Program Staff

Patricia Scroggs

Director

Patricia Scroggs has been the Director since January 2006 and has enjoyed working with outstanding Rangel Fellows and Scholars who are committed to making a difference in the world.

She joined Howard University after 20 years of service in Asia, Latin America and Washington as a Foreign Service Officer. Until November 2005, she served as the Director of the East Asian and Pacific Bureau’s Office of Regional and Security Policy. In this capacity, she led a large office that handled security, multilateral affairs, counter-terrorism, strategic planning, foreign assistance, congressional affairs and transnational issues for the Asian-Pacific region.

In addition to traveling to over 20 countries, her overseas posts included Tokyo, Japan, Seoul, Korea and Mazatlan, Mexico as a Foreign Service Officer. During Washington assignments, she was Chief of the Asia, Near East and Africa Division in the Trade Office; Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs; and an Economic Officer and a Science, Technology and Environment Officer in the Office of Japanese Affairs.

Her languages are Japanese and Spanish. She has an MA in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and did considerable leadership, management, language, and area studies trainings at the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute. She was awarded four Superior Honor Awards and the Averell B. Harriman Award for outstanding contributions to diplomacy.

 

Dr. Carlton McLellan (Ph.D)

Director

Dr. Carlton McLellan joined the Rangel Program as its director in January 2023.  He brings to the position a wealth of experience in international exchanges, education and diplomacy with more than 25 years of global organizational and program leadership. His expertise includes creating and leading international people-to-people education, exchange, and diplomacy programs; growing the international presence of organizations; creating and cultivating strategic global partnerships; promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (particularly among people of color) in diplomacy and international affairs; managing government contracts and sponsored programs; and fundraising and new business development through managing and writing proposals (e.g. grant writing). In addition to his role at Howard University, he is also a Senior Fellow at the Association of Black American Ambassadors (ABAA) where he focuses on research that celebrates and educates on the history and contributions of Black American U.S. Ambassadors to domestic and global affairs.

Among his previous leadership positions are as Senior Advisor to the International Labor Organization’s (ILO’s) Office for the United States & Canada – a United Nations (UN) specialized agency; Founding Director and Senior Association at Global Ties South Africa; Managing Director at Global Ties U.S.; and Deputy Director in the Center for International Exchange at the Academy for Educational Development (AED). He has also worked or consulted at nonprofit organizations such as the Institute of International Education (IIE), FHI360, Meridian International Center, Mississippi Consortium for International Development (MCID), and WorldChicago; private consulting firms such as Exegesis Consulting and Pillar Systems; and at multilateral agencies such as the ILO and The World Bank.

Dr. McLellan received his doctoral degree in international policy studies from the Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria, South Africa; his Master’s degree in international and development education from the University of Pittsburgh; and his Bachelor’s degree in international studies from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

 

  

Emmebet Selassie

Senior Finance Manager

Emmebet Selassie joined the Diplomatic Fellowship in January 2022 as the Senior Finance Manager. She had worked at Howard University in Grants and Contracts for a year as a consultant before joining the Diplomatic Fellowship. She has worked for over 25 years in the Finance and Accounting world, and in the past few years has been working as a consultant in the DC metro area. She has worked at American Red Cross, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Africare, and African Union Mission to the USA to name a few. Her interest has always been working in the nonprofit world hoping to make some contribution to society. Emmebet has a BS in Accounting from the University of the District of Columbia.

 

Cynthia Valentine

Program Manager, Congressional Affairs

Cynthia Valentine is the Program Manager for Congressional Affairs for the Rangel Program, a position she has held since fall 2018. Prior to this, she served as the Program Manager for the Donald Payne International Development Fellowship and as Program Coordinator and Acting Deputy Director for the Rangel Program. Prior to her employment at Howard University, Cynthia worked as a Research Associate at Costar Group, as a Field Organizer for the Obama Campaign, and as an intern in U.S. Embassy in Niger. Cynthia is a graduate of Howard University.

