Joseph Melrose is an American diplomat who served as United States ambassador to several countries, including Sierra Leone and Pakistan. In the fall of 2006 he served as a senior area advisor on south and central Asia to the United States Mission to the United Nations.
Ambassador (Ret.) Joseph H. Melrose, Jr. formerly served as the Acting U.S. Representative for Management and Reform at the United States Mission to the United Nations. Prior to joining the Mission, he served as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State for more than three decades, including service as U.S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone. He also serves as the Ambassador in Residence and Professor of International Relations at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania.
In addition to his service in Sierra Leone, Ambassador Melrose served in Vietnam, in Syria, as Consul General in Karachi, Pakistan, and as Deputy Chief of Mission in Nigeria. He has also held a wide range of domestic positions, including Executive Director of the Political-Military and Near East and South Asia Bureaus. He also served as a coordinator for the State Department's post- September 11th Task Force.
Additionally, Ambassador Melrose led the Foreign Emergency Support Team deployed to Nairobi, Kenya in the aftermath of the Embassy bombings where he oversaw the re-establishment of Embassy operations and assisted in the recovery effort. Melrose also served as Vice President of the American Foreign Service Association; has guest lectured at numerous U.S. universities and has published several articles on Pakistan and Sierra Leone.
His awards include the Ursinus College H. Lloyd Jones Award for distinguished advising and mentoring, the Department of State's Distinguished Honor Award and Superior Honor Award, the Secretary of State's Career Achievement Award, and the Presidential Distinguished Service Award. He also received the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America, and the Award of Merit from the World Islamic Federation.
Ambassador Melrose earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ursinus College in 1966 and a Master of Arts degree from Temple University in 1969. He received an honorary degree in Democratic and Human Rights studies from Hilla University in Iraq and an honorary Doctor of Laws from Ursinus College. He has also studied at the University of Michigan under a National Science Foundation program. Melrose currently serves Special Advisor to United Nations University Rector Prof. Dr. Konrad Osterwalder and as president of the National Model United Nations Board of Directors and is a professor of International Relations and serves as the current ambassador-in-residence at Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA.
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