CV

EDUCATION

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign – PhD in Slavic Languages and Literatures (Aug 2023–present)

University of Colorado Boulder – MA in Russian Studies (May 2023)

Penza State University (Russia) – Specialist Degree (BA/MA equivalent), Linguistics (June 2014)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign – Graduate Teaching Assistant (Aug 2023 – present)

- First-Year Russian (Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2025)

- Second-Year Russian (Fall 2024, Spring 2025)

- Russian for Heritage Speakers (Planned Spring 2026)

- Summer Intensive Russian 101 and 102 (Summer 2024, Summer 2025)

- Russia and Black America (Spring 2025)

Design and teach communicative, proficiency-based lessons; create curriculum materials and digital learning activities; organize conversation meetings; serve as a judge at an Olympiad of the Russian Language.

University of Colorado Boulder – Teaching Assistant (Aug 2020 – May 2023)

- 1st-year Russian (Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023)

- Sports and the Cold War (Fall 2020, Fall 2022)

- History of Russian Cinema (Spring 2021)

Create curriculum materials and digital learning activities; organize conversation meetings and the annual Short Russian Cinema Festival.

Lehigh University, PA – Teaching Assistant (Fulbright FLTA) Aug 2018 – May 2019

- Beginner, intermediate, and advanced Russian

- Russian Classics (Literature, Art, Cinema)

Designed syllabi and assessments for Russian culture courses, organized weekly cultural events, and conversation meetings.

Penza State University (Russia) – Assistant Lecturer (Aug 2014 – July 2020)

- Russian as a Foreign Language, Russian for Medical Students, Russian Literature and Art

Designed syllabi, instructional and exam materials for multiple courses, mentored international students, and prepared them for competitions and cultural events.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (SELECTED)

“Typical Teacher’s Mistakes in Planning a Lesson of Russian as a Foreign Language”, “Using Electronic Textbooks in Distance Learning” — Zlatoust, St. Petersburg (2021)

“Strategy and Tactics for Promoting Educational Programs” — People’s Friendship University of Russia, Moscow (2021)

AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS 

Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students (Outstanding rating) – University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2025)

Teaching Assistant Excellence Award — University of Colorado Boulder (2021)

Lead Graduate Teacher Fellowship — University of Colorado Boulder (2021)

Fulbright FLTA Fellowship — U.S. Department of State (2018–2019)

Conference Presentations (selected) 

“Conceptualizing Holidays as Cultural-Linguistic Units in Russian,” Kazan Federal University (2020)

“Teaching Proper Names as Cultural Markers in the Russian Language Classroom,” People’s Friendship University of Russia (2016)

Publications (selected)

“Exploring the Lexical Field of ‘New Year’ in Russian,” Russian Language Abroad, Pushkin Institute (2019)

Languages

Russian, English, German, Arabic, BCS