Dr. Lyusyena Kirakosyan began her role as a Non-Resident Research Associate at the Institute in 2014. In that role, she frequently collaborates on research projects with Director Max Stephenson, Jr. and other faculty.  

Dr. Kirakosyan took some time recently to reflect on her tenure with the Institute.

BP: What is your role at the Institute?

LK: Since mid-2014, I have been serving as a non-resident affiliated research faculty at VTIPG, collaborating on research projects and publications with Max and other VT faculty. Prior to that, in 2013-14, I served as a Post-Doctoral scholar at the Institute after graduating from the ASPECT PhD program.

BP: How would you describe your research and praxis?

LK: My main research and praxis focus has been on disability rights, democratic citizenship and wider social justice claims in Brazil and other contexts. Unfortunately, research on disability issues continues to be marginalized, or these topics are often discussed from a medical standpoint, treating it as an illness, with the use of the medical language of symptoms, syndromes and diagnostic typologies. Disability has long been considered a social deviance, with institutions ascribing a conventional ‘disabled’ identity to every person with any sort of impairment. That orientation has worked to undermine their basic skills and capabilities for years, an outcome I frequently encounter when I interview individuals with impairments to learn about the issues and challenges they face in the policy domains, sport, education, and social and political life. This work has required me not only develop a deeper understanding of theoretical debates across several academic disciplines, but also to address empirical concerns regarding the socioeconomic exclusion of these individuals in different contexts. 

BP: How did you become affiliated with IPG?

LK: My relationship with IPG began in 2009 when I was a PhD student when I applied for and was accepted as one of six Global Dialogue Scholars. These student scholars joined a collaborative team of faculty from two universities (Virginia Tech and the University of San Diego) and professionals from two nonprofit organizations. VT faculty was represented by Max Stephenson and Jim Dubinsky. Our team organized and conducted a series of dialogues with highly successful civil society leaders from across the globe with the goal of exploring how these leaders addressed four concerns: organizational and social sustainability, program scalability, leadership succession, and ethical problem-solving. After the initiative ended in 2010, we started the Community Voices series at IPG, interviewing and organizing public talks by guests from both domestic and international organizations and all three sectors of the U.S. and global political economy. We were interested in exploring their leadership and processes aimed at attaining peaceful and democratic community change. The rich material produced by the series served as a foundation for two research articles I published. Subsequently, I helped organize two edited volumes on Conversations in Community Change that Max Stephenson and Cathy Grimes co-edited in 2021-22. As a Post-Doctoral Scholar at IPG, I worked with Max on an Arts and Peacebuilding research project that produced two co-authored book chapters.

BP: What are some projects you are currently working on?

LK: With the growing number of refugees worldwide, I have become interested in the conditions of refugees with disabilities. More specifically, I have been exploring the major challenges for refugees with impairments, the potential barriers and opportunities that displacement may present for this group, and how the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities can be used to improve policies, practices and outcomes for refugees with impairments in displacement in Jordan.

BP: What does a typical day look like for you?

LK: Honestly, I do not have a typical day. I read, write and edit daily, be that research or letters to friends. I work from home, so getting outside for a walk or yoga practice becomes imperative.

BP: What is one detail your job entails that might be surprising for others to know?

LK: I strongly believe that the interplay of empathy and empowerment is central to my research on marginalized groups. Empathy is foundational for democracy and every social and political issue. Moreover, a society where people can shape their own lives in a condition of solidarity and shared vision is a society that fosters democracy. In my work, I seek to encourage my colleagues and research participants to reflect on situations in which they have experienced an imbalance of power, which can help incorporate an empowering approach into everyone's work, enhancing empathetic attitudes, behaviors, and relations between those with disabilities and other citizens and professionals.

BP: What inspires you to do the work you do?

LK: I am inspired by recognizing the inherent human worth of all and promoting a normative ideal of equality, which is at the heart of both justice and democracy. I am particularly drawn to the work of the social theorist Iris Marion Young, who argued that people in solidarity assume a shared responsibility when pursuing the goal of improving social institutions and practices to make them more just.

BP: What's your advice to someone who would want to pursue your area of research or praxis?

LK: Talk to people, listen to their stories and try seeing the world through their eyes. Be ready to deal with an "who cares?" attitude from many and equally, be prepared to show that you care, and genuinely.

BP: What is a potential area of research/grant in the future that you would like to study and/or work on?

LK: I am interested in exploring the intersection of refugee studies and disability studies in the future and possibly seeking grants that support such work.

BP: What are some things you like to do in your free time?

LK: I enjoy trying new recipes when cooking or baking for friends and family. I also enjoy making handmade crafts, such as painting or origami.

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