Gordon Gray

Gordon Gray is a Professor of Practice at Penn State’s School of International Affairs. Prior to his retirement from the U.S. government after 35 years of public service, Ambassador Gray was the Deputy Commandant at the National War College. He was the U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia from 2009 until 2012, witnessing the start of the Arab Spring and directing the U.S. response in support of Tunisia’s transition. From 2008-2009, he served in Iraq as Senior Advisor to the Ambassador, focusing on governance and infrastructure in the southern provinces.

Ambassador Gray was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs from 2005 until 2008; his responsibilities included the promotion of U.S. interests in the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa, and oversight of the bureau’s Regional Affairs office. His other foreign assignments included Egypt (where he served as Deputy Chief of Mission from 2002 until 2005), Canada, Jordan, Pakistan, and Morocco, where he began his career as a Peace Corps volunteer. He twice received the Presidential Meritorious Service award.

Before joining the faculty at Penn State, Ambassador Gray served as the Chief Operating Officer at the Center for American Progress (CAP) and as Executive Vice President at the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce. He is currently a non-resident fellow at CAP and at Georgetown’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. Ambassador Gray serves on the Board of Directors of the Tunisian-American Young Professionals Association and the Advisory Council of the Middle East Institute’s North Africa and Sahel program. He is also a member of the American Foreign Service Association and the American Academy of Diplomacy.

Ambassador Gray received his B.A. from Yale and his M.A. from Columbia, as well as an honorary M.S. from the National Defense University. He and his wife have three adult children. In addition to spending time with his family, he enjoys distance running.

"Support Civil Society in Tunisa," Newsweek (March 28, 2023)

"Whither U.S.-Tunisian Relations After Saied's Disastrous December?," The National Interest (December 26, 2022)

"Focus Assistance to Tunisia - Don't Suspend It," The National Interest (September 18, 2022)

“Deploy All the Instruments of Statecraft, Not Just the Military Ones," Manara Magazine (July 2, 2022)

“Heed the Lessons of 2011 to Prevail in Ukraine,” Just Security (June 28, 2022)*

"The U.S. Can No Longer Ignore Tunisia's Fight for Democracy," The Hill (March 2, 2022)

“Can Tunisia’s Civil Society Save its Democracy?,” The Diplomatic Pouch (October 8, 2021)

“Playing the Long Game with the World’s Arab Countries,” The National Interest (August 26, 2021)

“A Tale of Two Presidents,” The Diplomatic Pouch (August 5, 2021)

“Tunisia: What’s Next?,” The Diplomatic Pouch (August 4, 2021)

“The Biden Administration and Tunisia: Off to a Good Start,” The Hill (July 14, 2021)

“The Parable of a Beekeeper,” The Foreign Service Journal (July/August 2021)

“Why Linda Thomas-Greenfield is a Great Pick for the UN,” The National Interest

(January 26, 2021)*

“What the Tunisian Revolution Taught Me,” The Foreign Service Journal

(January/February 2021)*

“Ce que l'élection de Biden signifie pour la Tunisie,” Leaders (November 9, 2020)

“Hope Springs Eternal,” The Foreign Service Journal (November 2020)*

“A New Vision for America’s North Africa Policy,” The National Interest (August 29, 2020)*

“Will the Next Administration Restore Diplomacy in the Middle East?,” The Hill

(June 25, 2020)*

“A Special Class of Diplomat,” The Foreign Service Journal (March 2020)

“Running After the Revolution,” The Arab Weekly (January 17, 2020)*

“A Despot’s Death in Tunisia,” The National Interest (October 27, 2019)*

“How President Béji Caid Essebsi Helped Build Tunisia’s Democracy,” The National Interest

(August 1, 2019)*

“America Should Support Tunisia’s Democracy,” The National Interest (July 7, 2019)*

“Lessons Learned from a Dictator’s Overthrow,” Journal of Diplomacy (April 26, 2019)*

“Wanted: Patient Diplomacy in Yemen,” The National Interest (March 16, 2019)

“Why Pompeo Must Prioritize U.S. Diplomacy,” The National Interest (April 11, 2018)

“Case 339 - Tunisia and the Start of the Arab Spring,” Institute for the Study of Diplomacy,

Georgetown University (2017)

“Nobel Peace Prize Honors the Resilience of the Tunisian People,” TIME (October 9, 2015)

“From Revolution to Transition in Tunisia,” The Ambassadors Review (2011)

Articles marked with an asterisk were translated into French by Leaders, a Tunisian publication.

