CHSS Distinguished Alumni - Russian and Eurasian Studies

Leena Halabi

BA Global Affairs; Russian and Eurasian Studies '14

Leena Halabi is a social media analyst with Voice of America (VOA). She began her career in the digital journalism field after graduating from George Mason University in 2014. She holds two bachelor’s degrees from George Mason, in global affairs and Russian studies. 

After graduation, she received a year-long state department scholarship to study Russian language and culture at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics at the International University in Moscow. Halabi took her first Russian language class in the fall of 2010 and has been an avid Russian language student ever since.

In her role at VOA, Halabi has collaborated with the VOA Russian and Ukrainian Services, translated Russian soundbites to English, and worked with Russian and Ukrainian colleagues on the ground to capture footage of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Halabi loves to read Russian literature, follow Russian travel vloggers, and train for her first Washington D.C. marathon. You can find her most days either on her laptop, at her favorite local D.C. coffee shop, or exploring hiking trails in Shenandoah National Park.