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History Professor Appointed to University Center for International Studies

Posted on Thursday, May 21, 2009

Dr. Russell Martin, Westminster College associate professor of history, was appointed to a three-year term as Center Associate at the University of Pittsburgh's University Center for International Studies (UCIS). 

The Center is internationally known for its programs in many areas and cross-disciplinary fields, including its Russian and East European Studies (REES) program, according to Martin.

Martin, a Pitt alumnus and holder of a REES certificate, is familiar with the faculty and programs and has many connections to UCIS, REES, and Pitt's history department.

"This appointment will allow me to use Pitt resources and to expand my involvement with UCIS and its programs," Martin said. "I hope to make full use of this opportunity, not only for my own research, but also to expose Westminster students to the speakers, lectures, and programs available. It's a great opportunity for me to network, and for our students to experience new and different things."

Martin, who has been with Westminster since 1996, earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a master's and Ph.D. from Harvard University. 

Martin appeared on A&E Biography in a broadcast on Ivan the Terrible as an expert on the controversial ruler. He is the co-founder of the Muscovite Biographical Database, a Russian-American computerized register based in Moscow of early modern Russian notables. The Neville Island, Pa., native is not only fluent in Russian, but also reads Old Church Slavonic/Russian, French, German, Latin, and Polish. 

Martin continues to translate from Russian to English the official Webpage of Her Imperial Highness, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, the heiress to the vacant Russian throne. Translations are available at www.imperialhouse.ru. In 2008, Martin was awarded the Order of St. Anna (with the rank of Knight Companion) by the grand duchess for his work on behalf of the House of Romanov.

Martin currently serves as president of the Association for the Study of Eastern Christian History and Culture, Inc. (ASEC), an international organization of scholarly study of society, culture, and belief among Eastern Christian communities.

Contact Martin at (724) 946-6254 or e-mail martinre@westminster.edu for additional information.

Dr. Russell Martin