Ben Raiklin (he/him/his)

I was born in St. Petersburg, Russia but grew up in New York City, the Catskills of upstate New York, and Cedar Falls, Iowa. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Economics, Russian Area Studies and Russian Language from the University of Northern Iowa, a master’s degree in International Relations from Syracuse University, and a doctoral degree in Russian History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. My travels have taken me across the United States, and to Austria, Canada, Estonia, Greece, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, having delicious meals and great conversations, taking long walks, traveling, and reading.