Ambassador James F. Collins, Senior Associate and Director, Russian and Eurasian Program; Diplomat in Residence at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Ambassador Collins is an expert on Russia, Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Before joining the Carnegie Endowment in 2007, he served as Senior Advisor at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P., a public law firm and policy practice group. James Collins was the U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation from 1997 to 2001.