I was born in Russia, but moved to the U.S. with my family in 1977. I received my
B.A. in psychology from UC Berkeley, and my Ph.D. in social psychology (with minors
in health psychology and psychometrics) from UCLA. I completed a post-doctoral fellowship
in an interdisciplinary research training program on psychosocial and mental health
services for people living with HIV. I moved to Alaska in 2006 and worked as a visiting
faculty member in the Psychology Department at UAA, before joining the faculty here
in the Psychology Department at UAF in 2007.
My research focuses on adaptation in a social and cultural context, collaborative
community-driven interventions building on Indigenous cultural and community strengths,
the role of narratives in health and well-being, and the integration of mentorship
and digital storytelling to help build personal, community, and cultural resources
for Indigenous youth. Storytelling is a wonderful way of celebrating and sharing culture and connecting
across generations. I enjoy mentoring students in research, and value the co-learning
process that takes place in an interdisciplinary team where community partners, researchers,
and students work together to promote wellness in rural Alaska Native communities.
I am a researcher with the Center for Alaska Native Health Research (CANHR) at UAF,
and was part of a number of CANHR research collaborations with rural Indigenous communities,
including:
You can see some of publications that emerged from our collaborative research listed
below.
I also enjoy teaching. I currently teach Culture and Psychology, Social Psychology,
Research Methods, Personality Psychology, Rural and Alaska Native Psychology, etc.
I have taught Ph.D. courses in Community Psychology, Program Evaluation, and Community
Practicum. I love mentoring students, and weaving teaching and research with interdisciplinary
and community collaborations.
Music and nature are also important in my life. I love to hike, paddle in the wilderness,
by canoe, kayak or packraft. As the rivers turn to ice and snow, flowing water in
another form, I love to explore the wilderness by cross-country skis, kicksled, or
snowshoes, celebrating all the seasons. I also love to sing, write songs, and spend
time with loved ones.
Inna and husband Adam riding the Gulkana river current.
Collaborating with Yup’ik communities.
Dr. Rivkin & her research team waiting to board their bush plane after disseminating
project findings in one of her partnering Yup’ik communities.
Dr. Rivkin enjoying a bike ride in the woods!
Facilitating photovoice with Huslia youth
Preparing to share digital stories in Huslia
Publications:
(names with asterisks* refer to authors who were students at the time of writing)
- Newman, J.*, Rivkin, I., Brooks, C., Turco, K., Bifelt, J., Ekada, L.*, & Philip, J. (2022). Indigenous Knowledge:
Revitalizing everlasting relationships between Alaska Natives and sled dogs to promote
holistic wellbeing. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20, 244.
- Philip, J., Newman, J.*, Bifelt, J.*, Brooks, C., & Rivkin, I. (2022). Role of social, cultural and symbolic capital for youth and community well-being
in a rural Alaska Native community. Children and Youth Services Review,137. .
- Allen, J., Rivkin, I., & Trimble, J. (2021). Relational methodology. In K. C. McLean (Ed.) Cultural methods in psychology: Describing and transforming cultures (pp. 174-207). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
- Rivkin, I., Black, J., Lopez, E. D. S., Filardi, E., Salganek, M., Newman, J.*, Haire, J.*,
Nanouk, M.*, Philip, J., Charlie, D., & Wexler, L. (2020). Integrating mentorship
and digital storytelling to promote wellness for Alaska Native youth. Journal of American Indian Education, 59(2/3), p 169-193. doi: 10.5749/jamerindieduc.59.2-3.0169.
- Rivkin, I., Lopez, E. D., Trimble, J. E., Johnson, S.*, Orr, E., & Quaintance, T.* (2019). Cultural
values, coping, and hope in Yup’ik communities facing rapid cultural change. Journal of Community Psychology, 47(3), 611-627. doi: 10.1002/jcop.22141
- Rivkin, I.D., Johnson, S.*, Lopez, E., Trimble, J., Quaintance, T.*, & Orr, E. (2017). Yup’ik
understanding of stress within the context of rapid cultural change. Journal of Community Psychology, 45(1), 33-52
- Hewell, V.M.*, Vasquez, A.R.*, & Rivkin, I.D. (2017). Systemic and individual factors in the buprenorphine treatment-seeking process:
A qualitative study. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 12(1):3. doi: 10.1186/s13011-016-0085-y
- Allen, J., Rivkin, I.D., & Lopez, E.D.S. (2014). Health and well-being. In F. Leong, L. Comas-Diaz, G. Nagayama
Hall, V. McLloyd, & J. Trimble (Eds.) APA Handbook of Multicultural Psychology: Vol. 1. Theory and Research (pp. 299-311). Washington, DC: APA Press.
- Rivkin, I.D., Trimble, J., Lopez, E., Johnson, S.*, Orr, E., & Allen, J. (2013). Disseminating
research in rural Yup’ik communities: Challenges and ethical considerations in moving
from discovery to intervention development. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 72 (suppl. 1), 409-416. doi: 10.3402/ijch.v72i0.20958
