Ronald K. McMullen
Encyclopedia
Ronald K. McMullen is an American
foreign service officer
and a career member of the Senior Foreign Service
. He served as the U.S. Ambassador to Eritrea
2007–10.
McMullen was born in Iowa
, and received his doctorate from the University of Iowa
, where wrote his dissertation on economic consequences of African coups d’etat. He received a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota
and his bachelor’s degree from Drake University
.
He is a member of the Senior Foreign Service and has over twenty five years of diplomatic experience. He previously directed the Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan in the Bureau of International Narcotic and Law Enforcement Affairs. Prior to that he served as Associate Dean of the Foreign Service Institute
’s School of Leadership and Management.
Mr. McMullen was Deputy Chief of Mission in Rangoon, Burma from 2002 until 2005. In Burma he worked closely with Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi
and pro-democracy and ethnic minority groups. As Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge’ d’Affaires in the Fiji Islands from 1999 until 2002, he was instrumental in helping Fiji pull back from the brink of civil conflict after an armed takeover of parliament and subsequent coup d’etat.
Other overseas assignments include serving as Deputy Principal Officer in Cape Town
, South Africa
; Economic Officer in Libreville
, Gabon
; Political Officer in Colombo
, Sri Lanka
; and Vice Consul in Santo Domingo
, Dominican Republic
. From 1990 until 1993 Dr. McMullen served as Visiting Professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he taught six different courses in International Relations and Comparative Politics. Before joining the Foreign Service in 1982, Mr. McMullen served as a State Department intern in Khartoum
, Sudan
.
His languages include Spanish
, French
, and Afrikaans. McMullen has authored a dozen scholarly works and is a three-time recipient of the State Department’s Superior Honor Award.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
foreign service officer
Foreign Service Officer
A Foreign Service Officer is a commissioned member of the United States Foreign Service. As diplomats, Foreign Service Officers formulate and implement the foreign policy of the United States. FSOs spend most of their careers overseas as members of U.S. embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic...
and a career member of the Senior Foreign Service
Senior Foreign Service
The Senior Foreign Service comprises the top four ranks of the United States Foreign Service. These ranks were created by the Foreign Service Act of 1980 and Executive Order 12293 in order to provide the Foreign Service with senior grades equivalent to general- and flag ranks in the military and...
. He served as the U.S. Ambassador to Eritrea
United States Ambassador to Eritrea
The following is a list of United States ambassadors to Eritrea. The United States recognized Eritrea's independence April 27, 1991, and established diplomatic relations on June 11, 1991. The Consulate in Asmara then became an Embassy with Joseph P...
2007–10.
McMullen was born in Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, and received his doctorate from the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
, where wrote his dissertation on economic consequences of African coups d’etat. He received a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
and his bachelor’s degree from Drake University
Drake University
Drake University is a private, co-educational university located in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The institution offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and pharmacy. Today, Drake is one of the twenty-five oldest law schools in the country....
.
He is a member of the Senior Foreign Service and has over twenty five years of diplomatic experience. He previously directed the Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan in the Bureau of International Narcotic and Law Enforcement Affairs. Prior to that he served as Associate Dean of the Foreign Service Institute
Foreign Service Institute
The Foreign Service Institute is the United States Federal Government's primary training institution for employees of the U.S. foreign affairs community, preparing American diplomats and other professionals to advance U.S. foreign affairs interests overseas and in Washington...
’s School of Leadership and Management.
Mr. McMullen was Deputy Chief of Mission in Rangoon, Burma from 2002 until 2005. In Burma he worked closely with Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi, AC is a Burmese opposition politician and the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general election, her National League for Democracy party won 59% of the national votes and 81% of the seats in Parliament. She had, however, already been detained...
and pro-democracy and ethnic minority groups. As Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge’ d’Affaires in the Fiji Islands from 1999 until 2002, he was instrumental in helping Fiji pull back from the brink of civil conflict after an armed takeover of parliament and subsequent coup d’etat.
Other overseas assignments include serving as Deputy Principal Officer in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
; Economic Officer in Libreville
Libreville
Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon, in west central Africa. The city is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea, and a trade center for a timber region. As of 2005, it has a population of 578,156.- History :...
, Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
; Political Officer in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
; and Vice Consul in Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. From 1990 until 1993 Dr. McMullen served as Visiting Professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he taught six different courses in International Relations and Comparative Politics. Before joining the Foreign Service in 1982, Mr. McMullen served as a State Department intern in Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
.
His languages include Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and Afrikaans. McMullen has authored a dozen scholarly works and is a three-time recipient of the State Department’s Superior Honor Award.