Christopher Pieper

Academic Background: Bachelor of Arts in Government, College of William & Mary (Boren Scholar – Turkey, Fulbright Scholar – Kazakhstan). Juris Doctor, J. Reuben Clark Law School (FLAS Fellow – Turkish)

Areas of Interest: Democratic Structures & Human Rights, Intercultural Dialogue & Civility, Religion & Civil Society, Law & Sustainable Development

Work Experience: Following his graduation from the College of William & Mary and a one-year Fulbright fellowship in Kazakhstan, Chris Pieper worked for two years as a Legislative Assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives, providing support to the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment. He subsequently attended the J. Reuben Clark Law School and worked for eight years at the Utah Attorney General’s Office where he provided comprehensive legal representation to the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and other state-level executive branch officers, agencies, and boards. Chris was also the office’s international law and drone (UAS) law expert and served as a member of the Utah Commission on International Relations and Trade.

In addition to his professional responsibilities, Chris has been heavily engaged in the non-profit sector. He served for two years on the Board of Directors of the Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy, as a committee chair for the 2015 Parliament of the World’s Religions, as a member of the Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable, as a committee member for the Golden Rule Project, and for many years as a lay leader within his faith tradition. Chris has lived seven years outside of his home country, primarily in the former Soviet space. He speaks fluent Russian and conversational Turkish, and has studied Kazakh, Arabic, and Tajik. Chris is accompanied on his Rotary Peace Fellowship by his wife and five children.