Ambassador Carmen Lomellin (Retd.) visited the University of Tennessee during International Education Week (IEW) on November 13 and 14, 2023. She delivered the keynote address for the week, titled “Empowering Women in Latin America: My Advocacy at the Organization of American States and Inter-American Commission of Women.”
Ambassador Lomellin Delivered the Keynote Address at the 2023 International Education Week in the Baker School Toyota Auditorium
The keynote took place in the nearly packed Toyota Auditorium of the new Howard Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs and was sponsored by the school’s Center for National Security and Foreign Affairs. During her address, Lomellin focused on the challenges of human trafficking in Latin America and emphasized the significant role that young people can play in urging national and state leaders to address humanitarian challenges. Drawing from her experience as an international civil servant at the Inter-American Commission of Women, Lomellin shared how she applied skills acquired as a community organizer in Chicago to promote women’s empowerment across the Americas.
Ambassador Lomellin (right) met with Provost Zomchick (left)
Lomellin, the former U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) and the National Coordinator for the Presidential-level Summit of the Americas, was appointed by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate in November 2009. In these capacities, Ambassador Lomellin played a pivotal role in advancing U.S. interests at the OAS and the Inter-American system, fostering regional cooperation and partnerships among OAS member states.
Ambassador Lomellin (center), Mike McKinney, the Applied Sustainability Faculty Fellow at CECS (right), and Julia Powers, Graduate Student Assistant at the International House (left) Standing in Front of the Rock Featuring SDG Painting
While on campus, Ambassador Lomellin engaged in various activities, including a dinner with Latina faculty and Knoxville Centro Hispano Director Claudia Caballero. She also participated in a meet-and-greet with Provost John Zomchick and had lunch with Latino students at an event hosted by the International House at the Center for Global Engagement. Additionally, during an afternoon coffee session with faculty, she met with members from the fields of Psychology, Geography, World Languages and Culture, and the College of Communications and Information.
About International Education Week
IEW is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education is part of the efforts to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences. Celebrated annually on UT campus, the Center for Global Engagement works with campus partners to curate a week of events each year to celebrate IEW. Email cge_comm@utk.edu to receive future announcements on IEW and other UT global events.