Rick Ruth is a diplomat, international exchange specialist, and a core architect of modern American public diplomacy. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he has repeatedly shaped the intersection of cultural exchange and U.S. national security strategy.

He served as Deputy Chief of Staff at the USIA, played a pivotal role in the State Department’s immediate response committee after the 9/11 attacks, and pioneered the creation of the global exchange alumni network, which today connects over one million leaders worldwide. Within the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), he served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Senior Advisor. As Director of the Office of Policy and Evaluation, he envisioned and created the State Department’s first-ever global network of exchange alumni, which today connects over 1 million leaders, including approximately 600 current and former heads of state and Nobel laureates.

Throughout his career, he has received some of the highest commendations in the field of foreign affairs, including the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Public Diplomacy, the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Service, and the Lois Roth Foundation’s Ilchman-Richardson Award. Furthermore, the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) officially established The Rick A. Ruth BridgeUSA Scholarship, a program dedicated to funding international exchange opportunities for students from Muslim-majority nations.

Following his retirement from public service, he continues to advance the sector as a founding board member of the Coalition for American Public Diplomacy and Leadership (CAPDL) while regularly consulting and lecturing for leading international education and professional exchange organizations.