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Kyle Bellucci Johanson serves as a Visiting Critic in Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, Department of Art. Holding an MFA from California Institute of the Arts and a BA in Art and Reconciliation Studies from Bethel University, he merges artistic practice with critical theory through performance architecture and collaborative media. Whitney Independent Study Program (2022–23) Founding fellow at land's edge free school (Los Angeles) Teaching experience at SAIC, UIC, CUNY, and Cooper Union His research investigates: Power structures through spatial interventions Critical theory applications in art practice Post-capitalist imaginaries Hauntology and historical materialism Transdisciplinary approaches to social critique Project trends reveal: Reinterpretation of Soviet design principles Investigation of worker identity in post-industrial contexts Temporal and spatial dislocation in artistic practice Monument critique through performative methods Quantum theory-inspired architectural concepts Reimagining of common spaces as political sites Scientific awards include: Creative Research Grant (2025) Whitney ISP participation (2022–23) Automata Studio Residency (2022) Artists Run Chicago Grant (2021) BOLT Residency (2020–21) Through projects like KLUB WRKR —a nomadic workers' club reimagined for the gig economy—and table (2018–2022), a Chicago-based experimental space for artistic practice, he interrogates institutional frameworks while fostering community through discursive meals and collaborative exhibitions.

• Collaborative practice
• Digital media
• Drawing
• +14 more

Jochen Hellbeck is a Distinguished Professor of History and Vice Chair for Graduate Education in the Department of History at Rutgers University's School of Arts and Sciences, where he has been teaching since 2003. He holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and specializes in the history of the Soviet Union, with particular focus on individual life stories and the shaping of the self in modern Europe. Professor Hellbeck's research centers on the place and self-understandings of individuals during cataclysmic 20th century events, including the Russian Revolution, Stalin's terror regime, and World War II. His work examines how narratives of redemptive violence and transformation attached themselves to individuals on the ground, revealing how authors of diaries and personal texts became co-authors of the revolutionary script. More recently, he has explored comparative and transnational aspects of how Soviet, German, and British states mobilized citizens during World War II, highlighting the centrality of the Soviet war effort to the broader history of the conflict. His acclaimed book Stalingrad: The City that Defeated the Third Reich (2015) was the first Western study to probe the meaning of the Battle of Stalingrad for Soviet soldiers and civilians. The book draws on dozens of oral histories recorded by Moscow historians during and after the battle. Hellbeck's research consistently focuses on personal narratives and eyewitness accounts to provide grounded perspectives on major historical events. Morphomata Fellowship, Cologne (2019) Guggenheim Fellowship (2017) Short list, non-fiction prize of the Moscow Book Fair (2017) Davis Center Fellowship, Princeton (2016) Damals prize for best historical monograph (2013) American Academy in Berlin Fellowship (2009) Rutgers Board of Trustees Fellowship for Scholarly Excellence (2007) Michigan Society of Fellows (1997-1999) As a member of the Rutgers graduate faculty, Professor Hellbeck works with students interested in modern Russia and the Soviet Union, and in transnational explorations of Communism, World War II, and the Cold War. He encourages prospective graduate students to contact him before application deadlines. His website, Facing Stalingrad , features portraits and voices of veterans he interviewed during his research.

• History of the Soviet Union
• Individual life stories in modern Europe
• Russian Revolution
• +5 more

