Staff Bios
Marilyn J. Young, Ph.D. - President & CEO
A co-founder of RussTech in 1994, Marilyn is an internationally respected scholar and consultant with diverse interests. As a specialist in political communication, conspiracy theory, Russian-American relations, grievance mediation, rhetoric, and debate, Marilyn has been invited to speak to audiences around the globe and written broadly on these topics.
Her written works include Coaching Debate; From Grievance to Arbitration; Flights of Fancy, Flights of Doom: KAL 007 and Soviet-American Rhetoric (co-authored with Michael Launer), as well as Nuclear Energy and Security in the Former Soviet Union (co-edited with David Marples). Marilyn’s most recent works include Discourse, Debate and Democracy (co-edited with David Cratis Williams), an article examining the political controversy that followed the demise of the Kursk, and a study of the recent Supreme Court decision regarding the Mojave Cross (co-authored with M. Kelly Carr and Amanda Reid Payne).
Marilyn has held many leadership positions within the academic community and served on numerous editorial boards. She was the Wayne C. Minnick Professor of Communication at Florida State University, where she also headed the International Center for the Advancement of Political Communication and Argumentation from 1992 to 2005. She has been co-editor of the journal Controversia: An International Journal of Debate and Democracy since 2001.
Michael K. Launer, Ph.D. - Vice President
With a doctorate in Slavic linguistics and solid grounding in math, engineering, and the hard sciences, Michael has enjoyed a successful career as a scholar, consultant, technical translator, and interpreter. Michael is one of very few Americans working as a high level Russian language technical interpreter; he enjoys the rare distinction of being certified both as an interpreter and as a translator, having earned American Translators Association certification and State Department authorization to certify official translations for diplomatic use.
Over the past 25 years Michael has been involved in a variety of interpreting assignments for organizations such as the State Department, the Department of Energy, and the World Association of Nuclear Operators. He also taught translation courses in the National Cryptologic School at Fort Meade MD. Michael has also published over 50 articles on applied linguistics and political rhetoric. His written works include the book Elementary Russian Syntax, a series of articles in the FORUM for Applied Research and Public Policy, and he is co-author of the article “Ukraine, Russia and the Question of Nuclear Safety” along with Marilyn Young.
Jessica L. Parker - Director of Operations
As Director of Operations, Jessica is involved in all aspects of RussTech’s projects. She oversees company operations, participates in marketing and outreach activities, and serves as the project manager for Russian translation assignments.
Jessica joined the RussTech team in 2002 after receiving her Master of Arts degree in Russian Area Studies from Florida State University. Her M.A. thesis, Unit Cohesion among the Three Soviet Women’s Air Regiments during World War II - a study of the famous combat pilots known as the Night Witches; has received broad acclaim for its depth, thoroughness, and use of primary materials; it is widely circulated on the Internet and among military aficionados.
Away from work Jessica is heavily involved in charitable activities: she is a volunteer in the Leon County Library adult reading project; and she works closely with the Goose Creek Wildlife Sanctuary, often fostering orphaned baby squirrels. Jessica enjoys rafting, jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, and long walks with Doccy, a Border Collie who is reputed to be the world’s smartest non-human.