The Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP) is excited to announce the appointment of our new Executive Director, Dr. James Ryan. Dr. Ryan comes to MERIP from the Foreign Policy Research Institute where he was the Director of Research and Director of the Middle East Program. Before then he worked in administrative roles in Middle East centers at the University of Pennsylvania and New York University. While Associate Director of NYU’s Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies, Dr. Ryan partnered with MERIP on projects, and has supported public facing scholarship on the Middle East for over a decade. Dr. Ryan holds a PhD in History from the University of Pennsylvania with a research specialty in modern Turkish history and particularly the rise of Kemalism and its discontents. He has published his research in a variety of disciplinary and area studies journals, as well as in Middle East Report and other public-facing outlets. In addition to his regional expertise, Dr. Ryan will bring a wealth of experience in administration and grant writing. MERIP is thrilled to have him join our staff and provide leadership as we continue to evolve as an organization and a public educational project.