Holly Waeger Monster assumed the role of Director of the Office of Science & Technology Cooperation at the U.S. Department of State in September 2024. A member of the Senior Foreign Service, she has strengthened ties between the United States and its global partners since joining the Department of State in 2001. During previous assignments in Canada, Poland, South Africa, Kenya, Bolivia, and Malawi, she fostered cooperation in science, technology, and health in a variety of areas; designed U.S. Government strategies to combat wildlife trafficking; advanced U.S. interests in the energy and mining sectors; supported pan-Arctic dialogue; and led engagement with historically marginalised communities.
In Washington, Ms. Waeger Monster served as Staff Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs and as a Career Development Officer in the State Department's Bureau of Global Talent Management. Prior to joining the U.S. Department of State, she worked at the U.S. Department of the Treasury and conducted research at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Originally from Pennsylvania, Ms. Waeger Monster earned a master’s degree in International Trade and Investment Policy at George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Economics at American University, both in Washington, DC. Her husband, Edward, is also a Foreign Service Officer, and they have three children.