Honored to make her #Paris debut as published poet (read the current Paris Lit Up [PLU] Gazette) and born in Colorado at the height of the Cold War, Madame CRISTINA ADRIANA RIORDAN BEJAN, DPhil (Oxon) is an award-winning, multilingual Romanian-American historian, theatre artist and spoken word poet living and creating in Paris, France (E.U.). An Oxford DPhil, Rhodes Scholar (the only one to hold Romanian citizenship since the scholarship's founding in 1902), Fulbright Scholar and Aspen Ideas Fellow, she has been featured on A&E's The History Channel, C-SPAN and multiple Romanian TV channels as well as international print and audio media: including the Washington Post, Times Literary Supplement, Foreign Policy and ELLE Romania magazine. Her hit play DISTRICTLAND was purchased for TV development. In NYC Bejan has performed at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club and launched five published plays at The Drama Book Shop. She is the niece of Richard Riordan, Mayor of Los Angeles (1993 - 2001) and California Secretary of Education under Governor Schwarzenegger (2003 - 2005). In September 2025 Bejan was awarded the George Parkin Distinguished Service Award by the Rhodes Trust. She is a proud member of the Rhodes Society. Bejan recently had her Paris debut as author and artist at the Dissident Club. She is grateful to all (a full house!) who attended her recent book launch with Paul Kenyon at Blackwells in Oxford, UK.

Cristina was shocked when she learned 2 years ago at Rhodes House that there were no other Romanian or Moldovan Rhodes Scholars. Since then she has done everything in her power to raise awareness for this phenomenal, highly prestigious, elite, international educational exchange opportunity for post-graduate study at University of Oxford. Being a #RhodesScholar is a lifelong responsibility to FIGHT THE WORLD'S FIGHT and a commitment to live a life of SERVICE. Cristina genuinely hopes more diaspora kids like herself will win this Fall 2026. BAFTĂ!