Reno L. Harnish III is the former Director of the Center for Environment and National Security (CENS) at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography UC San Diego. He was a career member of the U.S. Foreign Service (American diplomat) and formerly served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, Environment and Science. Harnish received a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from San Diego State University, a Master’s in International Studies from American University, and a Master’s in Economics in 1975. Read more
Before entering the Foreign Service, Mr. Harnish worked as a research assistant at the American Enterprise Institute, an international economist at the U.S. Department of Treasury, and as a clerk for Congressman Dave Martin of Nebraska.
Later, he served as the Environment, Science and Technology Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, as Economic and Commercial Counselor at the U.S. Embassy to the German Democratic Republic, in the Office of Developed Country Trade at the Department of State, as an Economic Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Vienna, Austria, a Political Officer in the Status Liaison Office in Saipan, and an Economic Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Lagos, Nigeria. Mr. Harnish speaks German, Italian, Swedish, and some Azerbaijani. He was honored for Presidential Meritorious Service, received Senior performance pay twice, and has been awarded a Meritorious and two Superior Honor Awards.
