The qualities the president will look for in a secretary of state depend on how involved he wants to be with foreign policy, said Dennis Jett, a Penn State U. professor of international affairs and former U.S. ambassador.

In general, a secretary of state should have broad international experience, familiarity with government and an understanding of the U.S. role in the world that is similar to the president’s, Jett said.

The secretary of state should have an air of seriousness and a high degree of public recognition, both in the U.S. and world, he said. Those qualities are important, since the secretary of state is fairly consistently the highest profile person in the president’s cabinet, Jett said.

Those are qualities Jett said Clinton demonstrated. Clinton’s previous experience helped make her a successful secretary of state, he said.

“She’s also considered to be a very serious person who’s thought a lot about government policy and knows how it’s made,” Jett said. “That experience as a senator, as a first lady, gave her a depth of experience that not many people have.”

Clinton showed she was skilled at bipartisan work as a senator — which Americans have seen current legislators struggle to do, said Scott Gartner, Penn State professor of international affairs.

Gartner said Clinton skillfully balanced being a strong voice and leader while carrying out the president’s foreign policy initiatives.

Michael Mahon, president of the Penn State Political Science Association, said it’s important for the secretary to understand how other nations’ desires interact with domestic priorities, too.

“Even though the State Department focuses on foreign policy, any good diplomat, particularly secretary of state, will have a good working knowledge of domestic issues in this country, Mahon said.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice and U.S. Senator John Kerry are two top contenders who have the characteristics, leadership and management skills for the job, Jett said.

Republican senators have been critical of Rice for her response to the attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya, Jett said. That could make her confirmation process more difficult, he said. Presidential cabinet members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, Jett said.

Jett said the Senate could delay a nomination or vote it down. With a Democratic majority, it’s unlikely Republicans in the Senate will have enough votes for that, he said.

He said he expects the president will want to announce his nominee sooner rather than later.

“It could come at any time, because [Clinton’s] made it clear for a long time that she’s not going to stay,” Jett said. “This is no surprise. The timing is really up to the president.”