Auritro Majumder is Associate Professor of English at the University of Houston's College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, holding a courtesy appointment in the India Studies Program. His academic profile spans literary scholarship, critical theory, and intellectual history with a focus on non-Western perspectives. His educational background includes a Ph.D. in English from Syracuse University (2014), a Certificate in Critical Theory from Cornell University (2012), an M.A. (First Class) in English from Jadavpur University (2009), and a B.A. (First Class Honours) in English from Jadavpur University (2007). Majumder's research centers on peripheral internationalism and decolonial knowledge production , examining literary traditions across India, the Soviet Union, China, Latin America, and the United States. His work bridges literary theory , critical race studies , and global political movements , with particular emphasis on Bengali literature, caste-race intersections, and South-South cultural networks. His monograph Insurgent Imaginations: World Literature and the Periphery (Cambridge University Press, 2020) redefines world literature through non-Western frameworks. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals consistent engagement with decolonial aesthetics , transnational solidarity , and subaltern epistemologies . His scholarship demonstrates interdisciplinary reach spanning literary studies, political theory, film criticism, and comparative intellectual history, with increasing focus on contemporary debates around planetary consciousness and peripheral modernities. His scientific recognition includes: Project Completion Grant, CLASS (2019) William Lee Pryor College Professorship (2018-2019) Research Progress Grant (2017) CLASS Research Funds (2016) New Faculty Summer Research Grant (2015) Majumder actively contributes to academic service as Executive Committee member of the Modern Language Association’s South Asian and South Asian Diasporic Language, Literature and Culture Forum, editorial board member for Mediations , jurist for the National Endowment for the Humanities, and reviewer for multiple international journals. He has lectured globally across North America, South Asia, Europe, and Brazil. His teaching portfolio includes courses on postcolonial literature, modern Indian literature, and graduate seminars in postcolonial theory. Current projects include a monograph titled The Global South in Literature and Theory and a co-edited anthology Cultures of the Cold War in South Asia .

• Literary and Critical Theory
• Postcolonial Studies
• World Literature
• +7 more

Terry Martin is the George F. Baker III Professor of Russian Studies at Harvard University, affiliated with the Department of History within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He holds dual affiliations with the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies and the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. His research focuses on Soviet history, ethnicity, identity, surveillance, and political violence. He is renowned for works like The Affirmative Action Empire and co-edited A State of Nations . Currently, he is completing a book on Soviet state information-gathering from the revolution to Stalin’s death. Research interests include the intersection of nationalism, empire, and state policies in the USSR, with attention to religion, political police, and comparisons between Nazi and Soviet systems. His work bridges historical analysis with sociopolitical theory. His affiliations and academic contributions underscore his role as a leading scholar of Russian and Eurasian studies, with a focus on 20th-century imperial and international history.

• Soviet History
• Ethnicity
• Identity
• +7 more

Vladislav Zubok is a Professor of International History at the London School of Economics (LSE), where he also leads the Russia International Affairs Programme at LSE IDEAS. His career spans teaching roles at institutions like Amherst College, Ohio University, Stanford University, University of Michigan, and Temple University (tenured in 2004). Born and educated in Moscow (Moscow State University BA, PhD from the Institute for the USA and Canada), his work focuses on Cold War history , Soviet Union , Stalinism , and Russian intellectual history in the 20th century. Research Interests : Zubok’s scholarship bridges political history and cultural analysis , particularly examining the USSR’s Cold War dynamics, the collapse of authoritarian regimes, and the role of intellectuals in post-Stalinist Russia. His publications reveal trends in ideological evolution , geopolitical miscalculations , and economic fragility of superpowers. Recent works like Collapse (2021) emphasize authoritarian state failure and democratic populism in the USSR’s final decade. Awards & Grants : Lionel Gelber Prize (for A Failed Empire ) Marshall Shulman Prize (for A Failed Empire ) Grants from MacArthur Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Yeltsin Foundation, and Russkii Mir Foundation Fellowships at Norwegian Nobel Institute, Woodrow Wilson Center, Collegium Budapest, Rockefeller Center (Bellagio), Hoover Institute

