Karon Jolna was amongst the first to earn a Women's Studies Ph.D. in North America.
Emory University awarded her a doctoral degree in 2003, based on her interdisciplinary
dissertation, "Beyond Race and Gender? The New Managing Diversity for Women:
A Dual Approach"
Dr. Jolna is committed to bridging women's studies and business both inside and
outside of the academy. Recently, she developed and taught a course at UCLA
Extension, "How Does She Do It? Top Women Executives Reveal Their Keys to Life and Work Success (Summer,2006, Winter 2007, Spring 2007). The course presented the stories of challanges and success from Los Angeles-based business
leaders, including an NBC President as well as the network's Chief Diversity Officer;
CEO's of several entrepreneurial enterprises; and senior executives in entertainment,
law, investment, technology and management consulting. With the affiliation and support
of
the UCLA Center for the Study of Women, Dr. Jolna is writing a book based on her
interviews with top women executives.
Most recently, Dr. Jolna developed a course on "Women and Leadership" for
UCLA's Department of Women's Studies, which she will be teaching this
Winter 2009 quarter. The course explores women's leadership
through a feminist lens, and considers the recent emergence of women to the
highest offices in the US. These recent breakthroughs raise many critical questions:
Why now? What barriers still exist? And how are today's women leaders making
a difference? These questions are further heightened with the addition of Governor
Sarah Palin to the international stage. Palin has become a lightening rod of dissention
and discussion on women and leadership now and in the future.
Dr. Jolna also serves as Chair of the Huntington Library Women's Studies Programs,
which has been bringing thought provoking women's studies research to the
community for twenty five years. The first of the 2008-2009 quarterly programs is "The Promise of Women Leaders in Politics". It is a roundtable dicussion on
the breakthrough candidacies of women in the 2008 Presidential Election.
Dr. Jolna is the moderator, and will be joined by prominant women politicians
and scholars.
Forthcoming this Spring 2009, Dr. Jolna will present "A Workable Life" at UCLA
Anderson School of Management's "Women's Leadership Institute". Dr.
Jolna will share the most compelling and often surprising "Workable Life"
stories from her interviews of leading women executives, and lead conference
participants in exercises that will help them to engage in a new work-life
perspective on themselves.
Dr. Jolna has been a Research Scholar with the UCLA Center for the Study
of Women since 2004. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Stacy
Jolna, and six-year-old son.
|
Women's Studies; women, diversity and leadership; women, work and organizations;
how women achieve life and work integration and success. |
"The Promise of Women Leaders in Politics" at the Huntintington
Library on Saturday, November 22, 2008, 10am-12noon. A roundtable
discussion on the breakthrough 2008 candidancies of women for the highest
offices in the United States with:
Ellen DuBois, Professor of History and Women's Studies, UCLA;
Caroline Heldman, Professor of Politics, Occidental College;
Lori Cox Han, Professor of Political Science, Chapman University.
Moderator: Karon Jolna, Chair, Huntington Library Women's Studies
"Women and Leadership," Course, UCLA Department of Women's
Studies, Winter 2009, Tuesdays 12noon.
"A Workable Life" at the UCLA Anderson School of Management "Women's Leadership
Institute," May 4-8, 2009. |
