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Matt completed his PhD in History in the Spring of 2021 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he wrote a dissertation on the deaths and funerals of celebrity female performers in late nineteenth- and early-twentieth century Russia. While at Illinois, Matt served as a mentor for fellow graduate students, was active in a peer support group connecting domestic and international students, and was a Fulbright researcher in Moscow in 2017-2018. Prior to graduate school, he taught middle and high school history and social studies to students from around the world for four years at the International Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia. Matt loves advocating for graduate students and supporting their research endeavors and is excited to advise graduate students as they pursue competitive fellowship opportunities.

A native of the Midwest, Matt is excited to get to know a new part of the country along with his wife, Amanda, and their cat, Freya. In his free time, he enjoys reading, board games, traveling, and all things related to Russian and Eastern European history and culture.