Gordon Gray

Gordon Gray is the Kuwait Professor of Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University. He directs the Middle East Policy Forum, which hosts speakers on regional issues. A retired U.S. diplomat with 35 years of service, he previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia (2009–2012), Deputy Commandant at the National War College, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. He holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.A. from Columbia University, along with an honorary M.S. from the National Defense University.

Education:

• M.A., Columbia University
• B.A., Yale University
• Honorary M.S., National Defense University

Research Interests: Focuses on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and North Africa, democratic transitions post-Arab Spring, and Tunisia's political dynamics. His work emphasizes diplomacy, regional security, and civil society roles in governance.

Key Contributions: Authored over 30 publications on Middle East policy, including analyses of Tunisia’s democratic journey, U.S. engagement in North Africa, and critiques of U.S. foreign policy trends under Biden and Trump administrations.

Awards: Twice recipient of the Presidential Meritorious Service Award for contributions to U.S. diplomacy.

Advisory Roles: Serves on boards of Amideast and the Tunisian-American Young Professionals Association. Non-resident Fellow at Georgetown’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow at the Middle East Institute.

Labs/Teams: Oversees the Elliott School’s Middle East Policy Forum, fostering dialogues on regional challenges and U.S. policy responses.