Tricia Starks, PhD in History, Class of 2000

Summer 1993 FLAS Fellowship Recipient for Russian 
Academic Year 1998-1999 FLAS Fellowship Recipient for Russian (Dissertation Writing)

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I've got two positions at University of Arkansas—I am Distinguished Professor of History in my department and Director of the University's Humanities Center. In the last few years, I've also been branching out with medical humanities serving on our steering committee for the university and becoming associated faculty with our school of medicine. 

Tell us how you got there.

I applied for everything open everywhere when I was finishing my dissertation. Probably sent out at least 50 applications. I was so lucky that this was the one that came through. Arkansas is not a place that many people know about. But the area is gorgeous and the university has grown exponentially since I got here. 

What was your focus or research interest when you studied at Ohio State? 

When I arrived at Ohio State, I planned to work on the Silver Age with Professor Wildman, and I completed a master's thesis with him. But that topic was not one I could move forward with and lucky for me, Professor Hoffmann arrived on the faculty and his seminars made Soviet history exciting. His first book inspired me, and I wanted to try and find out how new migrants to Soviet cities became acculturated. Eventually I ended up researching the People's Commissariat of Health Protection—Narkomzdrav. 

What are your future plans? 

I'm currently working on a general history of the Soviet health service. There has not been a comprehensive story of Narkomzdrav from its foundation in 1918 to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The Soviets were revolutionary with their health service. It was the first of its kind. And while there were definite problems, there were many things they got right. I'd like to take a more balanced look and weigh also the many disadvantages of health delivery in other forms, such as American insurance medicine, in reflecting on the full arc of Soviet public health.

What inspires you?

 As I teach more and more in the history of medicine, I have met students from outside of history and I have learned so much from them and their passion. And as they inspire me, I hope that I can help them. I think that medical humanities teaching has the potential to help future health practitioners be more emotionally resilient in their careers and more empathetic with their patients. That potential for change gives me hope.

Join Starks for a special guest lecture on her book "Cigarettes and Soviets" on March 20, 2025 at 12:30 PM in 160 Enarson Classroom Building. Co-sponsored by CSEEES and the Department of History.