I am grateful for this opportunity to apply for the position of CESS Board Member. My engagement with the organization over the years has included service on last year’s Conference Committee, host and presenter roles at several CESS conferences, as well as a judgeship on 2021’s Book Award Committee. My published work on Central Eurasia includes two monographs, two book-length translations of Central Asian Turkic sources, two edited volumes, and many articles. The geographical range of this research overlaps nicely with CESS’ coverage, spanning Central Eurasia from Kazakhstan to Iran and from Xinjiang to the Volga-Urals.

This year I was promoted to Associate Professor of History at Northwestern. One of my goals in the years to come is to develop a closer relationship with CESS as a representative of the university’s growing Central Asia/Caucasus field. On that front, I have reached out to three current and former CESS government members about hosting a future conference at NU, and I look forward to exploring other avenues for collaboration. As a Board member, I would also plan to expand CESS’ outreach to historians, among whom the Society is sometimes regarded as a hub for political science and current events research. Increasing outreach to historians (perhaps by hosting and co-sponsoring targeted, history-themed events) would allow CESS to take advantage of the remarkable growth and vibrancy of historical studies within the region as well as in the U.S. and Europe.

To engage younger scholars and students in the region, I would propose the development of a CESS Research Assistant Database for accessing regional archives. With travel largely curtailed for nearly three years during the pandemic, and with Russian archives off-limits to many CESS members for the foreseeable future, colleagues have begun seeking out remote collaborations with local researchers who can report back about archival collections and provide scans. These collaborations have become crucial for researchers outside the region while also providing Central Eurasian collaborators with collaboration and networking opportunities (not to mention revenues). This database would be useful for professional scholars as well as for journalists and students.

Thank you for your time and consideration! I hope for further opportunities to discuss these and other ideas for expanding CESS’ outreach in the years to come.