Yulia Tolstikov-Mast, PhD, is a recipient of teaching and research awards and an internationally recognized scholar in the fields of global leadership, global followership, and multinational research methodology. Yulia focuses on the internalization of leadership curriculum, non-U.S. (Global South) approaches to leading and following, global followership, citizenship behavior for planetary health, and international professional communication. Yulia is a passionate advocate for culturally responsible and indigenous leadership and followership research models. Her co-edited Handbook of International and Cross-Cultural Leadership Research Processes is a guide for anyone interested in conducting culturally sensitive research.
Originally from Russia, Yulia experienced the Soviet system, Perestroika, and emerging market economy before relocating to the United States in 1996. She remained connected to her homeland through reflective publications, engagements with Russian universities, and scholarly partnerships. Yulia is one of the founding members of the Russian Communication Association. In April 2022, Yulia went to Poland to volunteer with Ukrainian refugees. She has also been actively supporting Ukrainians on the U4U humanitarian program in Indianapolis, IN.
Yulia assists the U.S. and international universities with research and leadership curriculum development and mentors international scholars from Central Asia, Africa, and Russia. She engaged with the American Council for International Education and was a 2024 Fulbright Specialist in Liberia. Yulia is also a reviewer for the Carnegie Elective Classification for Leadership for Public Purpose.
- PhD, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN (2006) Emphasis: Organizational and Intercultural Communication Thesis: Building successful global organizational networks
- MA, Purdue University, Fort Wayne, IN (2000) Emphasis: Professional Communication Thesis: An analysis of American-Russian business interactions
- BA, Rostov State Pedagogical University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia (1993) Major: Linguistics (Russian as a Second Language and English); Minors: Psychology, Teaching Methods
- Invited Contributor: Tolstikov-Mast, Y., Bieri, F., & Ikayuk Towns-Bain, A. (accepted, fall 2025). Global citizenship and diversity: Complexities and contested models. Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Joan Marques. Encyclopedia of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Spirituality. Springer.
- Tolstikov-Mast, Y., Bradley, J., & Rudell, C. (2025). Voices of ranking women in law
- enforcement: Intersectionality, structural inequality, and systems thinking perspectives. (Chapter 9). In R. Elkington, C.D., O’Connor, T. Castell (Eds.) Effective Police Leadership in the 21st Century: New Paradigms for a Novel Context. Emerald
- Tolstikov-Mast, Y., & Aghajanian, C. (2023). Intersectional approach to combating human trafficking: Applying an Interdisciplinary Global Leader-Follower Collaboration Paradigm. In: Dhiman, S.K., Marques, J., Schmieder-Ramirez, J., Malakyan, P.G. (eds) Handbook of Global Leadership and Followership. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75831-8_38-1
- Meares, M., Tolstikov-Mast, Y., du Luque, M. S., Bean, H., & Gibbons, A. (2023). Chapter two: Purposes, functions, and influences of culture. In J. Keyton (Ed.). Culture 2.0: The intersection of national and organizational culture (pp. 19-49). Peter Lang.
- Gibbons, A., Tolstikov-Mast, Y., & Meares, M. (2023). Chapter eight: Applications of societal culture and organizational culture. In J. Keyton (Ed.). Culture 2.0: The intersection of national and organizational culture (pp. 173-211). Peter Lang.
- Walker, J. L., & Tolstikov-Mast, Y. V. (2022). International immersions for graduate students of global leadership. In Perruci, G. (Ed.), The Study and Practice of Global Leadership. (pp. 125-145). Emerald Publishing.
- Tolstikov-Mast, Y., & Bieri, F., & Walker, J. (2021). (Eds). Handbook of International and Cross-Cultural Leadership Research Processes. Routledge/ Taylor & Francis.
- Tolstikov-Mast, Y. (2021). Courageous bi-cultural women-leaders: Recognizing collective trauma, redefining relationship with a native land, and continuing a culture learning journey. In J. Moss Breen, M. van der Steege, S. Martin, J. Glick-Smith, & R. Elkington (Eds.), Women Courageous (pp. 49-75). Emerald Publishing.
- Tolstikov-Mast, Y., & Bradley, J. (November 2024). Ranking women in law
- enforcement: Intersectionality, structural inequality, and systems thinking. International Leadership Association, Chicago, IL.
- Tolstikov-Mast, Y. & Zimber, T. (April 2024). Global followership for a healthy planet: Building a social justice framework to enact global citizenship. Global Followership Conference. University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland
- Tolstikov-Mast, Y., & Williams, D.(April 2024). Are you planning a followership study across cultures? First, let’s talk about language and context. Global Followership Conference. University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland
- Tolstikov-Mast, Y. (October 2023). Panel presenter: Communityship, sisterhood, and supporting fellow colleagues in higher education. International Leadership Association, Vancouver, Canada.
- Tolstikov-Mast, Y. (October 2023). Respondent: Cultivating leaders: Critical Leadership, service-learning, the 17 UN SDGs, and the Okanagan Charter. International Leadership Association, Vancouver, Canada.
- Tolstikov-Mast, Y. (March 2023). 2nd Global Followership Conference. Workshops: Designing followership research across cultures and societies: Commitment to integrity; Global Followership: What do we know and where should we go? Presentation: Alternative perspectives: Followership from Non-Western and minority perspectives
- Tolstikov-Mast, Y. (November, 2022). Your place or mine?: Reclaiming the contested space of home. NWSA, Minneapolis, Minn.
- Tolstikov-Mast, Y. (October 2022). Followership from Non-White and Non-Western perspectives. Panel discussion. International Leadership Association, Online Conference.
- Tolstikov-Mast, Y. (October 2022). Wisdom of interpersonal connections in global leadership: Building a common ground for peace. International Leadership Association, Washington D.C.
- Tolstikov-Mast, Y. (October 2022). Indigenous and Non-Western leadership approaches in doctoral leadership curriculum: Wisdom to take an action. International Leadership Association, Washington D.C.
- Tolstikov-Mast, Y. (July 2022). Global crowdsourcing to aid Ukraine’s fight against the Russian invasion. The 23rd Residency Conference: Ecologies of Hope and Change - Confronting Environmental Injustice from Climate to the Classroom and Beyond. Union Institute & University.
- Tolstikov-Mast, Y., Bieri, F., & Krause, W., (November 2021). Context and intersectionality in international and cross-cultural leadership research: A post-industrial methodology. Leadership in the 21st Century: Ushering in the Postindustrial Paradigm. University of Indianapolis (IN)/The Institute for Postindustrial Leadership.
- Certificate of Excellence in Data Collection In Russia, GLOBE 2020/SFU Beedie School of Business
- Certificate of Distinction for Excellence in Scholarship, Union Institute & University
- Faculty of the Year, Ph.D. Program in Global Leadership, Indiana Tech
- Outstanding Service Recognition, Indiana Tech
- Best Research Award, NCA, Applied Communication Division
- International Leadership Association
