Following an extensive search, United States Ambassador (retired) Geeta Pasi has been appointed the inaugural Donald F. McHenry Visiting Professor in Diplomacy and International Affairs at Illinois State University.
A three-time Chief of Mission with the rank of Career Minister, Pasi most recently served as the U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia until 2022. She earlier served as U.S. Ambassador to Chad (2016-2018) and Djibouti (2011-2014) as well as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of African Affairs, leading a team that developed and advanced U.S. policy in Africa. Previous overseas postings included Cameroon, Romania, Germany, Bangladesh, Ghana, and India, where she focused on human rights, democracy and humanitarian assistance as well as advocated for U.S. business. She earned numerous awards and accolades for her work, including the Presidential Rank Award for exceptional performance.
“Illinois State students will benefit greatly from Geeta Pasi’s incredible knowledge and experience,” said Interim President Aondover Tarhule. “We are grateful to Donald McHenry for his generosity and foresight that will continue to enrich our classrooms and campus community.”
The Donald F. McHenry Visiting Professorship was established by Distinguished Alum Donald McHenry ’57, who served as Ambassador and United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN). He was a member of President Jimmy Carter’s cabinet from September 1979 to January 1981.
“When UN Ambassador Donald McHenry established the visiting professorship, his vision was to establish on-going interactions between ISU students and a seasoned practitioner of diplomacy and international relations,” said Politics and Government Acting Chair Thomas McClure. “Ambassador Geeta Pasi not only has a distinguished career in the Foreign Service, but she also possesses a strong desire to pass on her knowledge to our students.”
The search for the visiting professorship was conducted jointly by the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Politics and Government. Dean of the College of Arts Sciences Heather Dillaway noted the search garnered an impressive pool of finalists. “Geeta Pasi’s extensive foreign service record and her enthusiasm about mentoring ISU students quickly elevated her to the top of our pool. We look forward to a great two years with Geeta Pasi as full-time faculty in the Department of Politics and Government.”
Pasi became the desk officer for Afghanistan in the summer of 2001. She was the only Foreign Service employee in Washington solely focused on Afghanistan on September 11. She coordinated early efforts in the U.S. and globally to respond to the terrorist attacks. While leading the U.S. Embassy in Bangladesh in 2007, she marshalled military and humanitarian assistance in response to a devastating cyclone. As the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of African Affairs, Pasi oversaw the work of the U.S. ambassadors to African countries, along with several thousand American employees and over 14,000 locally engaged staff. She managed the team that evacuated more than 10,000 Americans from Africa to the United States as the COVID pandemic unfolded. In Ethiopia, she convened the international community to work together to address myriad challenges, including humanitarian assistance, human rights, and security.
Pasi earned an M.A. in French studies at New York University, a program that examines France and the French-speaking world through an interdisciplinary lens—political, historical, and sociological. She completed her undergraduate studies at Duke University, majoring in economics and comparative area studies.
