WASHINGTON, DC — The Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue has named Dr. Shawn Powers  Vice President of Global Engagement, effective July 13. Powers will lead the Institute’s global engagement strategy with U.S. and like-minded partners, overseeing efforts to mobilize the rapidly expanding Global Trusted Tech Network of countries and companies, and  accelerate the adoption of trusted technology worldwide.

Powers brings extensive experience at the intersection of technology and U.S. foreign policy. Most recently, he served as Director for Strategy, Programs, and Communications in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, where he helped shape U.S. strategy on critical and emerging technology. Throughout his career, he has advised governments, institutions, and private sector leaders on emerging technology and the strategic challenges shaping the economic and security landscape.

“The future of freedom will be shaped by the technologies we build and adopt globally,” said Dr. Shawn Powers, Vice President of Global Engagement at the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue. “The Krach Institute was first to build a real platform for governments and companies to act on trusted technology together, not just talk about it. I'm excited to help take that further."

"Shawn saw where this field was going before most of Washington did. He knows this world from the inside, and that combination — the foresight and the experience — is exactly what we need to grow this network, and I'm thrilled to have him leading that work," said Michelle Giuda, CEO of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue.

The Krach Institute continues to rapidly expand the Global Trusted Tech Network, bringing together governments, companies, and institutions committed to advancing trusted technology and countering authoritarian models. Through strategic partnerships, global caucuses, and initiatives like the Trusted Tech Standard and Tech Diplomacy Academy, the Institute equips partners with the tools to navigate emerging technologies and strengthen economic and national security.

Most recently, the Institute has expanded partnerships across Europe, Asia, and Latin America to advance trusted technology cooperation, while training decision-makers worldwide through the Tech Diplomacy Academy, the world’s first online education platform dedicated to preparing leaders across government, industry, and civil society to understand how critical and emerging technologies shape national power, economic competitiveness, and freedom. As the global race for leadership in AI, semiconductors, quantum computing, and critical infrastructure intensifies, the Institute continues to build the coalition needed to ensure these technologies advance freedom.