WASHINGTON – The Wilson Center announces the selection of Dr. Michael Kimmage as the new Director of the Kennan Institute, effective immediately. Dr. Kimmage, a renowned expert in Eastern European and Russian affairs, brings a wealth of academic and policy experience to this esteemed position. In this role, he will lead Kennan’s efforts to advance scholarly research, foster policy dialogue, and deepen understanding of Russia, Ukraine, and the broader Eurasian region. 

"Michael Kimmage is an exceptional scholar and leader with extensive expertise on Russia, Eastern Europe, and international affairs,” said Ambassador Mark A. Green, Wilson Center President and CEO. “His distinguished career, combined with his deep commitment to advancing understanding of the critical issues facing the region, make him the ideal person to lead the Kennan Institute into its next chapter.” 

Dr. Kimmage served as a staff member in the US Department of State’s Policy Planning Staff as a Franklin Fellow, focusing on issues related to Eastern Europe and Russia. His work in the Policy Planning Staff, combined with his extensive academic career as an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of History at the Catholic University of America, has made him a leading voice in discussions on international affairs, Soviet and Russian politics, and the European-American relationship. 

"I couldn't be more excited about joining the excellent team at the Kennan Institute, a storied and pivotal institution,” said Kimmage. “I am eager to work with colleagues across the Wilson Center on incorporating the best of scholarly and expert opinion on the former Soviet Union into the policy conversation here in Washington." 
 

A highly respected scholar, Dr. Kimmage is the author of several influential books, including Collisions: The War in Ukraine and the Origins of the New Global Instability (2024), Abandonment of the West: The History of an Idea in US Foreign Policy (2020), and In History’s Grip: Philip Roth’s Newark Trilogy (2012).