Janette Yarwood leads Yale’s engagement in Europe, Middle East, and Africa through the Office of International Affairs. In this role, she works closely with faculty, staff, students, and alumni to deepen Yale’s global partnerships, support academic and research initiatives, enhance recruitment and admissions outreach, and strengthen alumni networks across the three regions. Janette brings extensive experience in global policy and diplomacy to Yale. Most recently, she served as Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, where she focused on strategic planning, academic outreach, and interagency coordination. During her tenure, she also volunteered and deployed to Doha, Qatar, to support the Afghanistan evacuation effort. At the State Department, Janette also served as Chair of Africa Area Studies, providing strategic leadership, designing curriculum, and managing the Sub-Saharan Africa Area Studies program. Prior to that, she was a Senior Professional Staff Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where she covered all geographic regions and played a key role in shaping congressional engagement on international issues. She also served as Staff Director of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, leading the subcommittee’s foreign policy agenda, organizing congressional hearings, developing legislation, planning oversight delegations, and serving as a liaison to the State Department, National Security Council, foreign diplomats, and academic institutions. Janette also managed the foreign affairs portfolio for the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Her work included travel throughout Africa, Europe, and the Middle East regions including to Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan to inform U.S. policy and oversight efforts. Her broad experience and academic training give her a uniquely interdisciplinary and global perspective. She is a Fulbright Scholar and holds a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

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