Vieshnavi Rattehalli

Grants Officer, U.S. Department of State

Vieshnavi Rattehalli serves as a grants officer in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration at the State Department, working with multilateral organizations and international organizations to coordinate and implement effective humanitarian assistance programming. Previously, at Chemonics International, Vieshnavi served as a senior peace, stability, and transition practice specialist, co-leading practice technical strategy design and supporting Chemonics’ portfolio of international development programs in fragile and conflict-affected states, providing subject matter expertise in conflict-sensitive, fragility-aware programming, monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), conflict and crisis mitigation, and humanitarian assistance. She supported project implementation and monitoring and evaluation for stabilization, governance, community resilience, and economic growth programming in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Lebanon, Tunisia, Sri Lanka, The Philippines, Jordan, Bangladesh, and Sudan. Prior to that, she provided research and writing for senior defense policymakers and ambassadors on topics such as the Iran nuclear deal, India-Middle East relations, civil society rebuilding, stabilization operations, and emerging defense capabilities. While studying in Geneva, Vieshnavi interned at Al-Karama for Human Rights, joining the research team to present the organization’s annual report at the 13th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Vieshnavi currently serves as the co-vice chair of the Women in Government Relations Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, where she serves as a thought leader, driving topic selection and content development, and soliciting and coaching facilitators to foster policy-driven critical conversations. Vieshnavi completed her M.A. in Conflict Resolution with a focus on post-conflict reconstruction and transitional justice at Georgetown University, and her B.A. in International Relations and B.S in Public Relations at Boston University.