Karon Jolna
Research Scholar since 2004
karonjolna@yahoo.com

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.   She created and taught a new course for UCLA Extension, “How Does She Do It? Top Women Executives Reveal Their Keys to Life and Work Success” (2006-2007).  The course integrated feminist and leadership theory with the practical life experiences of women business leaders.  Students were inspired by the stories of challenges 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, “A Woman’s Guide to the Corner Office.” It is based on new gender and leadership theory and the practical experiences of women leaders from a diversity of contexts and perspectives about how they achieve work and life success – and make a difference.

Most recently, Dr. Jolna developed the first undergraduate course on “Women and Leadership” for the UCLA Department of Women’s Studies.  The course explores women’s leadership through a feminist lens, and considers the recent emergence of women to the highest offices in politics, business, the law, higher education, the media and organizations worldwide.   Students have the opportunity to meet and connect with a wide range of women leaders and role models, and prepare for their own journeys to leadership.

The UCLA Center for the Study of Women features Dr. Jolna’s new “Women and Leadership” course and student interviews with women leaders
 in a special 2009 issue of its newsletter Update.  See:
http://www.csw.ucla.edu/Newsletter/CSW_update_WL09.pdf

Karon 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 seven year old son

Women’s Studies and Business; women, diversity and leadership;
corporate diversity; how women achieve work and life success; preparing students for leadership.

Dr. Karon Jolna is a speaker and consultant on women’s leadership, corporate diversity and work/life balance to Fortune 500 companies.
Recent talks include: “Your Workable Career: Pathways to Success” at the
Women’s Leadership Conference, International Group of Accounting Firms (IGAF) in Newport Beach on June 9, 2009; and “Women: Past, Present and Future: Pathways to Power and Prosperity” at the annual Merrill Lynch “Women, Wealth and Wisdom” Conference in Los Angeles on July 23, 2009.

Dr. Jolna recently presented “Adding ‘Women and Leadership’ to the Curriculum: A Call to Action” at the National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) Conference in Atlanta on November 14, 2009.

On January 30, 2010, Dr. Jolna will moderate a panel of distinguished speakers from academic, activist and legal perspectives on “Trafficking in Women Worldwide” at The Huntington Library, San Marino, Pasadena.  See www.huntingtonwomensstudies.blogspot.com

Dr. Jolna will continue teaching “Women and Leadership” in 2010 for the UCLA the Department of Women’s Studies.   She will also be teaching several innovative online courses for the UCM Department of Gender and Women’s Studies in 2010, including “Race, Class, and Gender in the United States,” “Women and Leadership,” and “Methods and Topics in Women’s Studies.”