John Randolph

John Randolph is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with affiliations in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, the History Department, and the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. He serves as Director of the Russian, East European and Eurasian Center and holds additional appointments at the European Union Center and Center for Global Studies.

• Current position: Associate Professor
• Departments: History, Slavic Languages and Literatures
• Centers: Russian, East European and Eurasian Center (Director), European Union Center, Center for Global Studies

His research focuses on Russian imperial history, communication systems, and cultural obligations. Recent work explores the intersection of documentary history, performance studies, and media analysis through Russian-Arab relations, tax policy historiography, and 18th-19th century infrastructure development.

Key publications examine Sergei Pleshcheev's Syrian travel diaries, performative obligations in Russian culture, and the postal system's role in shaping imperial governance. His work connects broad disciplinary themes of political economy, cultural anthropology, and historical communication.

Contact: jwr@illinois.edu | Office: 309 Gregory Hall, Urbana, IL