2025 Recent Alumni Achievement Award
As a career foreign service officer with the U.S. Department of State for a decade, Juan J. Germ谩n has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to principled diplomacy. He has spearheaded programs that expand educational and economic opportunity, strengthened people-to-people ties around the world and promoted shared solutions to global challenges.
聽Juan currently serves as deputy public affairs officer at the U.S. Embassy in Vienna, Austria, where he leads the cultural affairs unit. Previously, he served as the assistant cultural affairs officer at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, where he focused on working with youth and emerging leaders. He played a pivotal role in strengthening U.S.-Pakistan relations by leading the development of exchange programs that promoted U.S. policy interests, empowered young leaders and increased opportunities for Pakistanis with limited resources.
Juan also worked to develop a robust and deep entrepreneurship culture in the country. He was the driving force behind the U.S.-Pakistan Innovation Expo, a two-day flagship event that connected aspiring entrepreneurs and startups with investors. He also helped establish Pakistan鈥檚 first all-women, university-based business incubator, which provides budding entrepreneurs with training, mentorship and access to capital to scale their business, create jobs and contribute to Pakistan鈥檚 economic growth.
聽Juan鈥檚 diplomatic service has taken him across four continents. His portfolio of work includes consular affairs, youth engagement, strategic messaging and countering foreign malign influence. Known for commitment to excellence in the field of diplomacy, Juan has received several prestigious awards and fellowships, including the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship, the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Fellowship, a Fulbright Fellowship to Turkey and the Congress-Bundestag for Young Professionals Fellowship to Germany. He has also received multiple meritorious and superior honor awards from the State Department in recognition of his service.
Juan holds a master鈥檚 degree in public policy and management from Heinz College of Information Systems and a bachelor鈥檚 degree in diplomacy and world affairs from Occidental College.
Carnegie Mellon challenged me to think critically, lead with purpose, and approach global challenges with empathy and precision. This award is a humbling reminder of how deeply those lessons continue to shape my work in diplomacy and public service.
Juan J. Germ谩n