Al Jazeera quoted Ambassador Gray's views on U.S. diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis in Sudan

The New Arab published SIA student Cierra Powell's op-ed on the Tunisian president's racist rhetoric

Ambassador Gray interviewed by Al-Monitor about U.S. policy toward Tunisian President Saied

Arabi21 News interviewed Ambassador Gray about U.S. diplomatic efforts following the outbreak of violence in Sudan

Amb. Gray interviewed by Responsible Statecraft about the likely Israeli response to the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement

Newsweek publishes Ambassador Gray's op-ed advocating international support for Tunisian civil society

Times Radio (UK) interviewed Ambassador Gray about declining living standards in Tunisia

Ambassador Gray interviewed by The New Arab about China’s brokering of the rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran

Al Jazeera quoted Ambassador Gray in article analyzing Saudi-Iranian rapprochement

Ambassador Gray cited in The New Arab article on Algerian support for Tunisia's president

Amwaj Media quoted Ambassador Gray in article on Saudi-Israeli relations

Arabi21 News interviewed Ambassador Gray about the situation in Tunisia and the state of the bilateral relationship

Al Jazeera interviewed Ambassador Gray about the recent arrests of prominent opposition leaders in Tunisia

Ambassador Gray discussed Secretary Blinken's January 29-31 visit to the Middle East with Al Hurra television

The New Arab quoted Ambassador Gray in its analysis of the U.S.-Saudi relationship

Ambassador Gray spoke with Al Arabi 21 about the U.S.-Tunisian bilateral relationship

Al Hurra television interviewed Ambassador Gray about his recent op-ed in The National Interest about the Tunisian president

Al Syaaq interviewed Ambassador Gray about the low participation rate in Tunisia’s recent parliamentary elections

Amb. Gray reviews U.S.-Saudi relations following Chinese President Xi’s visit to Saudi Arabia

On a panel organized by Platform for Peace & Humanity, Amb. Gray discussed the economic & political challenges Tunisia faces

Al Jazeera quoted Ambassador Gray in its article on Chinese President Xi's visit to Saudi Arabia

Ambassador Gray discusses instability in Tunisia in a Newlines Institute podcast

Responsible Statecraft quoted Ambassador Gray in its analysis of U.S. support for democracy in Tunisia

Ambassador Gray discussed the U.S.-Saudi relationship with The New Arab

Al Arabiya television interviewed Ambassador Gray about John Kerry’s tenure as Secretary of State

Ambassador Gray: the U.S. should focus assistance to Tunisia to further interests in security, democracy

Medi1TV interviewed Ambassador Gray about the Western Sahara

Ambassador Gray discussed Assistant Secretary Leaf’s visit to Tunisia on Al Hurra television

Ambassador Gray quoted in article about U.S. policy toward Tunisia

BBC News interviewed Ambassador Gray about Tunisia's draft constitution

Ambassador Gray quoted in New York Times article about constitutional referendum

Al Hurra television interviewed Ambassador Gray about the Trafficking in Persons report

Ambassador Gray reviewed President Biden's Middle East trip on Al Hurra television

Ambassador Gray discussed the I2U2 summit on the Asharq News program

Ambassador Gray quoted in VOA article on White House ASEAN dinner

Ambassador Gray advises deploy all the instruments of statecraft, not just the military ones

Ambassador Gray urges NATO to learn from the lessons of 2011 Libya as it plans to support Ukraine

Al Hurra interviewed Ambassador Gray about Negev Summit steering group meeting in Bahrain

Ambassador Gray reviews U.S.-Tunisian relations on "From Washington" news program

Ambassador Gray discussed U.S.-Russian relations on Asharq News television

Al Jazeera interviewed Amb. Gray about the U.S. reaction to recent developments in Tunisia

Ambassador Gray interviewed about the State Department's International Religious Freedom report

Ambassador Gray discussed terrorism in Africa on Moroccan television

Ambassador Gray reviewed the U.S.-UAE bilateral relationship on the news show "Decision Capital."

Ambassador Gray discusses the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Al Hurra satellite television

Professor Gray recently elected to AMIDEAST Board of Directors

The Middle East Institute announces Ambassador Gray as an inaugural member of its Advisory Council for new program on North Africa & the Sahel

North Africa Post cites Professor Gray's call to the U.S. to 'stand for the rule of law in Tunisia'

Ambassador Gray publishes op-ed on U.S. assistance to Tunisia

Professor Gray discusses Tunisia during an interview with Al Hurra satellite television

Professor Gray advises Tunisian leader to refrain from following footsteps of late Ben Ali

School of International Affairs makes prestigious new hire