A Life in Diplomacy

Tuesday, Aug 11, 2026 • Jayce K. Smith : Contact

When Christine E. Meyer arrived at The University of Texas at Arlington, she thought she would become an architect. It didn’t take long to realize her strengths lay elsewhere. “I realized I was more of an analyst than a creator,” she said. “Once I switched to Art History, I knew I was in the right place.”  That decision became the foundation for a career that has taken her around the world.

Today, Meyer serves as Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. at the U.S. Embassy in Asmara, Eritrea. A member of the Senior Foreign Service, she has represented the United States across Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, with diplomatic assignments in Hong Kong, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, Jerusalem, Egypt, Guyana, Saudi Arabia, Washington, D.C., and now Eritrea. For Meyer, the study of art history was never simply about paintings or sculpture.

“Art history is really the history of commerce, society, diplomacy, science, war, and peace—told through buildings, paint, canvas, and sculpture.”  She credits UTA faculty, particularly Distinguished Research Professor Dr. Mary Vaccaro, with helping her see how art reflects the social and historical forces that shape cultures and societies. Those lessons continue to influence her work today. “There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to work or life,” Meyer said. “We have to find common ground by communicating and exploring how our past experiences, backgrounds, and values can inform the future, while also being open to change.” That perspective has guided her throughout a career built on relationships. She often recalls journalist Edward R. Murrow’s observation that diplomacy happens in “the last three feet”—the distance bridged by one person speaking directly with another. “A smile and an extended hand open doors,” she said.  One of her earliest diplomatic experiences reinforced that belief. 

After giving a presentation at a university outside a foreign capital, a student approached her with a simple observation. “You’re the first American I’ve ever met,” the student said. Then she added: “You’re nice.” For Meyer, that brief interaction represented something much larger.

“I knew in that moment there had been a mind shift,” she said. “By being present and accessible, I had changed her mind about what an American was.”

Today, as she represents the United States abroad, Meyer continues to draw on the communication, critical thinking, and cultural understanding she first developed as a UTA student.  “I wanted to contribute to something bigger than myself,” she said. “It is an honor to wake up each morning and represent the United States.”