ACTR Excellence in Teaching Award for Graduate Student Instructors

The nomination period for 2024-2025 is now open!

Past recipients

2023 -- Emil Asanov, West Virginia University
2023 -- Ivan Sokolov, University of California, Berkeley
2022 -- Ani Abrahamyan, Indiana University
2022 -- Aselle Almuratova, University of Wisconsin
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.
The 2024 Selection Committee

Susan Kresin, UCLA (Chair) 
Aselle Almuratova, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Evgeny Dengub, USC
Irina Dubinina, Brandeis University
Kit Pribble, Wake Forest University
Alexandra Shapiro, University of Georgia
To apply
Nomination Process

  • Materials from the nominator are due by November 1st of each calendar year.
  • Materials from the nominee are due by December 1st.
  • Finalists will be notified by January 15th. 
  • The finalist will be announced at the general ACTR membership meeting in February and recognized in the ACTR Newsletter.
  • Please note that a​ll materials for this award must be submitted electronically through the links above.

The nomination packet should include the following:

From the nominator
Please submit a nomination letter in which you show how the candidate demonstrates excellence in teaching and inspires students in their study of Russian language and culture. 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, including 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 fostering students’ understanding of cultural and linguistic diversity of the Russophone world, creating an inclusive classroom environment, and practicing equitable pedagogical approaches

From the nominee
Please submit an application form which includes
1​. ​​a CV, focusing on teaching activities (maximum 2 pages)
2. A two-page annotation of an effective language learning activity that you developed independently
3. an application statement in which you explain what makes you an excellent teacher. You may wish to address some of the following factors:

  • teaching innovations
  • development of inclusive classroom practices and curricular materials
  • materials and courses developed independently or in collaboration
  • undergraduate mentorship and community building at your institution
  • promotion of interest in Russian studies and the Russian speaking world
  • contributions to the field of Russian language teaching
  • anything else that distinguishes you as an excellent teacher of Russian
Timeline
  • Nominations (from the nominator) must be submitted electronically by November 1st. 
  • The nominee's materials (CV, CV, 2-page annotation of an effective learning activity that you developed independently, and application statement) must be submitted electronically by December 1st. 
  • Finalists will be notified by January 15th.
  • Awardees will be announced at the ACTR general membership meeting in February and recognized in the next issue of the ACTR Newsletter.
  • All materials for this award must be submitted electronically through the ACTR website.
Questions? Please email Susan Kresin at kresin at humnet.ucla.edu