Victoria Clement

My UMass Bachelor’s degree in Russian Language and Literature opened doors to adventure that changed my life and provided the foundation for a Ph.D. in the history of modern Central Asia. In 1991, with a UMass program, I studied in Russia, immersing myself in Soviet culture and language. As a student in Leningrad I witnessed history as the Soviet Union collapsed. Using my Russian language skills, and Turkmen I learned in graduate school, I have conducted research in archives in Russia and Turkmenistan and have traveled throughout the FSU. I was only the second foreigner allowed into Turkmenistan's state archives. In fall 2016 I will bring to bear all of these skills as a Research Scholar at the Kennan Institute in Washington, D.C., where I will work on a book about Turkmen cultural policy.

None of my achievements would have been possible without the help of the attentive UMass faculty who encouraged me as an undergraduate and continue to support me today.

Victoria Clement is Eurasia Regional Analyst with Professional Solutions at the Center for Advanced Operational Culture Learning, Marine Corps University in Quantico, VA. Her research focuses on Central Asia and Turkey, with an emphasis on Turkmenistan. She is a former research fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars in Washington, DC, and former professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. She is a founding member of the Central Eurasian Studies Society.

Her most recent book Learning to Become Turkmen was published by University of Pittsburgh Press in 2018. Read an interview with Victoria in which she discusses her research.