Russian and East European Institute

Paul Andersen grew up in Idaho, but spent several years of his childhood in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He also lived for two years in Novosibiirsk, Siberia, on his LDS mission. Paul graduated from Brigham Young University in December 2005 with a degree in Russian and Political Science. Paul is interested in Russia's relations with Central Asia, including the politics and history of the region.
username: panderse

Amy Bedford is originally from Chicago. She studied Religion and Russian at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating in 2006, she traveled throughout Eurasia including Russia and Kazakhstan.
username: ambedfor

Leigh Bernstein is originally from Colorado and graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 2000 with a degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies. She worked as a Peace Corps volunteer near Vladivostok, Russia, and has spent time studying at the Moscow Institute for Advanced Studies. Leigh is interested in national security issues between Russia and the countries of Central Asia.
username: lebernst

Erin Biebuyck graduated from Michigan State University in 2007 with a dual major in History and Social Relations and Policy.  She is interested in modern Romanian history and the history of gender, sexuality, and collective memory in a comparative context.  After completing her MA, Erin plans to pursue a Ph.D. in History at Indiana University.
username: ebiebuyc

Justin Blair is originally from Milton, Kentucky and graduated, Cum Laude, from the University of Florida in 2003 with a B.A. in History. He worked on an archaeological dig in Satu Mare, Romania in 2003 and returned to Transylvania twice in 2005 and 2006 to collect folklore stories for the documentary, “Across the Forest”. Justin is interested in studying crime in Romania during the communist period, folklore of Transylvania, and archaeology.
username: jublair

Josh Bloom is originally from New Jersey. He graduated from Swarthmore College in 2000, completing Swarthmore's Honors program with a Major in English and Minor in Philosophy. After college, he served two years in the U.S. Peace Corps in the Russian Far East, teaching English as a second language. After Peace Corps, he worked in Washington, DC as a paralegal at a civil rights law firm and also taught English at an international college. In the future, he hopes to become an academic, possibly via a PhD in Slavic Languages and Literatures. He is currently pursuing an MA with REEI.
username: jsbloom

Margaret Browndorf is pursuing a dual degree with REEI and SLIS in the hopes of becoming an academic librarian. She graduated from Dickinson College in 2008 with degrees in Russian Area Studies and Russian Literature. Her interests include Russian and Czech Modernist literature, Czech and Polish film, Eastern European bookplates and bibliography.
username: browndom

Lauren Butt grew up in Connecticut and graduated from Cornell University in 2004 with a double major in Art History and Classics. She is interested in the impact of historical legacies and memory on cultural policies in the Balkan region.
username: labutt

Sal Capizzi graduated from Union College in 2007 with a degree in Russian and Eastern European Studies and a minor in History. He is originally from New York and is interested in Soviet history and relations between Russia and the United States. After completion of his MA he plans on pursuing a PhD and teaching at a university level.
username: scapizzi

Justin Classen is originally from Rutland, Vermont and graduated from Williams College in 2003 with BAs in History and Political Science. He was later awarded a graduate fellowship to the University of Vermont, where he graduated in 2007 with an MA in History. Justin is interested in modern Romanian history, particularly the theory, evolution and impact of the radical right during the inter-war period and the early phases of Romanian Communist rule.
username: jclassen

Christopher Collins received his bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri in Russian studies with a minor in history. After completing his degree he decided to improve his knowledge by living in Russia, where he taught English in St. Petersburg. He is now focusing on contemporary Russia and citizenship problems in the Baltics.
username: chricoll

Nicole Degli Esposti, who is originally from Oregon, received her B.A. in Comparative Literature and French in 2001 from the University of Southern California. She has worked in Romania as an English editor and as research assistant at the University of Oregon's English department. Most recently, she was editor of an international children's magazine and an English teacher to Korean children. Currently, she is in the REEI/SPEA dual-degree program. In particular, she is interested in the role of young people in Romania/Southeastern Europe, education issues and the creation of goodwill between this region and the USA.
username: ndeglies

Dan Tam Do is from Chicago and graduated from Amherst College in 2001 with a degree in music. She has spent time teaching English and studying in various Czech cities and is currently pursuing a dual degree with REEI and SLIS. Her interests include folk music; Czech film, literature, and classical music; and nationalism and minority issues in Central Europe.
username: dtdo

Thomas Fiske received his B.A. at Purdue University in sociology with a minor in psychology and a certificate of proficiency in Russian language. He has taught second-year Russian at the University of Maryland, where he was also the in-house Resident Coordinator for the "Russian Cluster" of the university's foreign language dormitory. He was the Resident Director for Arizona Russia Abroad (ARA) in 2001 in Moscow, a University of Arizona program. He is interested in contemporary Russian life, education in Russia, culture, politics, and economics. He plans to pursue a PhD after his MA work.
username: tfiske

