Ian was born and raised in Toccoa, Georgia, a small town in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Georgia with bachelor’s degrees in International Affairs and Journalism. At UGA, Ian researched the economic impetuses behind the modern American trade regulation regime through the Center for International Trade and Security as a Richard B. Russell Security Leadership Program scholar. He received a graduation distinction from the university’s honors program for his honors thesis: American Export Controls as Counter-China Trade Weapons. Ian is pursuing a career in international trade law and, eventually, legal academia.