• Cold War History
• Soviet Union
• Stalinism
• +5 more

David Holloway is the Raymond A. Spruance Professor of International History and Professor of Political Science at Stanford University, and a Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (emeritus). He has held leadership roles, including co-director of the Center for International Security and Arms Control (1991–1997) and director of the Freeman Spogli Institute (1998–2003). His research focuses on the international history of nuclear weapons, Soviet science and technology, and the intersection of international history and theory. Education: B.A. in Modern Languages and Literature (Cambridge University), Ph.D. in Social and Political Sciences (Cambridge University). Previous academic roles include teaching at the University of Edinburgh (1970–1986) and Lancaster University (1967–1970). Research interests include the historical and political dimensions of nuclear weapons, Soviet technological development, and arms control. Notable works include *Stalin and the Bomb* (1994), recognized by the New York Times and multiple scholarly awards. Awards: Vucinich and Shulman Prizes (AAASS), Lingua Franca Breakthrough Book (1999), and others. His work has been translated into multiple languages. Advising and grants: Extensive administrative roles, including associate dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences, and leadership in interdisciplinary initiatives like the Stanford Center on International Conflict and Negotiation. Affiliated with The Europe Center and the CISAC. Labs/Teams: Core member of the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) and affiliated with the Freeman Spogli Institute’s research networks.

• International History
• Nuclear Weapons History
• Soviet Union Studies
• +3 more

Douglas Northrop is a Professor of History and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA). He serves as Acting Director of the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia (WCEE) for the 2025-26 academic year, having previously been Associate Director since 2023 and a member of the WCEE Steering Committee. His affiliations include CMENAS (Center for Middle Eastern & North African Studies), CREES (Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies), and the Global Islamic Studies Center. Ph.D. in History, Stanford University (1999) M.A. in Modern European History, Cambridge University (1991) B.A. in Russian, Political Science, and Mathematics, Williams College (1988) Northrop specializes in the modern history of Central Asia, world history, environmental history, and the cultural dimensions of modern colonialism. His scholarship explores intersections of empire, gender, and environmental change, with a focus on Soviet-era Central Asia and global historical frameworks. His publications include Veiled Empire: Gender and Power in Stalinist Central Asia (2004), which won the W. Bruce Lincoln Prize and Heldt Prize, and Four Days that Shook the World: Earthquakes and Empire on Russia’s Eurasian Frontier (forthcoming). He co-authored BIG IDEAS: A Guide to the History of Everything (2020) and edited the Oxford Handbook to Central Asian History . W. Bruce Lincoln Prize (2004) Heldt Prize (2004)

• Central Asian History
• World History
• Environmental History
• +3 more

Simon Miles is an Associate Professor at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University , where he has been affiliated since 2017. His research specializes in Cold War diplomatic and military history, with a focus on US-Soviet relations and the relevance of historical lessons to contemporary geopolitics. Ph.D. in History from the University of Texas at Austin (2017) M.A. in International Relations from the London School of Economics (2011) B.A. in History from the University of Toronto (2010) Miles analyzes Cold War-era archives from both Western and Eastern bloc nations to understand superpower cooperation and rivalry. His work challenges prevailing narratives, such as the mythologized Able Archer 83 military exercise, and examines the Warsaw Pact's role in Cold War security dynamics. His current research extends to the lived experiences of Soviet intelligence officers during Gorbachev's reforms. The trajectory of his recent publications highlights a shift from high-level diplomatic analysis (e.g., Johnson and Reagan administrations) to grassroots perspectives within Soviet institutions. His cross-disciplinary approach bridges public policy, history, and political science, often contextualizing Cold War strategies within modern geopolitical frameworks.

• Cold War
• International Relations
• Diplomatic History
• +3 more

Ted Gerber is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with active affiliations at the Center for Demography and Ecology, Center for Russian East Europe and Central Asia, Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies, and University of Wisconsin Survey Center. Education: Ph.D. in Sociology, University of California, Berkeley, 1995 His research integrates Demography and Ecology, Education, Statistical Methods, and Social Stratification to analyze post-Soviet societies—particularly Russia—through quantitative lenses. Key investigations include housing regimes, migration patterns, social mobility, and collective memory of historical trauma like Stalinist repressions, examining how geopolitical contexts shape socioeconomic outcomes and public attitudes. Gerber's 2016-2021 publications reveal consistent focus on stratification dynamics in transitional economies, utilizing survey data from Russia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan. Recurring themes include the interplay between migration and gender, propaganda effects on public opinion, and methodological innovations in measuring housing status and social mobility within hybrid political systems. Scientific Awards: No major scientific awards listed in provided information Teaching Soc 360 (Statistics), Soc 496 (Population in Russia), and advanced seminars on stratification/migration, Gerber's mentorship appears through co-authored publications with colleagues like Jane Zavisca and Qian He, though specific student advisees and grant details remain unmentioned in the text. His collaborative work across four UW-Madison research centers enables interdisciplinary exploration of demography, post-Soviet transitions, and science-policy interfaces, particularly regarding how historical legacies influence contemporary social structures in Eurasia.

