• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Main Navigation
  • Skip to Search

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington IU Bloomington

Open Search Menu

Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies

Robert F. Byrnes
Russian and East European Institute

  • Home
  • About
    • Director's message
    • Affiliate Faculty
    • Visiting Faculty and Scholars
    • Staff
    • Graduate Students
    • Regions of Study
    • About Bloomington
  • Undergraduate
    • REEI Minor & Language Certificate
    • REEI Area Studies Certificate
    • 4+1 Pathways
    • Polish Studies Minor
    • Courses
    • Advising
    • IU Funding Opportunities
    • Funding Opportunities
    • External Funding
    • Summer Language Study at IU
    • Study Abroad
    • Student Experience
    • Career Preparation
  • Graduate
    • Degrees
    • 4+1 Pathways
    • Courses
    • Academic Opportunities
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Summer Language Study
    • Study Abroad
    • Student Experience
    • Essays & Dissertations
    • Career Preparation
    • How to Apply
  • Outreach & Resources
    • RUSSIA'S ATTACK ON UKRAINE: RESOURCES
    • Pre K and K-12 Education
    • Resource Library
    • IU Library Research Guides for Russian and East European Studies
    • Russian Studies Workshop
    • Other Resources at IU
  • Alumni & Giving
    • Giving Opportunities
    • Get Involved
  • News & Events
    • Institute News
    • Calendar of Events
    • Language Conversation Hours
    • Past Events
    • REEIfication Newsletter
    • Subscribe to REEI Listserv / Submit an Event for Listing
  • Search
  • Contact
  • Institute News
  • Calendar of Events
  • Language Conversation Hours
  • Past Events
  • REEIfication Newsletter
    • Newsletter Archive
      • Fall 2021
      • Spring 2021
      • Fall 2020
      • Spring 2020
  • Subscribe to REEI Listserv / Submit an Event for Listing
  • Home
  • News & Events
  • REEIfication Newsletter
  • Newsletter Archive
  • Fall 2018 Newsletter
  • New REEI M.A. Students

New REEI M.A. Students

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Russell “Russ” Gifford double majored in Russian Language and Political Science at Ohio University. He is currently pursuing a dual master’s degree with Public Affairs (SPEA). In the course of his studies at IU, he plans to improve his Russian language skills while learning more about policy creation and optimization.

Bryce Hecht received his BS in Political Science from Grand Valley State University in April 2018. Upon receipt of his MA, he intends to pursue a PhD in political science. His research interests include comparative political behavior, comparative authoritarianism, Russian and post-Soviet politics, and, in particular, the determinants of regime stability in Russia.

Wondy Joseph majored in Political Science at the University of Florida. She studied abroad in Prague, where she first became interested in Russian language and culture. She looks forward to continuing her pursuit of Russian language proficiency and research into the quality of life in Russia and the former Soviet Union.

Rachel Julia Myers is pursuing an MA in Russian and East European Area Studies and a JD from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. Her research interests include comparative and international law, with a particular focus on local and regional court administration. Prior to entering law school in 2017, Myers worked at the American Bar Association in the Rule of Law Initiative, coordinating legal education programs in the Middle East & North Africa Division, and served as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant at Udmurt State University in Izhevsk, Russia. She received her BA from the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio in 2014.

Emily Ollis is pursuing dual MA degrees in REES and Library Science. She is interested in Russian literature and the digitization of Russian cultural and historical texts. She majored in English and double minored in Russian and Animal Studies at Appalachian State University in North Carolina.

Max Pirogov graduated with an MA in Economics from University of Missouri-Columbia. His research interests include Russian and Soviet foreign policy, international conflict resolution, and transitional economies.

Alexandra "Sasha" Stott graduated summa cum laude from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2016 with a double major in History and Russian, a minor in Anthropology, and a certificate in Russian and Eastern European Studies. She looks forward to advancing her Russian language skills and getting started in the world of library science as a dual REEI MA/MLS student.

From left to right: Assistant Director Mark Trotter, Wondy Joseph, Bryce Hecht, Max Pirogov, Rachel Julia Myers, Emily Ollis, Sasha Stott, Student Services Coordinator Elliott Nowacky, and Director Sarah Phillips
Not pictured: Russ Gifford
From left to right: Assistant Director Mark Trotter, Wondy Joseph, Bryce Hecht, Max Pirogov, Rachel Julia Myers, Emily Ollis, Sasha Stott, Student Services Coordinator Elliott Nowacky, and Director Sarah Phillips. Not pictured: Russ Gifford
  • Faculty + Staff Intranet

Robert F. Byrnes Russian and East European Institute social media channels

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Additional links and resources

Indiana UniversityHamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies

Indiana University

Copyright © 2023 The Trustees of Indiana University

Accessibility | Privacy Notice

Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies

  • About
    • Director's message
    • Affiliate Faculty
    • Visiting Faculty and Scholars
    • Staff
    • Graduate Students
    • Regions of Study
    • About Bloomington
  • Undergraduate
    • REEI Minor & Language Certificate
    • REEI Area Studies Certificate
    • 4+1 Pathways
    • Polish Studies Minor
    • Courses
    • Advising
    • IU Funding Opportunities
    • Funding Opportunities
    • External Funding
    • Summer Language Study at IU
    • Study Abroad
    • Student Experience
    • Career Preparation
      • Career Advising
  • Graduate
    • Degrees
    • 4+1 Pathways
    • Courses
    • Academic Opportunities
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Summer Language Study
    • Study Abroad
    • Student Experience
    • Essays & Dissertations
    • Career Preparation
      • Career Resources
      • Job Placements
      • Internships
    • How to Apply
      • FAQs
  • Outreach & Resources
    • RUSSIA'S ATTACK ON UKRAINE: RESOURCES
    • Pre K and K-12 Education
    • Resource Library
    • IU Library Research Guides for Russian and East European Studies
    • Russian Studies Workshop
    • Other Resources at IU
  • Alumni & Giving
    • Giving Opportunities
    • Get Involved
  • News & Events
    • Institute News
    • Calendar of Events
    • Language Conversation Hours
    • Past Events
    • REEIfication Newsletter
      • Newsletter Archive
        • Fall 2021
          • Director's Message
        • Spring 2021
        • Fall 2020
        • Spring 2020
    • Subscribe to REEI Listserv / Submit an Event for Listing
  • Contact