Katerin Ortega Villanueva

Katerin is a Master of Public Diplomacy graduate and former Vice President of the USC Society of Public Diplomats. During her time at USC, she played a leading role in organizing events that connected students with the broader field of public diplomacy, from site visits to institutions like Japan House to coordinating alumni panels that highlighted diverse career pathways. Most recently, Katerin participated in the 2025 Osaka World Expo Maymester in Japan, where she explored the intersection of technology and visitor experience. As part of her research, she developed a website focused on the use of sensory design in various national pavilions. Previously, she was selected for the CSIS Journalism Bootcamp in Washington, D.C., where her team created a multimedia website investigating the impact of protests in the age of open-source intelligence. Katerin is passionate about cultural diplomacy, evaluation, and conflict resolution. She plans to continue her work in public diplomacy through roles in public or private organizations and aspires to become a Public Diplomacy Officer with the U.S. Department of State.