Leysan Khakimova Storie, Ph.D., specializes in Public Relations and Strategic Communication. As a Fulbright scholar, she spent two years at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, where she got her master's degree in intercultural communication and conflict management. Dr. Khakimova earned her doctorate in communication from the University of Maryland in College Park.

Her research focuses on international public relations, digital media, and public diplomacy. Dr. Khakimova’s recent studies explored governments’ relationship building efforts with international publics and organizations. Dr. Khakimova’s research has been published in the International Journal of Strategic Communication, Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, and Public Relations Review.

She received several research fellowships and awards, including top student papers from the National Communication Association and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Prior to ZU, she worked in the University of Maryland, teaching courses at the Department of Communication and the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures.

Her contributions as an Assistant Director of the Basic Communication Course and as a mentor at a living and learning program earned her a service award from the University of Maryland’s College of Arts and Humanities. In addition to academia, Dr. Khakimova worked in marketing in corporate industry and in non-profit organizations, including the United Nations headquarters in New York City.