Most of my professional life has been related to Latin America.  I was a member of the career U.S. foreign service, with diplomatic assignments in Washington and the region.  Outside of government, I directed the Americas program at a leading think tank in Washington, D.C. and headed a non-profit organization affilated with Harvard University that is dedicated to strengthening higher education in the Americas.  My research and teaching interests include U.S. foreign policy, Latin American history, and issues related to security, governance, international affairs and energy in the region.