Richard Verma, first person of Indian descent to serve as U.S. ambassador to India, is joining the faculty of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service (SFS) this fall as the Dean’s Distinguished Ambassadorial Fellow.
Son of immigrant Punjabi parents from India, Verma, 57, brings extensive public service and private-sector experience to the campus. Most recently, he served as the U.S. deputy secretary of state for management and resources from 2023 to 2025.
As the U.S. ambassador to India for two years under President Barack Obama, he oversaw one of the largest U.S. diplomatic missions abroad and advanced bilateral relations.
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Outside of government, Verma serves as the chief administrative officer for Mastercard, having previously worked as the company’s chief legal officer and head of global public policy.
SFS Dean Joel Hellman appreciated the immediate value Verma’s background will bring to the student body, citing his deep expertise in diplomacy, governance, and corporate leadership.
Based within the Asian Studies program, Verma’s responsibilities at the university will span scholarship, student mentorship, public events, and teaching.
This semester, he is leading a graduate seminar centered on careers and current issues in international affairs. In spring 2027, he is scheduled to teach an undergraduate course focusing on U.S.-India relations.
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Verma holds deep ties to the institution, having earned a doctorate in international relations and a master of laws in international law from Georgetown. He currently chairs the board of advisors for the school’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and previously served as a centennial fellow during the 2017-2018 academic year.
His extensive government career also includes serving as the assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs, national security advisor to the Senate majority leader, and holding appointments on the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, the Secretary of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board, and the Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism Commission.
Additionally, Verma is a U.S. Air Force veteran whose honors include the Meritorious Service Medal and the State Department’s Distinguished Service Award. He also serves on the corporate boards of the Ford Foundation and T. Rowe Price.