About the Author
Dr. Kara Alaimo is Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism, Media Studies, and Public Relations at Hofstra University in New York. She also consults on global communication campaigns and designs customized employee training programs for companies on how to adapt public relations messages and strategies for different global markets.
From 2012 to 2013, Dr. Alaimo was Head of Communications for the Secretariat of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, a group of heads of state and other eminent thinkers convened to recommend the world’s next plan for ending extreme poverty and achieving sustainable development. In 2011 she was appointed by U.S. President Barack Obama as Spokesperson for International Affairs in the U.S. Treasury Department, where she communicated global economic diplomacy initiatives, including America’s bilateral economic relationships, engagement in multilateral institutions including the G-20, World Bank, and IMF, and international monetary, trade, development, environmental, and energy policy. In this capacity, she also served as media adviser to Jim Yong Kim during his successful 2012 campaign for the World Bank Presidency. Dr. Alaimo also previously served as Press Secretary of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, Global Media Coordinator for the United Nations Millennium Campaign, and as a spokesperson for New York City economic development initiatives during the administration of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.
Dr. Alaimo earned her Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Philosophy, and Master of Arts degrees at the City University of New York and her Bachelor of Arts with honors at New York University (NYU). Her research on international and political public relations has been published in academic journals including the International Journal of Communication, Journal of Communication Management, Journal of Public Affairs, Case Studies in Strategic Communication, and Social Media & Society. She also writes regularly about communication for CNN Opinion and Bloomberg Opinion.
To read more of her work, visit her website at www.karaalaimo.com and follow her Twitter handle, @karaalaimo.