• Demography and Ecology
• Education
• Methods and Statistics
• +1 more

Dr. Vincent Artman is an Adjunct Professor at Wayne State University's Center for Peace and Conflict Studies within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Kansas (2016) and focuses on political geography, geopolitics, and the intersections of religion, nationalism, and territoriality in post-Soviet Central Asia. His research examines how identities—religious, national, and civic—are constructed in modern states, particularly in Kyrgyzstan and the Caucasus. Recent work explores Islam’s role in Kyrgyz national identity, white supremacy in the U.S./Europe, and the geopolitics of territorial disputes like Abkhazia/South Ossetia. He has published in Europe-Asia Studies , Geopolitics , and Territory, Politics, Governance . Artman has received grants including Wayne State’s Part-Time Faculty Professional Development Award (2017, 2018), an IREX Fellowship (2014), and a Fulbright (2013). He teaches courses like Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies and Peace Making: Regional Perspectives , frequently offered in Wayne State’s Peace and Conflict Studies Program. His awards reflect interdisciplinary scholarship, including Foreign Language Area Studies grants for Uzbek and Russian language proficiency. He also contributes to public discourse on Central Asia and Islamophobia, with op-eds in Al Jazeera and lectures on Kyrgyzstan’s religious-national identity dynamics.

• Political Geography
• Geopolitics
• Cultural Geography
• +8 more

Melissa Feinberg is a Professor of History at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, where she has been a faculty member since 2008. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and specializes in modern Eastern European history, with particular focus on Czechoslovakia, gender history, Cold War politics, and human rights. Her work examines political culture, feminism, and everyday experiences under communist regimes. Research Focus: Her scholarship centers on gender equality debates in interwar Central Europe, truth politics during Stalinism, and the societal transformations under communism. She employs ordinary voices to analyze historical change, with recurring themes including: Gender citizenship in democratic and socialist systems Cold War propaganda and information warfare Emotions as political tools Post-1989 legacies of communism Publication Trends: Feinberg's 15 most recent works (2017-2025) predominantly explore Eastern Europe's communist era through lenses of gender, dissent, and daily life. Her 2022 book Communism in Eastern Europe reexamines socialist governance through civilian experiences, while earlier works like Curtain of Lies (2017) analyze truth manipulation during Stalinism. Recurrent keywords include Cold War propaganda, women's activism, state surveillance, and post-socialist transition. Teaching: Regularly teaches undergraduate courses on 20th Century Europe, Communism, Human Rights, and Cold War seminars. Graduate instruction includes Women's/Gender History and Eastern European studies.

• Modern European History
• Gender History
• Eastern European Studies
• +6 more

Katherine A. Sibley is a Professor of History and Co-Director of the Washington Center Internship Program. She holds the Dirk Warren ’50 Sesquicentennial Chair in Social and Health Sciences, focusing on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of political and social history. Her work centers on American history, political culture, and the evolving roles of first ladies and political figures. Education: BA, MA, PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara Her research spans Cold War espionage, Soviet-American relations, and gender dynamics in presidential politics. She has organized significant conferences such as 'One Hundred Years of American Communism' (2018) and 'Southern Belles, Washington Balls' (2018), emphasizing regional and gendered impacts on national governance. Her publications include award-winning monographs and edited volumes that redefine historical narratives around first ladies and interwar diplomacy. Notable awards include the 1997 Phi Alpha Theta Book Award for Best First Book. She has guest-edited special issues of Diplomatic History and co-edits the University Press of Kansas book series 'First Ladies and First Partners.'

