Carmela Gonzales, Graduate Student, GWU; VSFS Intern, U.S. Department of State

Ms. Carmela Gonzales is a graduate student for the Master of Engineering in Cybersecurity Engineering and Policy program at George Washington University’s School of Applied Engineering and Sciences. Her research areas of interest are in cyber diplomacy and statecraft, and semiconductor supply chain security policy. Ms. Gonzales is currently a Virtual Student Federal Service graduate intern for the Department of State, Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Office of Policy, Planning and Resources, where she assists public diplomacy external engagement policy practitioners, the chief technology office, and judicial liaison team. Ms. Gonzales is also a program assistant at the George Washington University Language Center, where she facilitates cultural diplomacy educational projects to international students at GW, in addition to international graduate students in Japan. Prior to being admitted to George Washington University, in 2020, Ms. Gonzales was a graduate intern analyst for cyber governance at the City of Los Angeles information security office. Preceding her interest in cyber, Ms. Gonzales worked at the State Bar of California in 2019 as a chief trial counsel Records and Discovery specialist to an investigative matters unit. She previously worked at Gibson Dunn and Crutcher in 2016, an international law firm where she led the international conflicts and new matters team for the United States, Middle East, Europe and Asia. Ms. Gonzales received her bachelor’s degree in information technology from the University of Denver in June 2020. She previously attended University of Maryland Law for Cybersecurity Law where she researched Federal Policy Initiatives in Securing the U.S. Semiconductor Supply Chain Industry under Dean Markus Rauschecker for the Cybersecurity Law program.