On June 24, 2014, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee sent the nomination of Joan A. Polaschik to be the U.S. ambassador to Algeria to the full Senate for its approval. It would be the first ambassadorial posting for Polaschik, who is a career Foreign Service officer. Polaschik is from Alexandria, Virginia, and attended the University of Virginia, earning a B.A. in Russian studies and foreign affairs. She subsequently earned an M.S. in foreign service from Georgetown University in 1993.