The Consul General at the United States in Barcelona, ​​Lia Miller, has learned first-hand about the activities and projects of the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (IBEI), its lines of research and training, and its inter-university nature. She was accompanied by Nikki Finnemann, Public Affairs Officer; Vincent Larach, Public Engagement Coordinator; Eva Ollé, Public Engagement Specialist; and José Ramírez-Rivera, Political and Economic Officer.

They met with the president and director of IBEI, the Deputy General Manager for Postgraduate Teaching and Quality Assurance at IBEI, and the Senior Research Associate Anthony Michael Bertelli, coordinator of the project 'Representative Government Through Democratic Governance (REPGOV)' at IBEI, and Sherwin-Whitmore Professor of Liberal Arts, Pennsylvania State University. 

Lia Miller assumed the role of U.S. Consul General in Barcelona in August 2024. She is a career Foreign Service Officer with extensive experience in the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Spain. She has demonstrated leadership and innovation in public diplomacy, communications, humanitarian relief, democratic institution building, and reform. Most recently, Lia served as a Senior Advisor for Women, Peace, and Security at the U.S. Naval War College, working in an interagency capacity. Lia’s previous assignments within the U.S. Department of State include roles in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, the Operations Center, the Bureau of Global Public Affairs, the Office of Middle East Transitions, and the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. She has also served at U.S. Embassies in Armenia, Bolivia, Tunisia, Nicaragua, and Oman. Lia holds a Bachelor of Science with honors, with double majors in Social Work and African American Studies. She also earned two Master’s degrees from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University: one in Public Administration and one in International Relations. Additionally, she has a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University and a Master of National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College.