Spring Faculty Lecture Series Examines Authoritarianism and Populism

The Hartwick College Spring Faculty Lecture Series will feature a presentation by Elena Chernyak, associate professor of sociology and director of the Social Work Program, on Friday, April 3. The lecture will take place from 12:20 to 1:15 p.m. in Eaton Lounge, Bresee Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

Chernyak’s talk, titled “Putin’s Russia: Authoritarian Tactics and the Spread of a Populist Regime,” will explore how Vladimir Putin’s rise to power marked a shift from a post-Soviet democratic transition to a centralized, authoritarian state.

During the presentation, Chernyak will examine the authoritarian tactics that have defined Putin’s presidency, including media control, political repression, the silencing of opposition, and the consolidation of power through state-controlled mechanisms. She will also discuss how populist rhetoric has played a strategic role in shaping Russia’s political system.

Chernyak is an interdisciplinary scholar whose research bridges sociology, gender and religious studies, migration and social policy. Her work focuses particularly on gender-based violence and contemporary post-Soviet societies. She has published in the “Journal of Family Issues,” the “Journal of Gender-Based Violence,” “Violence and Gender” and “Violence and Victims,” and “The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Problems” (Springer, 2022 and 2023).

Her current research projects examine domestic violence in rural America, immigration and refugee resettlement, and the dynamics of nationalism and authoritarianism. Chernyak also serves as a 2026 Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) delegate to the United Nations, the body responsible for coordinating global economic and social initiatives.

For more information about the Faculty Lecture Series, contact Bradley J. Fest, associate professor of English, at [email protected].