Michael Kidwell

U.S. Department of State,
Dean and Virginia Rusk Fellow

Michael Kidwell is a career Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. He started his diplomatic career as Consular Officer, then Environment, Science and Technology Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt. He then worked as Economic Officer in Kabul, Afghanistan, focusing on building Afghan government capacity in the civil aviation, ground transportation and environmental management sectors. Most recently, he served as the Political and Economic Officer in the U.S. Consulate General in Milan, Italy. In that capacity, he focused on Italian domestic politics and and immigration/integration policy. He is the recipient of several Department of State awards for his diplomatic work abroad: three Meritorious Honor Awards and a Superior Honor Award.

Prior to entering the Foreign Service, Mr. Kidwell was selected as a Presidential Management Fellow. As part of that program, he worked as Liaison to the Congressional Appropriations Committees for the U.S. Department of Energy.

Mr. Kidwell graduated from Simon's Rock College of Bard, receiving an A.A. in Liberal Arts (with distinction) and a B.A. in Liberal Arts with concentrations in Music and Arab Studies (Magna Cum Laude). He received his M.A. in International Relations from the University of Chicago where he focused on Middle East politics.

Mr. Kidwell is married to Tiffany Murphy - also a Foreign Service Officer and current Rusk Fellow. They have a daughter, Victoria, who is two years old.