Meet Our Team

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 eventually founded SRAS as well as co-founded Alinga Consulting Group (now merged to Bellerage Alinga). Renee is now based in Woodside, CA with her family and continues to travel frequently not only to SRAS sites, but throughout the world and with eyes open for new ideas in education abroad.

Josh lived in Moscow from 2003-2022, from when he first arrived to study Russian with SRAS. He is now based in the Salt Lake area in the US. He holds an M.A. in Theatre and a B.A. in History from Idaho State University, where his masters thesis was written on the political economy of Soviet-era censorship organs affecting the stage. At SRAS, Josh assists in program development and leads our scholarship programs. He is also the editor-in-chief for the SRAS newsletter, the SRAS Family of Sites, and Vestnik. He has previously served as Communications Director to Bellerage Alinga and has served as a consultant or translator to several businesses and organizations with interests in Russia.

Lisa, to the perplexity of her German-rooted North Dakotan family, graduated from Reed College with a BA in Russian Literature. After attending SRAS’s Translation Abroad Program (now part of our Home and Abroad Programs), she worked in Moscow for two years as an in-house translator and as the SRAS Moscow Student Coordinator. Lisa was then promoted within SRAS and now leads our admissions & enrollment processes, and is our Russian visa lead. She studied previously at Smolny Institute in St. Petersburg and at Moscow State University. When she is not working, you might find her running in the woods of Minnesota, playing with her three children, or on a canoe in the Boundary Waters.

Andrei leads our archive research services, performing remote archive research and consultations for researchers around the globe. Andrei has MA degree from West Virginia University in Morgantown, USA. His personal interests are history and literature and research methods in social science. He has years of archival research experience.

A native of St. Petersburg, Elena holds a BAs in English Pedagogy and Humanities from St. Petersburg State Pedagogical University. As SRAS’ Administrative Specialist, Elena is responsible for providing overall support to our organization and its various programs and services. In her free time, Elena likes traveling and exploring new places, meeting with friends, and playing sports.

Originally from Washington, D.C., Kiara holds a BFA in Theatre Arts from DePaul University and an MA in Russian from Middlebury College. Kiara fell in love with the Caucasus region when she first traveled there in 2016 and has now lived in Tbilisi, Georgia for seven years. According to her, what’s best about living abroad in Tbilisi is its interconnectedness and the storytelling that finds its way into almost all aspects of Georgian life. Before joining SRAS, she worked as a literature and drama teacher at international schools in Georgia and Bulgaria. Now, as SRAS’s Program Manager in the Caucasus, Kiara supports students while helping to develop and manage academic and cultural programming in the region. When not working, Kiara can be found studying Georgian or reading plays.

Lily graduated with a Major in Politics, a Minor in Geography, and a Five College Certificate in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies from Mount Holyoke College. She studied abroad with SRAS in Bishkek during her junior year, loving it so much that she stayed over the summer with two internships, one of them as Bishkek Program Assistant. On the plane ride back to America for her final year of undergrad, she knew she’d find a way to return to the region soon. Back at Mount Holyoke College, Lily tutored Russian, studied Kazakh, and worked for the Russian & Eurasian Studies Department. In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking, and reading.

A native of Los Angeles with Bulgarian roots, Alexandra’s goal as an outreach coordinator is to promote interest in study abroad by expanding SRAS’ reach to university faculty and students. She attended two SRAS programs (in Georgia and Uzbekistan) and wrote several travel articles for the SRAS Family of Sites. After completing her BS in Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2023, Alexandra spent 9 months backpacking in the Caucasus, Europe, and North Africa to expand her knowledge of countries and cultures. She has since been based near family in Sofia, Bulgaria. Alexandra’s hobbies include trekking and exploring historical sites.

A native Latvian, Katya holds an M.A. in Asian Studies from the University of Latvia and spent a year abroad at the Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan. She developed a passion for international education and now has over 10 years of experience in the field working with international language schools, NGOs, universities, and youth organizations. As SRAS’s Baltics Program Manager, Katya welcomes and supports students and assists in developing and managing academic and cultural programming in the region. In her free time, Katya plays badminton, travels, and sails. She speaks Latvian, Russian, English, and Japanese, and has plans to conquer Spanish one day.