Peter Gerlach is assistant professor of instruction in the International Studies Program at The University of Iowa and executive director of the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council (ICFRC). He received his BA and MA degrees in English from Ripon College and the University of Northern Colorado, respectively. After serving in the US Peace Corps in Mongolia, he earned a PhD in Cultural Foundations of Education from Syracuse University where he conducted dissertation research on the lived experiences of international students at Grinnell College. Dr. Gerlach’s teaching areas include international studies, international education, refugee and immigrant studies, and community engaged learning. He serves on the board of directors at the Refugee and Immigrant Association, the planning committee of the Refugee Alliance of Johnson County, and was a member of the inaugural 2023-24 Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Higher Education Ambassador program. Dr. Gerlach is the recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Outreach and Public Engagement Award from the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as well as the 2024 Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award from the UI Office of Community Engagement. He lives in Iowa City, IA with his wife and two children.