Dr. Ekaterina Burvikova (University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH) Dr. Ekaterina Burvikova has made extraordinary contributions to Russian language teaching in the United States through the STARTalk Program, the Kathryn Wasserman Davis School of Russian at Middlebury College, and at the University of New Hampshire. Dedicated to bringing Russian to life, she has developed innovative projects that engage American students with the language and culture, expanding their experience beyond Russia’s major cities to all eleven time zones. By connecting students with programs at Yaroslavl State Pedagogical Institute, she fosters a deeper understanding of Russian-speaking peers and diversifies instructional materials to reflect the multicultural Russophone world.
Her compassionate curricular response to the Russian war against Ukraine included creating forums for students to interact with Ukrainian refugees, aligning with her commitment to community-based learning. During the pandemic, Dr. Burvikova pioneered new teaching approaches by incorporating contemporary cultural artifacts and relevant discussions. She has also contributed to the New England Olympiada of Spoken Russian and organized community events in Durham, New Hampshire. Recognized as an outstanding post-secondary instructor, she was honored with the 2024 Award for Excellence in Teaching by the American Council of Teachers of Russian.
Dr. Lisa DiBartolomeo, special award (West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV)
Dr. Lisa Di Bartolomeo, Teaching Professor of Russian Studies at West Virginia University, is a dynamic force in Russian curriculum development and a model for educators. She has created innovative courses that appeal to students of diverse backgrounds and majors while promoting Russian and Russia-related studies despite limited resources. Dr. Di Bartolomeo also develops a broad range of extracurricular activities that connect academic learning with global professional skills.
Her classroom emphasizes critical and creative thinking, engaging students in interpersonal and multimedia projects aligned with Bloom’s Taxonomy. She actively involves her students in community engagement, facilitating dialogue with Ukrainian and Russian refugees in the Morgantown area and organizing visits to nearby Pittsburgh.
A former student highlighted her unique ability to connect Russian literature with popular culture—drawing parallels between works like Pushkin’s “The Undertaker” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” This creative approach not only enriches the learning experience but also brings the subject to life. Recognized by the American Council of Teachers of Russian, Dr. Di Bartolomeo’s passion and innovative teaching continue to inspire excellence in Russian education.
2022
Dr. Olga Thomason (University of Georgia, Athens, GA)
Dr. Olga Thomason, Senior Lecturer of Russian at the University of Georgia, is committed to her students’ linguistic and cultural growth, professional development, and the promotion of Russian language and culture. Over her career, she has taught more than twenty language and culture courses to hundreds of students. Her classes feature discussions, creative writing, communicative problem-solving, and cultural analysis of contemporary events. She creates meaningful opportunities for authentic communication by organizing telecommunication activities and leading successful summer study‐abroad programs in Russia covering politics, social structure, and religious tradition.
Dr. Thomason’s innovations include a Dynamic Assessment model for listening comprehension, telecollaborative projects with Russian students, intercultural communication tasks, experiential learning, and Project‐Based Language Learning for training language tutors. She also mentors undergraduate and graduate students in independent research on the Russophone world, contributing to the UGS Flagship program and securing federal grants to support Russian language education. Beyond her institution, Dr. Thomason is a co-creator of the Language Flagship Resources for Tutoring portal and a respected resource for Russian language instructors, tutors, and teaching assistants.
