About Us
Marc A. Abramiuk
Ph.D., RPA
Marc Abramiuk is an anthropologist who works in defense and development, as well as in education. He has conducted fieldwork in a number of logistically challenging environments. In 2011, Marc worked as a socio-cultural research manager in support of the United States Marine Corps (USMC). Stationed in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, Marc designed research to understand how local/tribal Afghan society functions and how the Marines might play a part in implementing programs that would have the effect of securing and stabilizing the region. More recently, Marc has worked as a socio-cultural research consultant and as a university lecturer. As a consultant, Marc has advised clients in defense and development on culturally relevant ways for providing assistance to people in need.
Larissa K. Abramiuk
BA (Central & East European Affairs); MA (Slavic Studies); JD.
I was born in New York City, raised in Colorado and currently live in Salt Lake City. My pursuits in the last thirty years included major involvement with ongoing activities in Eastern Europe either through politics or art. I have an academic background (BA, MA, JD) and professional expertise in international relations, law, and human rights. Additionally, I am multilingual and speak Ukrainian, Russian and Bosnian. My interest in exploring Ukraine specifically, and more in depth, occurred when I first came across Kazimir Malevich's, “Black Square” as an undergraduate student. The connection Malevich had to his environment (Ukrainian peasantry and embroidery) through his work; was unmistakable, and led me to pursue the origins of the first non-objective works of art and the avant-garde movement in Ukraine. My later graduate studies focused on film, and the work of Oleksandr Dovzhenko, where I completed my thesis entitled: The Baroque in Oleksandr Dovzhenko's Cinematic Art. Professionally, I tapped into the political side of my studies and accepted an opportunity as a Consular Assistant at the American Embassy in Moscow, where I worked on a refugee program designed to help citizens of the former Soviet Union who had been persecuted for their religious affiliations. Additionally, I have observed OSCE elections in Ukraine, Belarus and Bosnia since 1998 and later co- founded, “Lemhi Predictive Reasoning”, where I am a contract specialist for domestic and international projects. Most recently, I have had the honor of teaching English conversation to Ukrainian veterans of the Donbas— most of whom are back on the frontlines.
