Tyrus Van Dyke is a graduate of the University of Delaware, where he completed his undergraduate studies in 2023. Following graduation, he was awarded a Fulbright grant to teach English in Latvia. He has since held various internships, including positions at the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training and in the office of Senator Chris Coons. Originally from Delaware, Tyrus has studied in Kyrgyzstan, traveled to Kazakhstan, worked in Latvia, and visited the other two Baltic states, as well as Armenia, Georgia, and Belarus, where he spent several weeks traveling. His experiences living and working in starkly different countries have shaped his interest in comparative studies of post-Soviet political economies and the varied approaches states take to language policy and national identity formation. His primary academic focus is the contemporary political economy of Belarus, with additional interests in Kazakhstan, regional cooperation in Central Asia, and the domestic political and regional divides within Moldova.