ACTR Committees

Bridge-building Committee (Advocacy)
develops materials for Russian programs to use in proactive advocacy, including flyers, interviews with alumni, and more

Julia Denne, chair (By the Onion Sea Program)
Olga Klimova (University of Pittsburgh)
Olga Mukhortova (Defense Language Institute, The Defense Threat Reduction Agency)
Lee Roby (Friends School of Baltimore)
Debra Solomon, non-board member (emerita, Hollidaysburg High School)

Bridge-building Committee (Graduate Student Outreach & Support)
organizes professional development, networking, and meet-up events for graduate students

• Emil Asanov, (Florida State University)
• Natalia Petrova, non-board member (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
• Susan Kresin (UCLA)

Bridge-building Committee (K-12 Outreach)
works on K-12 outreach and advocacy and on strengthening ties between K-12 and college programs

• Olga Gotta, co-chair, non-board member (Glastonbury High School)
• Lee Roby, co-chair (Friends School of Baltimore)
• Catharine (Katya) Cooke (Mill River Union High School)
• Lara Ravitch (Concordia Language Villages, University of Oregon)
• Thomas Tabatowski (The Noble Academy)

Bridge-building Committee (Mentorship Program)
connects secondary teachers and post-secondary instructors with a regular teaching mentor who can offer advice and insights on various aspects of teaching and career development

• Maria Khotimsky, chair (MIT)
• Lee Roby (Friends School of Baltimore)

Committee of Community Values
is responsible for ensuring that ACTR community values permeate all aspects of ACTR’s work

• Lara Ravitch, chair (Concordia Language Villages, University of Oregon)
• Raquel Greene, (Grinnell College)
• Lauren Nelson (Pritzker College Prep)
• Lee Roby (Friends School of Baltimore)
• Jose Vergara (Bryn Mawr College)
  
• Kristen Welsh (Hobart and William Smith Colleges)
  

Professional Development Committee
organizes webinars, roundtables, Teachers’ Lounges, and other professional development events throughout the academic year

• Lee Roby, co-chair (Friends School of Baltimore)
  
• Emil Asanov (Florida State University)
• Maria Khotimsky (MIT)
  
• ​Irina Kogel, co-chair (Boston University)
• Susan Kresin (UCLA)
• Alexandra Shapiro (University of Georgia)
  

Newsletter Committee
solicits materials for the Newsletter and edits, publishes, and distributes it

• Brooke Ballenger (Central High School, Memphis) 
• Alyssa DeBlasio, non-board member (Dickinson College)
• Ryan Hardy, non-board member (UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies)
• Susan Kresin (UCLA, chair)
• Thomas Tabatowski (The Noble Academy)
• Wendy Whitehead Martelle (University of Alaska, Fairbanks)

Nominations Committee
organizes the Board elections (nominations and online voting)

• Susan Kresin (UCLA)
• Catharine (Katya) Cooke (Mill River Union High School)
• Irina Kogel (website support, Boston University)
• Lauren Nelson (Pritzker College Prep)

• Ben Rifkin, chair (Fairleigh Dickinson University)
• Jennifer Bown, non-board member (Brigham Young University)
• Catherine (Katya) Cooke (Mill River Union High School) 
• Maria Khotimsky (MIT)
• Olga Klimova (University of Pittsburgh)
• Lara Ravitch (Concordia Language Villages and University of Oregon) 
• Lee Roby (Friends School of Baltimore)
• John R. Rook (Smith Middle School)

Service Award Committee
manages the annual selection of the recipient of the ACTR Service Award

• Ben Rifkin, chair (Fairleigh Dickinson University)
  
• Lara Ravitch (Concordia Language Villages and University of Oregon) 
  
• Irina Dubinina, non-board member (Brandeis University)
• Jane Shuffelton, founder and honorary chair (emerita, Brighton High School)

Pre-college Teaching Awards Committee
manages the annual selection of recipients of the Excellence in Teaching awards for middle school and high school teachers of Russian

• Julia Denne, chair (By the Onion Sea Program)
• Olga Gotta (Glansbury High School)
• Kateryna Ratushnyuk (Staten Island Technical High School)
• John R. Rook (Smith Middle School)
• Thomas Tabatowski (The Noble Academy)

Post-secondary Teaching Awards Committee
manages the annual selection of recipients of the Excellence in Teaching awards for post-secondary instructors and graduate students

• Alexandra Shapiro, chair (University of Georgia)
• Olesya Kisselev (University of South Carolina)
• Kit Pribble (Wake Forest University)
• Izolda (Iza) Savenkova (University of Maryland, Mercyhurst University)
• Wendy Whitehead Martelle (University of Alaska Fairbanks)

Davidson-Brecht Research Support Awards Committee
oversees the promotion, evaluation, and selection process for the Davidson-Brecht Research Support Awards, which support graduate students and scholars without institutional support conducting research in Russian language pedagogy, second language acquisition, and related areas of Russian language, culture, and the Russophone world. The committee works to advance ACTR’s mission by encouraging emerging scholarship, expanding research support opportunities, and promoting the dissemination of research in Russian language teaching and learning.

• Olesya Kisselev, chair (University of South Carolina)
• Emil Asanov, (Florida State University)
• Liudmila Klimanova, non-board member (University of Arizona)

Public Relations Committee
promotes the organization's image, creates promotional materials, communicates key messages to collaborators, and fosters relationships with other professional organizations, the media, and the public to enhance visibility and support for the organization's goals and initiatives.

• Olga Klimova, chair (University of Pittsburgh)
• Olga Mukhortova (Defense Language Institute, The Defense Threat Reduction Agency)
• Kit Pribble (Wake Forest University)

Web Services Committee
maintains and updates the organization's website, ensures its functionality, accessibility, and security, and provides digital resources to support communication, engagement, and professional development for members

• Irina Kogel, chair (Boston University)
• Kit Pribble (Wake Forest University)

Summer Language Teachers' Program Selection Committee
reviewing applications and selecting the finalists for The Summer Russian Language Teacher (SRLT) professional development program at Al Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU)

• Dan Davidson (Emeritus Professor, Bryn Mawr College)
• Susan Kresin (UCLA)
• William Harte (Magnet School/DeMoines)

Fundraising Committee
organizing and implementing fundraising initiatives, securing financial support through donations, grants, and sponsorships, and ensuring sufficient resources to support the organization's programs, events, and long-term goals.

• Vacant, chair 
• Kristen Welsh (Hobart and William Smith Colleges)
• Ben Rifkin, non-board member