Born in Boston, Ilan Troen was educated at Brandeis, Hebrew University and Chicago. On making aliyah he joined Ben-Gurion University, became Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences and Director of the BGU Research Institute, and pioneered programs in Israel Studies. He returned to Brandeis to establish the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies. He has authored or edited fourteen books on American, Jewish and Israeli history and is founding editor of Israel Studies.