William A. Rugh was a US Foreign Service Officer 1964-1995, serving in Washington and at seven Middle Eastern diplomatic posts including public affairs officer in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. From 1995 until 2003 he was president and CEO of AMIDEAST and he is currently an associate of Georgetown’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, and adjunct scholar at the Middle East Institute, a trustee of the American University in Cairo and a board member at AMIDEAST. Rugh holds a PhD in political science from Columbia University and has taught graduate level courses on public diplomacy and US policy in the Middle East. He is the author of Arab Mass Media and editor of Engaging with the Arab and Islamic Worlds Through Public Diplomacy: A Report and Action Recommendations. He also serves on the editorial board of TBS.