Susan Rice

Ambassador Susan E. Rice served as the domestic policy advisor in the Biden administration, directing the Domestic Policy Council. In this role, Rice oversaw the development and implementation of the president’s domestic policy agenda, addressing issues such as health care, mental health, substance use, human services, veterans affairs, immigration, urban and rural policy, Native affairs, LGBTQ+ issues, disability policy, racial justice and equity, artificial intelligence, online safety and privacy, diversity and inclusion, criminal justice, gun policy, democracy and voting rights, education, hunger and nutrition, housing, homelessness, and efforts to combat hate-fueled violence.

Rice contributed to several key administration initiatives, including the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, the National Mental Health Strategy, investments in child care, public education, Pell Grants, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as well as other minority-serving institutions. She worked to expand access to affordable health care, supported the enactment and implementation of the American Rescue Plan Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, advanced gun violence prevention legislation, and promoted equity across federal government operations.

Rice previously served as U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations and as national security advisor under President Obama. She is the author of the memoir "Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For," which details her experiences in American foreign policy.

Rice has held academic positions, including distinguished visiting research fellow at American University’s School of International Service and non-resident senior fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. She serves on the board of directors at Netflix and has contributed opinion pieces to the New York Times.

Earlier in her career, Rice was U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs, special assistant to the president and senior director for African affairs, and director for international organizations and peacekeeping at the National Security Council under President Clinton.

Rice earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in international relations from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar and holds a Bachelor of Arts with honors in history from Stanford University.