The Fletcher School at Tufts University has appointed mezzo-soprano Carla Canales to Professor of Practice and Senior Fellow at The Edward R. Murrow Center for a Digital World. The appointment went into effect on July 1, 2022. Canales will lead the inaugural Cultural Diplomacy program, exploring how arts and culture can forward foreign policy objectives.

The mezzo has worked as an Arts Envoy of the U.S. Department of State since 2005 and most recently formed The Future of Diplomacy Initiative, co-sponsored by Future of Diplomacy Project of the Belfer Center at the Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University. Canales will continue at Harvard as a Fellow with the Social Innovation and Change Initiative (SICI) at the Center for Public Leadership.

“Carla Canales brings tremendous expertise in entrepreneurship and cultural diplomacy to Fletcher,” said Kelly Sims Gallagher, Academic Dean at Fletcher, in a press statement. “Her innovative approach to advancing foreign policy through shared connections across creative arts worldwide is an important addition to Fletcher’s robust international diplomacy curriculum,” she added. “We are delighted to welcome her to Fletcher.”

Along with her cultural diplomacy work, Canales is dedicated to providing voice to identity and cultural issues through The Canales Project, a non-profit arts and advocacy organization. Most recently, The Canales Project created the Hear Her Song initiative, which celebrated female leaders through songs written by female composers and songwriters. In 2021, The Canales Project received a National Endowment for the Arts Award.

“I’m deeply honored to have this special opportunity to contribute to Fletcher’s world-class community and their commitment to diplomacy. By harnessing the immense power of the arts, I believe that cultural diplomacy can provide innovative solutions to some of today’s most pressing global challenges. I am looking forward to furthering the education and training in this important field at such a critical time for global affairs,” Canales stated in the press release.