Biography:

I first moved to the United States from Kiev, Ukraine in search of an undergraduate education in history. I decided to immigrate to the U.S., and continued my education and work here. I received my doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 2004. Since my graduation, I have been working as an assistant professor of counseling psychology at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Lincoln has been an excellent place for my academic work because of its recent immigration-rich history (e.g., it is an officially designated relocation city for refugees). The focus of my research and clinical training has focused especially on recent immigrants and refugees. I also maintain close personal and professional ties with my home culture and country, and am involved in a number of international human rights initiatives related to human trafficking, xenophobia, and gender violence. In addition, I have enjoyed being active in our division. I currently serve as a Chair of the Early Career Professionals (ECP) committee as well as a Membership Chair for the Section for the Advancement of Women. In the past, I have also been involved as a co-chair of the Taskforce on Mentoring International Students.

Statement:

I am honored to be nominated for the position of the Secretary for the Society. I envision that my work as a member of the Executive Committee would continue to support the goals of our Division in promoting diversity, education, training, scientific development, and advocacy. In my position as a Secretary, I would focus on supporting active responsive communication within our leadership. In addition, I hope to bring my experiences as an ECP and an international/immigrant professional to our leadership’s table. My position as a chair of the ECP Committee and a past co-chair of the Taskforce on Mentoring International Students has been instrumental in my greater understanding of the distinct and diverse needs of those who are new to our profession. And most of all, this position holds an appeal to me as a way to add my contribution to strengthening and invigorating our Society.

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