Who's Who

Hrinak Appointed U.S. Ambassador to Brazil

MSU alumna Donna J. Hrinak was confirmed as the next U.S. ambassador to Brazil by unanimous vote of the U.S. Senate in January 2002 and sworn in on March 28, 2002, in a Washington, D.C., ceremony. Her arrival in Brasilia in April was the latest in a long series of important postings for this career diplomat, who earned her B.A. in 1972 through the multidisciplinary program in the Michigan State University College of Social Science.

Hrinak moves to the Brazil ambassadorship after serving as ambassador to Venezuela, Bolivia, and the Dominican Republic (see box). "It says something about the state of our Foreign Service," Hrinak has stated, "that I will have been the first U.S. woman ambassador to each of the[se] four countries. . . . Hopefully, however, I won't be the last!"

Ambassador Hrinak's last visit to the MSU campus was in May 2001, when she was the commencement speaker at the College of Social Science ceremonies. As part of the proceedings, she was presented with the college's 2001 Outstanding Alumni Award for service to her country and high achievement in her profession. She also met with faculty in MSU's Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and MSU's Social Capital Initiative.

In October 2001, Hrinak was one of several alumni awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award, presented annually by the MSU Alumni Association. She was unable to attend the October 11 event because of post-September 11 diplomatic responsibilities in Caracas, but she expressed her appreciation in remarks that were read to the audience by College of Social Science Alumni Relations Director J. B. McCombs, accepting the award on her behalf.

Commenting on her view of MSU in a post-September 11 context, she said, "Reaching out to the world, valuing the diversity of other cultures, building coalitions to solve global problems, these are goals that many students, including me, first developed in East Lansing.

From attacking hunger and disease in Africa to building social capital in this hemisphere, MSU continues to lead the way in creating a just, prosperous and peaceful world. . . . Universities must do more than promote study and research; they must also promote engagement with the community off-campus-not just across Grand River Avenue, but around the world. Global responsibility is something I learned at MSU 30 years ago. I am confident today's students get that same lesson."

Ambassador Hrinak and her husband of 25 years, Luis Flores, have a 16-year-old son, Wyatt, who, according to his mother, has expressed an interest in attending MSU himself.

Donna J. Hrinak: A Quarter-Century of Foreign Service

• 1974 Joined foreign service; assigned to tours of duty in Mexico City; Warsaw, Poland; and Bogotá, Colombia
• 1981-1982 Congressional fellowship from the American Political Science Association
• 1982-1984 State-side assignment as regional affairs officer for the Office of Central American Affairs
• 1984-1987 Deputy principal officer, São Paulo, Brazil
• 1987-1989 Political counselor, Caracas, Venezuela
• 1989-1991 Deputy chief of mission, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
• 1991-1993 Deputy assistant secretary for Mexico and the Caribbean, Washington, D.C.
• 1994 Deputy coordinator for policy, Summit of the Americas
• 1994-1997 U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic 1998-2000 U.S. ambassador to Bolivia
• 2000-2002 U.S. ambassador to Venezuela Jan. 2002 Appointed U.S. ambassador to Brazil