People

We are a community of students, scholars, and staff who share a dedication to understanding the region more deeply.

Find scholars with specific areas of geographic or historical focus by using the “Location” and “Time Period” pull-downs below—these refer to the places and eras our affiliates study, not the ones in which they live.

And please remember: The views expressed by people affiliated with the Davis Center are as different as the people themselves and do not necessarily reflect institutional positions held by the center.

People

Alumni
Darya Podgoretskaya is a 2025 graduate of the Davis Center's REECA master's program.
Local Affiliate
Sean Pollock teaches courses on the history of Russian empire, and has published on Russian empire-building in the Caucasus and the Russian campaign of 1812.
Local Affiliate
Ethan Pollock is author of "Without the Banya We Would Perish: A History of the Russian Bathhouse."
Fields
Local Affiliate
Jack Porter does research on genocide, the Shoah, human rights, and conflict.
Local Affiliate
Sheila Puffer's current research includes global leadership, the global sand crisis, and sustainability in the international construction and fossil fuel industries.
Local Affiliate
Simon Rabinovitch teaches and writes on a range of topics in European, Jewish, Russian, and legal history.
Fields
Local Affiliate
Nicholas Racheotes has taught courses on topics including the history of Russia since the age of Peter the Great and the history of the Balkans.
Advisory Board
Pavel Raifeld has served as chief executive officer of Innoviva (Nasdaq: INVA) since 2020.
Local Affiliate
Anna Rakityanskaya is the Librarian for Russian and Belarusian Studies at Harvard Library.
Graduate Student Associate
Lucinda Ray is a student in the REECA Master's Program.