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Dante Toppo

Dante Toppo

Research Assistant

Followers of Dante Toppo836 followers
location of Dante ToppoWashington, District of Columbia, United States

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  • Timeline

  • About me

    Foreign Service Officer at U.S. Department of State

  • Education

    • Critical Language Scholarship - Intensive Arabic: Rabat, Morocco

      2013 - 2013
      Certificate of Completion Intermediate Arabic

      The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program offers fully-funded summer language institutes for U.S. university students and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.

    • School of International Training- Modernization and Social Change: Amman, Jordan

      2013 - 2013
      Certificate of Completion Modernization and Social Change, Arabic

      Semester abroad as part of my Bachelors Degree studies at Claremont McKenna College

    • Claremont McKenna College

      2011 - 2015
      Bachelor's degree International Relations

      Graduated cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa. Majored in International Relations with a focus in the Middle East.

    • Harvard Kennedy School

      2015 - 2017
      Master of Public Policy International and Global Affairs

      Activities and Societies: Capstone project "Fight or Flights: How Foreign Support Saved the Syrian Regime" awarded Best Innovative Use of Quantitative Methods on an International and Global Affairs Topic Concentrated in International and Global Affairs, regional focus in the Middle East and North Africa and US foreign policy.

  • Experience

    • Berger Institute for Work, Family and Children

      Jan 2014 - May 2014
      Research Assistant

      Managed team of six student researchers and set standards of quality and individual progress benchmarksCollaborated with the research team to review individual assignments and compile the finished projectSynthesized literature review and data analysis on the barriers to female entrepreneurialism in Northern Iraq

    • Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum

      May 2014 - May 2015
      M.M.C. Athenaeum Woolley Fellow

      Assisted in the creation of speaker series including hundreds of notable public intellectuals, politicians, business and nonprofit leadersFacilitated nightly speaker series, hosting guests, introducing lectures and moderating Q and AWrote copy, including speaker bios and lecture teasers for Athenaeum newsletter, The Fortnightly

    • INJAZ Al-Arab

      Jun 2014 - Aug 2014
      Business Development Intern

      Writing grant applicationsIdentifying and exploiting new partnership opportunities and funding channelsDeveloping strategically aligned "Fundable Projects" document

    • U.S. Department of State

      Jun 2015 - Aug 2015
      Crisis Management and Strategy Fellow

      Analyzed risk to U.S. citizens, personnel and facilities in the East Asia Pacific region Synthesized open souce and classified reporting on threats for department principlesDelivered daily oral and written brief on East Asia Pacific affairs and potential crisesSpearheaded transition to new crisis preparedness framework for 100+ country posts

    • Harvard University

      Sept 2015 - May 2016
      Research Assistant

      Research assistant for Professor Kristin Fabbe, Harvard Business School Contributed content and research for “How Middle Eastern States Consolidated Power” published in StratforAnalyzed and delivered written outlines of source material for two book reviewsSynthesized literature review for research projects on Mideast history and politics

    • U.S. Department of State

      Jun 2016 - Aug 2016
      Public Affairs Fellow: US Embassy Rabat

      Developed and managed Information Resource Center programming for 90 weekly attendees Curated and distributed daily Rabat Media Summary and delivered Ambassador’s morning press briefCrafted strategic communications in English and Arabic for 2 VIP visits and 2 cultural affairs programs

    • Harvard University

      Sept 2016 - May 2017

      Course Assistant for Ambassador Nicholas BurnsDeveloped course material and presentations for graduate courses on international affairs and diplomacyDesigned and implemented metrics to assess class contributions and assignments to calculate class rank for 90 member class Course Assistant for Professor Tarek Masoud.Tracked and analyzed class participation rates in terms of quality, frequency for 70 member class.Synthesized course feedback by interfacing with students in regular office hours, advised students on assignment expectations and work plans for final project.

      • Course Assistant: Negotiations and Diplomacy

        Jan 2017 - May 2017

      • Course Assistant: Middle East Politics and Policy

        Sept 2016 - Dec 2016

    • U.S. Department of State

      Jul 2017 - now

      Leads cross-functional team managing US - India policy on geopolitical collaboration in the Indo-Pacific. Advises White House and State Department leadership on joint regional initiatives in collaboration with India, Japan and Australia, including maritime security, space, climate change, critical & emerging technologies.Leads policy development and program design with India as part of the Quad diplomatic grouping; designed the MAITRI regional maritime security program announced by President Biden at the 2024 Quad Leader's Summit.Leads strategic and economic analysis of India-China relations, advises State Department leadership on policy responses. Show less

      • Senior Foreign Affairs Officer

        May 2024 - now

      • Program Officer - Afghanistan, Food Insecurity

        Aug 2022 - Jun 2024

      • International Relations Officer

        Aug 2021 - Aug 2022

      • Foreign Service Officer

        Sept 2019 - Aug 2021

      • Foreign Service Officer

        Jul 2017 - Sept 2019

  • Licenses & Certifications

    • Climatebase Fellowship

      Climatebase
      Jun 2024

  • Honors & Awards

    • Awarded to Dante Toppo
      Thomas R. Pickering Undergraduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Foundation, US Department of State Apr 2014 The Thomas R. Pickering Undergraduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship awards qualified applicants financial assistance for senior year of undergrad and the first year of graduate school for programs related to international affairs and foreign policy. Recipients then serve as Foreign Service Officers in the US Department of State for at least 5 years following graduation from graduate school.