• American History
• Cold War Studies
• First Ladies and Political Culture
• +3 more

Golfo Alexopoulos is a Professor and Director of the USF Institute for Russian, European and Eurasian Studies at the University of South Florida's School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and an M.A. from Yale University. Her research focuses on Soviet and Russian authoritarianism, Stalinist systems, political violence, and human rights, with a particular emphasis on disinformation and medical exploitation in the Stalinist Gulag. A key work is Illness and Inhumanity in Stalin’s Gulag (2017), examining prisoner dehumanization through archival health records. Teaching spans contemporary Russian politics, comparative authoritarianism, and the Soviet Union. She integrates multimedia and personal experiences, including slides from her time in the USSR during Gorbachev, Yeltsin, and Putin eras. Her advising has supported students entering academia, diplomacy, and international law. Her research also explores Stalin’s disenfranchisement policies and Soviet citizenship through petitions discovered in Siberian archives. Current work links 20th-century Soviet authoritarianism to modern Russian disinformation strategies. She directs the USF Institute for Russian, European and Eurasian Studies, fostering interdisciplinary scholarship on global political systems.

• Russia and the Soviet Union
• Stalinism and authoritarianism
• Medicine/Health and society
• +3 more

Maya Brin was a faculty member in the Department of Russian Language and Literature at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she taught for nearly a decade. A former English teacher from the Soviet Union, she contributed to the university’s Russian program, fostering language education and cultural exchange. Her legacy is perpetuated through the Maya Brin Endowment, established by her son, Emeritus Professor Michael Brin, following her death. This endowment supports the Maya Brin Residency Program, which invites prominent Russian scholars, artists, and cultural figures to campus to enrich academic and cultural discourse. The program reflects her commitment to bridging Russian and international intellectual communities. Her teaching career at UMD emphasized the importance of language preservation and cross-cultural understanding. The residency program, funded in her honor, has hosted notable figures such as Lev Lurie, Valera and Natasha Cherkashin, Veniamin Smekhov, Masha Gessen, and Dmitry Bykov, highlighting themes ranging from Russian history to contemporary art and literature.

• Russian Language Education
• Russian Literature
• Slavic Studies
• +3 more

Nina Tumarkin is the Kathryn Wasserman Davis Professor of Slavic Studies and Professor of History at Wellesley College, with affiliations to Harvard University's Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies. Her career spans decades of teaching, research, and public engagement in Russian and Soviet history. Department of History Russian Area Studies Program Harvard's Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Her research focuses on historical memory in Russia, particularly how political elites and groups interpret the Soviet past. She has authored influential works on World War II commemoration, the Lenin cult, and the intersection of history and politics under Stalin and Putin. Politics of historical narratives World War II in Russian and global contexts Soviet cultural and political legacies Comparative memory studies At Wellesley, Tumarkin has taught courses spanning medieval to post-Soviet Russian history, including seminars on World War II as Memory and Myth. She twice chaired the History Department and directed the Russian Area Studies Program for many years. HIST116: Vladimir Putin: Personage, President, Potentate HIST246: Vikings, Icons, Mongols, and Tsars HIST247: Splendor and Serfdom: Russia Under the Romanovs HIST248: The Soviet Union: A Tragic Colossus RAST322: Firebird! The Russian Arts Under Tsars and Commissars She holds a B.A. from the University of Rochester, and M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. Her scholarly work has engaged with Harvard's Davis Center for decades through seminars and collaborative research. Notably, Tumarkin advised President Reagan on Soviet affairs before the 1985 Geneva Summit and influenced President Clinton's 1995 Moscow visit through her book The Living and the Dead . She actively participates in travel-study programs, lecturing on Russia, Japan, and World War II memory in Hiroshima and aboard the Trans-Siberian Railroad.

• Russian history
• Soviet history
• Historical memory
• +6 more