Laurel Rapp

Director, US and North America Programme

Laurel Rapp Headshot

Biography

Laurel Rapp is Director of the US and North America Programme at Chatham House. She brings to this role nearly two decades of experience at the US Department of State, White House National Security Council, US Senate, and in non-profit organisations.

Until January 2025, she served as deputy director of the Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff responsible for US grand strategy.  Previously, Laurel covered US policy towards the United Nations, Europe, and the Middle East in a range of assignments across the US government.

Earlier, she was a researcher in Morocco focused on political participation. Laurel is currently a senior fellow in international and public affairs at Brown University’s Watson School in Providence, Rhode Island. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a master’s in public policy from Harvard University.

For media requests for Laurel, please contact the Press Office Team.

Past experience

Autumn 2025–Spring 2026Senior fellow in international and public affairs, Brown University’s Watson School in Providence, Rhode Island
2021–January 2025Deputy director (2024) and member (2021-2023), Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff 
2020Legislative Fellow for Europe and South Asia, Senate Foreign Relations Committee 
2016–2019, 2021Special Assistant (2016-2018) and UN Political Affairs Senior Advisor (2018-2021), State Department Bureau of International Organization Affairs 
2011-2016Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State (2015-2016); and Bahrain/Oman Desk, State Department Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (2011-2015)
2012Special Assistant and Acting Director for the Maghreb, White House National Security Council