Faculty
Dr. Olena Leipnik
My interest in societal issues stems from my personal experiences in meeting the challenge of raising a child with special needs in the face of the collapse of the socio-economic system of my native country. I also was stimulated by the opportunity to teach and do research on issues that impacted the lives of people in my community. As a bicultural (Russian/Ukrainian) person who is now experiencing the American way of life, I have deepened my interest in questions of ethnic identity and nationality.
My research interests in sociology include contemporary social mythology, intercultural communication and multiculturalism, cultural transformations in the epoch of globalization.
I will be teaching ‘Introduction to Ethnic Studies’. uston State University, I have concentrated on teaching classes in Race and Race Stratification, Social Inequality, and Environmental Sociology.