Diana Dumitru

Professional Background

Dr. Diana Dumitru received her Ph.D. in history and B.A. in history and psychology from the State Pedagogical University “Ion Creanga” of Moldova. During her fellowship at the Museum, she was a Lecturer at the same university. For her Rosenzweig Family Fellowship for the Study of the Fate of Jews of Transnistria, Dr. Dumitru conducted research on her project “Society in Crisis: Bessarabia and Transnistria during the Holocaust.” Dr. Dumitru has received several awards for her exceptional scholarship including the Soros Foundation Doctoral Studies Award and a Junior Faculty Development Fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill—a program sponsored by the United States Department of State. She graduated with First Place Honors from the State Pedagogical University “Ion Creanga” of Moldova for her doctoral studies. Dr. Dumitru has written a number of important scholarly articles in Romanian. She has taught courses on totalitarian regimes of the 20th century; comparative politics of east European countries; nations, nationalism and ethnopolitical conflict regulation; and international relations, among others.

Fellowship Research

While in residence at the Center, Dr. Dumitru studied two under researched geographic regions during the Holocaust: Bessarabia and Transnistria. Her research produced two close case studies of these areas, examining how different groups reacted to the Holocaust. She produced both a descriptive and explanatory study of the complex and multi-faceted interactions among victims, bystanders, and perpetrators in Bessarabia and Transnistria.

Dr. Dumitru was in residence at the Mandel Center from August 1, 2005 to May 1, 2006.