Prudence Bushnell is currently the Dean of the School of Foreign Service, where she oversees the preparation of U.S. Foreign Service officers for overseas service. Previously, she served as Ambassador to the Republic of Guatemala from 1999 until 2002.
Ms. Bushnell was Ambassador to the Republic of Kenya from 1996 to 1999, and was in residence at the time of the East Africa Embassy bombings. Prior to her term in Kenya, she served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs in Washington, D.C. Other posts include Bombay, India, the Foreign Service Institute and two tours in Dakar, Senegal. Before joining the Foreign Service in 1981, Ambassador Bushnell enjoyed a successful career in the field of management and leadership training.
Ambassador Bushnell was born in Washington, D.C. and educated in Germany, France, Pakistan and Iran. Ambassador Bushnell holds a Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts from the University of Maryland and a Master's degree in Public Administration from Russell Sage College. She has received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Hartwick College and is a graduate of the prestigious Senior Seminar.
Ambassador Bushnell's contributions have often been recognized through Meritorious and Superior Honor Awards and, most recently, through the Distinguished Honor Award. Glamour magazine named her one of the Top Ten Women of 1999 and Vanity Fair magazine featured her in its 1998 Hall of Fame. Her written works include "Leadership at State: A Neglected Dimension," published in 1989 in the Foreign Service Journal.