Michael McFaul

Michael McFaul is a prominent American academic, diplomat, and expert on Russia and international relations. He currently serves as the Director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University, a position he has held since January 2015.13

McFaul is also the Ken Olivier and Angela Nomellini Professor of International Studies in the Department of Political Science at Stanford, as well as a Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution.12 He joined the Stanford faculty in 1995.1

Prior to his academic career, McFaul served in the Obama administration for five years. From 2009 to 2012, he was the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Russian and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council. Subsequently, from January 2012 to February 2014, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation.123

McFaul's educational background includes:

• B.A. in International Relations and Slavic Languages from Stanford University (1986)
• M.A. in Soviet and East European Studies from Stanford University (1986)
• D.Phil. in International Relations from Oxford University (1991), which he completed as a Rhodes Scholar123

As an author, McFaul has written several books, including the New York Times bestseller "From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin's Russia".12 His research interests encompass American foreign policy, great power relations, and the relationship between democracy and development.2

In addition to his academic and diplomatic roles, McFaul works as an International Affairs Analyst for NBC News.12 He is fluent in Russian and English.3

Born and raised in Montana, McFaul's expertise in Russian affairs and international relations has made him a respected voice in both academic and policy circles.12