 

Candice Roberts

Program Coordinator, Administration

Candice Roberts is the Program Coordinator for Administration with the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program. She comes to Howard after serving at the U.S. Consul General in Casablanca and the U.S. Embassy in Oman, working in both Human Resources and Management with the Department of State. Prior to working with DOS, Candice worked in multiple educational roles supporting English as a Second Language (ESL) to include educator training in virtual education methods with VIPKID and teaching ESL in Spain for many years. Candice is a multi-genre photographer, cataloging her travels over the past decade.  She travels to Paris annually, where she organizes women’s trips exploring the City of Lights. Candice speaks French, Spanish and can order food in Arabic.  She holds a Masters in Community Development and a Bachelors in Sociology from Prairie View A&M University. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to serve and aid those with aspirations of joining the Foreign Service. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kristen Shannon

Program Manager, Summer Enrichment Program and Selections

Kristen Shannon is the Program Manager for Summer Enrichment Program and Selections for the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program. She comes to Howard from IREX, where she oversaw the alumni engagement portfolio for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, including leading Alumni Enrichment Institutes – a unique opportunity Fellowship Alumni to travel to U.S. for two-week placements at U.S. institutions of higher education to learn about topics such as the United States’ diverse culture and society, resiliency and ethics in leadership, and social justice principles. Prior to IREX, Kristen served as the program manager of the NEA Foundation’s Global Learning Fellowship – a year-long professional development program designed to support American public-school educators develop the necessary knowledge and skills to prepare students for 21st century global citizenship. In this role, Kristen co-authored a K-12 global competency curriculum book, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals titled “12 Lessons to Open Classrooms and Minds to the World”. Under Kristen’s leadership, the NEA Foundation successfully designed and implemented week-long international teacher field studies to Peru, China, and South Africa. Kristen has additional international affairs experience through past roles at EF Education First, Youth for Understanding (YFU), and the International Executive Service Corps (IESC). She holds a Bachelor of Arts in international studies with concentrations in international development and public administration from American University and studied community development at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa. 

 

Veronica McIntire

Program Coordinator, Summer Enrichment Program and Selections

Veronica McIntire is the Program Coordinator for the Summer Enrichment Program and Selections. She obtained her Bachelor’s in Political Science with Honors at the University of Washington, Seattle. Veronica interned with the Department of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, focusing on Western Hemisphere Affairs. She also interned with a boutique strategy firm researching global development and health for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and was a Fellow with the Hillary for America campaign. Veronica is excited to support Rangel Graduate Fellows and Scholars and make their dreams of entering the foreign service a reality.

 

Lee France

Program Manager, Recruitment and Compliance

Lee France is the Program Manager for Recruitment and Compliance for the Rangel Program. He is an accomplished higher education professional with experience in admissions and enrollment, academic affairs, and graduate enrollment management. Lee has a proven track record of success in optimizing processes and establishing individualized experiences for prospective students. Lee has served as an Academic Program Coordinator for the US Foreign Policy and Global Governance MA Programs and a Graduate Admissions Specialist for the American University School of International Service, and most recently the position of Assistant Director of International Admissions for Continental Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, where he managed recruitment and application review for international applicants from these regions. Lee earned a BA in International Studies from the American University School of International Service, where he is also currently pursuing an MA in International Studies with a concentration in International Education, which will be completed May 2023. 

 

André Vincent

Program Coordinator, Recruitment and Compliance

André Vincent is the Program Coordinator for Recruitment and Compliance for the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program. He comes to Howard after serving as the Program Assistant for the US Foreign Policy and National Security (USFP) and Global Governance, Politics and Security (GGPS) programs at American University’s School of International Service (SIS). Prior to working at SIS, he worked as the Assistant to the Dean at the Catholic University of America and as an Administrative Assistant at the University of Maryland, College Park. Having grown up in and around the Caribbean, André has a passion for working in higher education and for helping students aspiring to work in international relations reach their goals.