Richard Payne is a historian of the Iranian world in late antiquity. His research focuses primarily on the dynamics of Iranian imperialism, specifically how the Iranian (or Sasanian) Empire successfully integrated socially, culturally, and geographically disparate populations. He also maintains interests in the social history of Christian and Zoroastrian communities in the early Islamic world, the interaction of the Near East with Central and Inner Asia, and the comparative study of ancient empires in the Near East and the Mediterranean. Payne completed a doctorate in history at Princeton University in 2009. He was awarded the Bliss Prize from Dumbarton Oaks. For A State of Mixture, he was awarded from the American Philosophical Society, the International Society for Iranian Studies, and the American Academy of Religion. His published books include “Cosmopolitanism and Empire”, “The Archeology of Sasanian Politics”, and “Visions of Community in the Post-Roman World”. He has also published papers on the Persian and Islamic history in peer-refereed journals.