Join the John Parke Young Initiative for an introduction and Q&A with Ambassador Virginia E. Palmer, Stuart Chevalier Professor of the Practice in Diplomacy & World Affairs. Bring your questions about diplomacy, international affairs, and careers in public service.
Location:
Fowler 302
Event Date: Sep. 3, 2026
Ambassador Virginia "Ginny" E. Palmer is a career diplomat with over three decades of service in the U.S. Foreign Service. She most recently served as U.S. Ambassador to Ghana (2022–2025), leading engagement on bilateral ties, democratic governance, and economic partnership. Her postings since 1986 span Beijing, Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, Kenya, Vietnam, and Canada. She also served as U.S. Ambassador to Malawi (2015–2019) and as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the State Department's Bureau of Energy Resources, shaping U.S. energy diplomacy and the clean-energy rollout. She holds a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Virginia, and is fluent in French and Mandarin.
Ambassador Palmer joins Occidental this year as the Stuart Chevalier Professor of the Practice in Diplomacy & World Affairs.
The event is open to the Occidental College community. Presented by the John Parke Young Initiative on the Global Political Economy with the Department of Diplomacy & World Affairs.
