Patricia Scroggs has been the Director since January 2006 and has enjoyed working with outstanding Rangel and Pickering Fellows, and Scholars who are committed to making a difference in the world.

She joined Howard University after 20 years of service in Asia, Latin America and Washington as a Foreign Service Officer. Until November 2005, she served as the Director of the East Asian and Pacific Bureau’s Office of Regional and Security Policy. In this capacity, she led a large office that handled security, multilateral affairs, counter-terrorism, strategic planning, foreign assistance, congressional affairs and transnational issues for the Asian-Pacific region.

In addition to traveling to over 20 countries, her overseas posts included Tokyo, Japan, Seoul, Korea and Mazatlan, Mexico as a Foreign Service Officer. During Washington assignments, she was Chief of the Asia, Near East and Africa Division in the Trade Office; Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs; and an Economic Officer and a Science, Technology and Environment Officer in the Office of Japanese Affairs.

Her languages are Japanese and Spanish. She has an MA in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and did considerable leadership, management, language, and area studies trainings at the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute. She was awarded four Superior Honor Awards and the Averell B. Harriman Award for outstanding contributions to diplomacy.