Dr. Lily Lopez-McGee has dedicated more than a decade to capacity building, diversity, equity, and inclusion within U.S. national security and foreign policy. In her current role as the director of the nationally-recognized Pickering Graduate Fellowship Program, Dr. Lopez-McGee manages a vital pipeline of diverse, talented U.S. diplomats. She also empowers and educates future leaders as an adjunct professor at American University. Dr. Lopez-McGee is a scholar, researcher, and sought-after speaker on the intersection of diversity, equity, and inclusion, international education and exchange, and careers in international affairs. A certified Intercultural Development Inventory Qualified Administrator, Dr. Lopez-McGee has also designed organizational surveys that examine how bias affects employee and student success. She regularly consults with national and international organizations such as Diversity Abroad, NAFSA, and the Council on Foreign Relations. Previously, Dr. Lopez-McGee has published in industry and academic journals including Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, Global Impact Exchange, and the IIE Networker.

She holds a Ph.D. in Education from George Mason University and is a graduate of the University of Washington where she earned her master’s in Public Administration and bachelor’s in International Relations.