said UCLA Luskin Dean Franklin D. Gilliam. “It has been our privilege to host diplomats in residence since 1998. Ms. Los Banos’ unique skills and experiences will be a valuable resource to our students who are dedicated to making an impact both locally and globally.”