Jennifer Steel has served as the Associate Vice President for Government Affairs at the American University of Beirut since 2016. Based in Washington, D.C., she is the primary liaison between the university and various governmental bodies, including the U.S. Congress, the US Department of State and the European Union. Jennifer plays a vital role in securing the federal support and international partnerships that sustain AUB’s mission.
Her background includes high-level experience on Capitol Hill—notably serving as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for members of the U.S. House of Representatives, where she handled committee work for the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, the Middle East Foreign Affairs Subcommittee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She was recognized in 2023 by the Middle East Policy Council as a “40 under 40” awardee, and in 2010 by Foreign Policy Magazine as a “Hill Staffer to Watch” for her contributions to Middle East policy and international relations. She has also named a Truman National Security Project Congressional Scholar, a Partnership for a Secure America Congressional Fellow, and as a Freeman ASIA Foundation Fellow. Earlier in her career, she worked at the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, EARTH University in Costa Rica, and the Chemical Weapons Working Group. She holds an M.A. from the U.S. Naval War College and two B.A.s from Berea College. She has done graduate work at the U.S. National Defense University and Johns Hopkins University’s School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS).