Kathy Parkison is a professor emerita of economics who spent most of her teaching career at the School of Business at Indiana University, Kokomo. She was in her PhD program when the Soviet Union fell apart, and witnessing that historic moment as a student of economics and political science inspired a lifelong fascination with the region. She was enthralled with learning about all the new countries that came into being and has continued to follow their histories and economic development as they have integrated with the world. While at Indiana University, Kokomo, Kathy won numerous teaching awards and served in a number of administrative positions.  

Kathy was a Fulbright scholar in the Republic of Georgia in the early 2000s and recently completed her second Fulbright fellowship in Turkmenistan. She has also led Fulbright trips throughout the Balkans, sharing her insights into the history and culture of the region. Along with leading economic education workshops in numerous countries within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Kathy has lived and worked in Kazahkstan and been involved with election monitoring in the Balkans and the CIS region.