ACTR Excellence in Teaching Russian Award for Graduate Student Instructors

Recipients of the 2026 ACTR Excellence in Teaching Russian Award for Graduate Student Instructors: Aleksandra Pchelintseva and Alexey Shvyrkov

Aleksandra Pchelintseva teaches at the University of Southern California. She is recognized for fostering dynamic first-year Russian classrooms built on student-centered, task-based learning; developing the innovative Grammar Across Languages video project; and strengthening community through rich extracurricular programming. Congratulations, Aleksandra!

Alexey Shvyrkov teaches at Columbia University. He is recognized for his exceptional student-centered pedagogy; carefully scaffolded, transparent course design; deep commitment to supporting nontraditional and underrepresented students; and extensive cultural programming that expands learning beyond the classroom. Congratulations, Alexey!

Nominations for 2025-2026 are closed. Nominations for 2026-2027 will open in Fall 2026.

This award offers national recognition to a graduate teaching assistant who demonstrates effective and innovative teaching practices and the ability to serve as an influential advocate for teaching Russian on a regional and/or national basis.

Submit application materials here:

Nominee Packet

Letter of Support

The 2025-2026 Selection Committee

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

For questions, email Alexandra Shapiro at ashapiro at uga.edu.

Past recipients

Eligibility

The award is open to full-time graduate students (MA or PhD, including ABD) who teach or have taught within the past two years either as instructor of record or lead instructor in their graduate programs, or part-time as adjuncts at another post-secondary institution. ABDs with a full-time teaching appointment are not eligible.
Nominees must be current graduate students who have taught the Russian language for at least 2 semesters total or the equivalent (for example, a summer intensive program covering the curriculum of two semesters). The semesters do not have to be consecutive, and the current semester can count toward the minimum of two. Graduate students who teach or have taught only content courses in English are not eligible.
At least one faculty member of the department or program must be a current member of ACTR. The nominator who submits the nomination letter does not have to be an ACTR member.
Only two nominations will be accepted from each institution.

Nomination Process

The nomination packet should include a packet submitted by the nominee and a letter of support. The letter of support should be written by someone who has observed the nominee’s teaching and can comment on it. This may be a non-ACTR member, such as a professional from another organization or a faculty member from another department.

From the nominee:

Since this award recognizes excellence in teaching, consider presenting evidence of classroom excellence and innovation in your curricula. Please submit an application form which includes:

A CV, which should focus on teaching (maximum 2 pages);
A one-page annotation of an effective language learning activity or project that you developed independently;
A teaching statement (2-4 pages) in which you explain what makes you an excellent teacher. You may wish to address some of the following factors:

Ability to adapt to and effectively address students’ needs within their particular institutional context, demonstrated, for example, through the creation of new teaching materials, the development of innovative instructional strategies, or the implementation of tailored support systems;
Development of welcoming classroom practices and curricular materials;
Materials and courses developed independently or in collaboration;
Undergraduate mentorship and/or community building at your institution, commitment to professional growth, including participation in pedagogically-oriented professional development and contributions to the field of Russian language teaching;
Promotion of interest in Russian studies and the Russian-speaking world;
Anything else that distinguishes you as an excellent teacher of Russian.

In the supporting letter:

Please submit a letter in which you show how the candidate demonstrates excellence in teaching and inspires students in their study of Russian language and culture. We are especially interested in evidence of excellence and innovation in the classroom, including testimonials from students or other colleagues, classroom observation reports, or comments on teaching materials developed by the nominee. Include the candidate's full name and year of entrance into the MA or PhD program. You may wish to address the following factors:

The nominee’s dedication to students’ linguistic and cultural development;
The nominee’s commitment to professional growth, including participation in pedagogical workshops, conferences, programs, etc., and contributions or potential to contribute to the field of Russian language pedagogy;
The nominee’s innovations in teaching and the development of teaching materials (traditional or digital);
The nominee’s efforts to promote Russian language and culture through organizing and participating in extracurricular activities or other outreach work;
The nominee’s commitment to deepening students’ understanding of the cultural and linguistic scope of the Russophone world, maintaining a supportive classroom environment, and applying effective pedagogical approaches.

Timeline

Nomination packages must be submitted electronically by December 1.
Finalists will be notified by January 15.
Awardees will be announced at the ACTR general membership meeting in February 2026 and recognized in next issue of the ACTR Newsletter.