Mher Arutyunyan is a fourth–year Political Science major and Russian Studies minor. He is currently working on a senior thesis as part of the Political Science Departmental Honors Program under the guidance of Professor Richard Anderson. His work investigates Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy strategy with particular emphasis placed on the relationship between his decision–making and his domestic political goals. The research also devotes close attention to the Russian Orthodox Church, scrutinizing its role as a key support system for the incumbent regime. He hopes that his research conclusions will contribute to a better understanding of the Putin regime by US academics and policymakers, offering key insights which can be generalizable to other contexts. Mher is also heavily active in the Armenian–American student community at UCLA and in the broader Los Angeles area, serving as the Executive Chair of the All–Armenian Student Association and the Political Committee Chair of the UCLA Armenian Students’ Association.