Susan Rice: The Peacemaker

She is a Woman of the Year because: “She understands the complex threats we face in the twenty-first century, and when those challenges demand action from the international community, Susan gets it done through a combination of skilled diplomacy and sheer determination.” —President Barack Obama

Ask powerful people about U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice and certain words keep coming up: “Incredibly effective,” Vice President Joe Biden tells Glamour; “tough,” says former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; “brilliant” from Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine). Oh, one more: “Sportin’,” a nickname from her high school basketball days that followed her to Barack Obama’s hoop-shooting White House. Rice, just 45, is tapping into those qualities in her quest to renew America’s image around the world. The first-ever African American female in her position, she has called out Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for his “hateful” comments on Israel; stood up to the North Korean missile threat; and condemned the Darfur genocide. Read more here