Renee Stillings, Director
Renee first visited the Soviet Union in 1990 to study at MGU after graduating from Boston University with a BS in Biomedical Engineering. After working at a technical translation company in Boston, she returned to Moscow in 1992 for permanent residence until 1998. During that time she worked in the Russian financial markets and finally founded The School of Russian and Asian Studies as well as co-founded Alinga Consulting Group. She has traveled extensively in and continues to travel to Russia, Central Asia, and the Baltic countries. She is a board member of the US-Russia Chamber of Commerce of New England and active in several Russia-oriented business and academic organizations. After many years of living full- or part-time in Russia, she is now based in Woodside, CA. with her family.

Josh Wilson, Asst. Director and General Editor
Josh first came to Russia in 2003 as an SRAS student after earning an MA in Theatre and a BA in History from Idaho State University. He has lived in Moscow, Russia ever since. After working as an English teacher, writer, and translator, Josh was hired by SRAS to assist in developing several new initiatives. Josh now manages the SRAS website, assists in program development and leads our Translation Abroad Program. He is also the editor of the SRAS newsletter, primary author of The Library, and editor-in-chief for Vestnik: The Journal of Russian and Asian Studies. In addition, he serves as Communications Consultant to Alinga Consulting Group, and General Editor for the US-Russia Chamber of Commerce of New England.

Lisa Horner, Program Consultant, Institutional Relations
Lisa, to the perplexity of her German-rooted family, graduated from Reed College with a BA in Russian Literature. After attending SRAS's Translation Abroad Program, she went on to accept positions with SRAS and  Alinga Consulting Group. Lisa was then promoted within SRAS and is now leading our institutional relations efforts, helping to develop new programs and partnerships. She is also the primary contact during the program selection process, helping students navigate the opportunities they have through SRAS relative to their academic, professional, and personal interests and objectives. She also studied previously at Smolny Institute in St. Petersburg and currently resides in Minneapolis, MN.

Kim Frankwick, Student Services Coordinator
Kim Frankwick serves as SRAS's Student Services Coordinator, assists in organizing faculty led tours, and reviews student’s written work on some programs. She believes in the ability of each and every student to achieve their goals, make their mark, and learn the skills needed to succeed in a changing, inter-dependent world. Kim earned a BA in Russian Language and Literature from Beloit College, studied at the Russian State University for the Humanities, and earned an M.Ed. in Student Development Administration from Seattle University. Ask her about volunteerism, social justice, ways to connect locally, and the beauty of Russian culture. She is based in Moscow, Russia.

Anne LaFond, Program Consultant
Anne holds a BA in Russian Studies from Tufts University and an MFA in Painting and Printmaking from the New York Academy of Art. Her interest in Russia came not because it offered a practical career path, but because she loved the talent of the great Russian 19^th-Century Realists and their inspiration to connect art with the daily lives of ordinary people. This continues to be her own artistic goal. Having taught at an Arts High School in Jerusalem, Israel, for many years, she currently works as Art Director for Partnerships for Parks in New York and has been included in numerous exhibits in the New York area. Anne studied with SRAS's Art in Russia in 2012 and has now joined SRAS as a consultant for that program. Maybe there was a career path after all!

Andrei Nesterov, Writer, Internship Coordinator
Andrei Nesterov has reported on political and social issues for the Russian press as well as American outlets such as Russian Life, Worldpress.org, and Triangle Free Press. He has travelled Russia extensively and penned many stories on the "real Russia" which lies beyond the capital and major cities. Andrei graduated from Ural State University (journalism) and Irkutsk State Linguistic University (English). He studied public policy and journalism at Duke University on a Muskie Fellowship and went on to study TESOL and teach Russian at West Virginia University. He is currently working on an MA from St. Petersburg State in International Relations. Andrei contributes news, feature stories, and language resources to the SRAS site, and is an overall linguistics and research resource. He additionally helps coordinate activities for our students in Moscow.

April Djakoniya, St. Petersburg Student Coordinator
April Djakoniya decided to immerse herself in Russian language and culture during her second year at Georgetown University. She has taught English in Ekaterinburg, worked for an educational exchange in Moscow, and now serves as SRAS’s student coordinator in St. Petersburg. She also has extensive experience in the nonprofit and higher education fields. She hopes to help all students immerse themselves in the culture and discover their own unique connections with the city. April also volunteers with the St. Petersburg International Business Association where she explores her interest in creating opportunities to bring together businesses and nonprofits for great social impact. She holds an MS in Communications from Northwestern University.

Sergey Fedorov, St. Petersburg Culture Coordinator
Sergei was born and raised in Siberia. He graduated from the Department of Philology at St. Petersburg (then Leningrad) State University with degrees in English Language and English and American Literature. He worked for a few years as a teacher of English in a secondary school before becoming a licensed tour guide, which has been his primary profession for the last two decades. Sergei loves living in St. Petersburg's "suburbs" – combining an active country life with all the opportunities that a big, cultural city offers. He is a great fan of the Russian banya and enjoys cross-country skiing. 

Elena Varshavskaya, Art Program Director
Elena holds a Ph.D. in art history from the Institute of Fine Art at the State Academy of Art in Moscow. Having worked for the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg as a researcher and lecturer for over two decades, Elena moved to the US where she now teaches art history at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Eastern Connecticut State University. Her course offerings embrace European, Russian and Asian art with the emphasis on the early 20th century Russian art and Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints. A published author and an exhibition curator, at SRAS Elena directs the program Art & Museums in Russia hosted by the Hermitage each summer.

Kendje Aitikeeva, Advisor, Bishkek Coordinator
Kendje holds an MA in Linguistics from Kyrgyz Humanitarian University and a BA in Teaching English from Kyrgyz English College. She is also a certified teacher of Russian as a Foreign Language. She has traveled extensively, including to the United States, and enjoys meeting people participating in cross-cultural projects. Kendje co-founded and has served as the director of the London School of Bishkek since 1998 and has been involved in education in the former Soviet Union since 1986. She now serves as an advisor to SRAS on Central Asia and oversees and manages our Central Asian programs.

AATSEEL: American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages exists to advance the study and promote the teaching of Slavic and East European languages, literatures, and cultures on all educational levels

ASEEES: The Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES), a nonprofit, non-political, scholarly society, is the leading private organization in the world dedicated to the advancement of knowledge about the former Soviet Union (including Eurasia) and Eastern and Central Europe. ASEEES, known as the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies until 2010, supports teaching, research, and publication relating to the peoples and territories within this area.

USRCCNE: The U.S.-Russia Chamber of Commerce of New England, Inc. (USRCCNE) is a non-profit business organization for companies and professional individuals involved with economic activity in Russia and the other republics of the former Soviet Union.

SRAS Director, Renee Stillings, is also a co-founder and partner of Alinga Consulting Group, a Moscow-based company active in the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia and the Association of European Businesses.