Jodi Griffith graduated from Indiana University in 2009 as an English major. She is interested in Slavic literature, history, film, and Czech language. After completing a Dual MA in Library Science and Russian studies, she will pursue a career in Slavic librarianship.
username: griffijm

Andrew Hall is originally from Long Valley, New Jersey, and graduated from Drew University in 2004 with a degree in History. After graduation he worked, learned Russian at Rutgers University, and took part in several volunteer projects, including two trips to New Orleans to help with hurricane relief. At IU, he is in the Dual MA/MPA program with SPEA, where he wants to concentrate on policy analysis. Andrew is interested in Russia and the Former Republics of Yugoslavia, democratization of the former USSR, political philosophy, and Eastern European history.
username: hall46

Kara Hodgson's love affair with the former Soviet Union began in high school when she traveled to Kiev, Ukraine and then later lived in St. Petersburg, Russia for two years. She went on to earn her B.A. in Russian Studies and Political Science from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and is currently working toward her M.A., focusing on primarily on Russia in a circumpolar context.
username: kkhodgso

Brett Homkes is originally from Michigan and graduated from Grand Valley State University with a BA in History and Russian Studies. He was a member of the Russian Honors Society and Phi Alpha Theta Historical Honors Society while at GVSU. Brett is interested in early Soviet history and is considering continuing on to a PhD program following completion of his MA degree.
username: bhomkes

Leah Jakaitis is from Albany, New York and graduated from Rensselaer Polytechic Institute in 2008 with a B.S. in Science and Technology Studies. She is pursuing a joint M.L.S. / M.A., and is interested in merging the two subjects by studying book history and material culture in the Czech Republic.
username: ljakaiti

James Joeriman graduated in 2002 from the University of Florida with a double major in Russian and Psychology. Since graduating he has worked as a translator, mostly freelance, but also briefly on a couple projects for the USGS. His primary interests are environmental issues in the FSU and corporate, social, and governmental initiatives/responsibility in the area of sound environmental management.
username: jjoerima

Ian Karanovich is an Indiana native who graduated with a B.A. in Geography-International Studies from IU in 2008. Moving to Belgrade, Serbia after graduation, he worked as an English instructor, and also volunteered for NGOs. At REEI, he is focusing on the history, politics and demography of the former Yugoslavia. Ian intends to relocate back to Belgrade, upon completion of his M.A., to work at an NGO or to pursue a doctorate at the University of Belgrade's Political Sciences faculty.
username: ikaranov

Zach Kelly was born and raised in Wisconsin and finished his undergrad at UW-Madison in Russian Language and Literature. He enjoyed spending his final year in St. Petersburg, Russia. Before coming to IU, he participated in BALSSI, taking Estonian. His current focus is post-Soviet youth culture and gender studies in Russia and Estonia. He plans to continue onto his Ph.D., focusing on Northern European linguistics, i.e. Slavic and Finno-Ugric.
username: zwkelly

Coady Kleinert is originally from Lexington, KY and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Russian Studies in 2008. She spent a summer studying in Vladimir, Russia in 2006. Coady spent a year doing Teach for America in Indianapolis before starting graduate school. She is interested in literature and religion in Russia and Eastern Europe.
username: ekleiner

Karen Kowal graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison with a B.S. in education and a B.A. in German. Before coming to IU she served 3 years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the city of Blagoveshchensk in the Russian Far East. She then spent a summer working as a Public Affairs intern in the U.S. Embassy in Chishinau, Moldova and plans to pursue a career in international development in Russia. At IU, she is pursuing a dual MA/MPA degree, and her research interests include the development of civil society and NGOs in the countries of the former Soviet Union, especially in the Russian Far East.
username: kjkowal

Michelle Lawrence grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana and graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2007, having studied Comparative Literature and Russian. At IU, she is pursuing her interest in Ukraine through language study and other related coursework. She spent the summer of 2008 in Kyiv, Ukraine as an intern at the US Embassy there. Michelle plans on working as a Foreign Service Officer in the State Department after graduation.
username: lawrenml

Kelly Lostroscio is originally from Chicago, Illinois, but grew up in Dallas. She graduated from IU with her B.A. in Russian and Criminal Justice in 2007. In the spring of 2006, she studied abroad in St. Petersburg, Russia. This experience influenced her research interests in economic development in the former Soviet Union and former Yugoslavia. She is currently pursuing a joint MA/MPA degree and is studying Serbo-Croatian.
username: klostros

Heather McGurgan grew up just south of Atlanta, Georgia. She graduated from Florida State University in December 2008 with a B.A. in Russian and East European Studies, International Affairs, and Russian Language. Her research interests include early Soviet social and cultural history, Orthodoxy's material culture, and rural Russia. She is interested in working with microhistory and history from below in her research.
username: hmcgurga

