Kathryne Leak’s career as an Anthropologist and Social Worker has given her broad experience in social work administration and ethnography. She has provided direct counseling and training, and has evaluated programs, written grant proposals, and advocated for disadvantaged populations in her roles as project director, evaluation director, staff developer and adjunct professor.

As an Ethnographer utilizing qualitative field research methods (observations, interviews, focus groups), Kathryne has planned, organized, managed, documented, analyzed and written comprehensive reports for assigned projects such as the Center for Fathers Families and Workforce Development; Fresh Youth Initiatives; National Center for Strategic Non-Profit Planning and Community Leadership; Academy for Educational Development; American Museum of Natural History; Good Shepherd Services; East Harlem Tutorial Program, and Yonkers Family and Community Project.

In the field of Social Work, she has developed, implemented and managed educational, counseling and social programs; created polices, protocols and procedures to ensure effective administration of organizational units; spear-headed curriculum, staff and board development; and has recruited, trained and supervised multi-functional teams for the Hunter College Liberty Partnership Program, Hunter College Office of Student Services, Phipps Community Development Corporation, New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, Single Parent Resource Center and United Way.

As a staff developer/trainer, Kathryne Leak has provided training in advocacy, assertiveness, career and college awareness, leadership, diversity, communication, and therapeutic models and methods, as well as research methodology instruction for the Hunter College School of Social Work, Columbia University School of Social Work and Partnership for After School Education. Dr. Leak is an Adjunct Professor at Hunter College teaching the Youth Service course to Masters level graduate students in Urban Affairs and Planning; she has taught the Advocacy in Social Work Practice and Ethnography courses to Masters level graduate students at Columbia University School of Social Work.

Kathryne currently serves as the Fourth Vice President on the Alumni Association of Hunter College, and a board member for the United States Selective Service System Local Board 123 for the State of New York. She holds a BA in sociology from Hunter College, a Masters of Science from Columbia University School of Social Work with a concentration in Social Work Administration, and received her LCSW certification from the State of New York. In 2003, she received her doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University with a specialization in Applied Anthropology.