Raffi Wartanian

Raffi Joe Wartanian holds an MFA in Creative Writing and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University; and a BA in History from Johns Hopkins University. Prior to joining UCLA Writing Programs in 2021, Raffi served as a university writing instructor and writing center consultant at Columbia. He has also led writing workshops at Rikers Island jail, the Manhattan VA, and Letters for Peace, a program he founded that organized hybrid writing-peacebuilding workshops to foster constructive dialogue in conflict zones. A recipient of grants and fellowships from The Fulbright Program, Eurasia Partnership Foundation, and Humanity in Action, Raffi’s essays have appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Review of Books, Outside Magazine, Miami Herald, The Baltimore Sun, and elsewhere. His teaching and writing interests include language, identity, memory, history, global affairs, hybrid writing forms, and nurturing writing skills that are transferable across disciplines. In his free time, Raffi loves to explore music, nature, storytelling, and service.