Kathleen Slobin

Having accrued nearly 40 years of professional expertise in her field, Kathleen Overin Slobin, PhD devoted 16 years to North Dakota State University until attaining emerita status in 2007. Between 1991 and 2007, she served the institution in various capacities as an assistant,  associate, and full professor of sociology; director of Women’s Studies; and chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Since spearheading her retirement, Dr. Slobin leads a family care support group as a consultant for those with Parkinson’s disease; is involved with the Virtual Docent School Program at the San Francisco Asian Museum of Art; and is a docent at the California Academy of Sciences.  Additionally, she participated in the 2020 Liberation Experience and is a member of the Asian Art Museum Diversity group which aims to broadly discuss and implement institutional changes to address issues related to structural racism in the United States. She also keeps a daily journal, writes poetry, and is especially passionate about wildlife photography for which she has traveled to India, Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia, and many African countries. A selection of her poetry and wildlife photography may be found on this website.

In the earlier years of her career, Dr. Slobin was an instructor of fine arts at Indian Valley Community College and a coordinator of education at the National Energy Foundation in 1981 and 1982. Moving on, she was the associate director of Continuing Education in the California Academy of Sciences Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco from 1983 to 1986. In addition, she served the institution as a research assistant from 1986 to 1990, as well as a staff research associate in 1990. Presently, Dr. Slobin maintains affiliation with the American Sociological Association, African Studies Association, and the Society for Symbolic Interaction. She is an active member of the California Academy of Sciences, the San Francisco Museum of Asian Art, and a board member for the Society of Asian Arts.

Finding great success throughout the course of her career, in 2006, Dr. Slobin was inducted into the Tapestry of Diverse Talents and was the recipient of the Presidents Development Award from the American Sociological Association. Additionally, she was granted a Presidents Professional Development Award from Women’s World in Uganda in 2002, as well as a Bison Ambassadors Teaching Award from North Dakota State University in 1997 and 1999. An Anthony Fellow at the University of California, San Francisco in 1988, Dr. Slobin’s first accolade was that of the First Place Award for Graduate Research Day of the university’s Social Science Division in 1987. She is also a distinguished author and speaker of numerous works spanning the subjects of sociology, anthropology and research.

Dr. Slobin received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Pomona College in 1964 and a Master of Fine Arts in painting from the California College of Arts and Crafts, now known as the California College of the Arts, in 1980. She went on to achieve a Master of Public Administration from the California State University, Hayward, now known as the California State University, East Bay, in 1984. Additionally, in 1991, she obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in medical sociology from the University of California, San Francisco. Reflecting on her illustrious career, Dr. Slobin is most fond of her field research in Mali and teaching at Cappadocia University in Turkey. In the coming years, she hopes to finish her book, Botswana: Light and Shadow, which will focus on photographing animal life. She believes this project is both a calling, a legacy, and gratitude for her many experiences with African people and wildlife.

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