Dr. Yolonda Kerney is a proud alumna of Howard University in Washington, D.C., from which she earned undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees in music history and literature, music education, and religious studies.
With the Department of State, her experiences embrace STEM education as a driver of sustainable economic growth and innovation. Her State career has permitted her to meet program astronauts Mae Jemison and Robert Curbeam and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson to support the Department’s STEM initiatives. It is a great joy to see international students enthused about the possibility of studying in the United States, and managing educational exchange programs is one of the most gratifying parts of her job. Her last post was Counselor for Public Affairs, Embassy Kinshasa. Earlier in her career, she was a music historian working at the Library of Congress in the Special Materials Division and the Music Division. Her academic focus was American music, and it was her great pleasure to work on the Library’s I Hear America Singing web exhibitions and concert series.