Kristen McIntyre is from Cleveland, Ohio and graduated from Kent State University in 2007 with a degree in International Relations and a minor in Russian Language. She is interested in post-communist politics and foreign policy in Russia. Upon graduation she would like to enter the Foreign Service.
username: krmcinty

Jeff Naylor is originally from central Missouri. He graduated from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri in 2005 with B.A. degrees in history and Russian. While an undergraduate, he spent a summer in Moscow studying the Russian language. Continuing work from his undergraduate thesis, Jeff hopes to study the populist movement in nineteenth-century Russia and its influence in Poland. After completing his MA, Jeff hopes to work in academia or for a humanitarian organization.
username: jcnaylor

Yuriy Napelenok was born in Gomel, Belarus, and grew up in Pullman, Washington. He graduated from Washington State University with a degree in History. He studied in St. Petersburg, Russia in the fall of 2005. He is interested in civil society, democratization, and economic development in Eastern Europe.
username: ynapelen

Katherine Pruess graduated from the University of Missouri in 2006 with degrees in Russian and Political Science. She worked as a research assistant at the Kennan Institute in Washington, D.C., before spending two years teaching English on the Fulbright Program in Russia. Her main interests are culture and history in Soviet and post-Soviet Russia.
username: kpruess

Sara Ronald is originally from Portland, Indiana. She graduated from Indiana University in 2004 with a BA in Slavic Languages and Literatures. Her interests include Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova. She enjoys traveling, reading, and football.
username: sronald

Chris Roush received his B.A. in Intelligence Studies from the American Military University. Chris is interested in Soviet History, especially the operations and influences of the Soviet intelligence and security apparatus. He hopes to pursue a Ph.D. after completion of his M.A. degree.
username: cjroush

Erika M. Steiger is originally from California. She studied Social Anthropology at Harvard, concentrating especially on Comparative Religion, but her main focus since college has been as a writer and a teacher. She is the author of a novel, Floating On Bamboo, and a co-author of "The Mental Health for Immigrants Project: Program Design and Participatory Research in the Real World," a product of one of the many rewarding projects in which she has participated. She has taught English, Writing and other subjects in a variety of contexts. Her experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Macedonia from 2005-2008 led to her desire to learn as much as she possibly can about the Western Balkans, which led her to REEI.
username: emsteige

Leah Tannen graduated from Indiana University in 2007 with a degree in Russian Language and Literature with minors in REEI and Telecommunications. Her main interests include music and folklore of the minorities throughout Eastern Europe.
username: ltannen

Carla Tumbas completed her BA in Political Science and International Studies with a minor from the Russian and East European Institute at Indiana University in 2007. She is interested in economic development and the role of the European Union in Southeast Europe, particularly the former Yugoslavia. She is currently pursuing a joint degree with REEI and SPEA.
username: ctumbas

John Venham graduated cum laude from Ohio University with a B.S. in Biology (minor Microbiology), and subsequently served as an associate researcher in molecular virology at the University of Wisconsin. Prior to graduate school, he spent two years in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and completed an investigation into his own family heritage at various regional archives. His research interests however now focus on Hungarian origins and ethnogenesis, and the contribution of novel methods in genetic analysis to this historical question. John is proficient in Czech/Slovak, Hungarian and German.
username: jvenham

Ryan Weeks grew up in Des Moines, Iowa and Rexburg, Idaho.  He served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Yekaterinburg, Russia from 2001-2003.  He received his BS in Accounting from Brigham Young University - Idaho in 2007.  Ryan is interested in national security issues between Russia and the United States.
username: ryweeks

Meg White is originally from California and graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Psychology and a Russian Language minor. She traveled Russia as an undergraduate and decided to teach English there after graduation. She returned from the year in Russia with a passion for researching Russian national identity construction and Russia’s changing political and cultural relationship with the countries of Central Asia, specifically focusing on Tajikistan.
username: whitemee

Anastasia Wypasek grew up in Akron, Ohio and graduated from Saint Francis University in 2008 with a degree in history and English Literature. She is interested in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Polish history and literature.
username: awypasek

Emily Young graduated from Carleton College in 2005 with a degree in music. She has studied abroad in Wales and Russia, served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Albania, and is currently pursuing a dual MIS/MA with SLIS and REEI. Emily's interests include the history, culture and politics of Russia and the Balkans.
username: emjyoung

James Young was born and raised in Michigan and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in Interdisciplinary Studies. He studied German in Goettingen, Germany, and also spent a year teaching English in Krasnoyarsk and Sochi, Russia. He also worked in the U.S. for a company that manufactured concealable body armor. James is pursuing a dual JD degree with the School of Law and is interested in national security and possibly applying his international law skills in the private sector.
username: jabyoung

Russian and East European Institute | College of Arts and Sciences
Ballantine Hall 565, 1020 E Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405-6615
Phone: (812) 855-7309 | Fax: (812) 855-6411 | reei@indiana.edu
Copyright 2009, The Trustees of Indiana University | Last Updated: 08 November 2009