Diana Stanislavovna Avdeeva is pursuing her second Master's degree at the Department of Russian and Slavic Studies at UA, specializing in Russian and East European Studies. She holds a B.A. in Linguistics and Teaching English and Italian Languages and Cultures from the Moscow State Linguistic University and a Master's degree in Russian as a Foreign Language from the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. Her research interests include nineteenth-century Russian literature, national identity, ethnic diversity in Russia and the global Russophone community, and modern Russian history and politics. Diana is presently focused on her dissertation, which examines nationalism, imperialism, and national identity in nineteenth-century Russian literature.
Diana is a seasoned instructor of Russian language and culture, both in-person and online. She favors the communicative teaching method and has taught second-year Russian courses, a course on Russian and East European cinema, and co-taught an in-person 102-level course while also leading an intensive 102-level course online. Diana is presently co-teaching an in-person 101-level course.
Diana's passion for her students' growth led her to establish Intelligentsia Club, a Russian Speaking Club, together with another graduate student, Caroline Stea, to provide students with more opportunities to practice the language. She also served as a Global Ambassador with the International Student Services, where she helped international students adapt to a new cultural and academic environment, hosted events, and participated in the Buddy Program. Diana was selected to serve as Ambassador for the Open Dialogue Program last year and has enjoyed promoting and ensuring freedom of speech on campus.
This year, Diana is serving as the Representative of the College of Humanities at GPSC (Graduate and Professional Student Council), and she is a member of the International Student Advisory Council with the International Student Services. Simultaneously with her Master’s degree, Diana is also a student in the Human Right Certificate Program exploring the specifics of promoting and advocating for human rights across the world, launching and managing NGOs, and securing grants and other funding and fundraising opportunities for nonprofits.
Besides her UA duties and responsibilities, Diana has managed to secure a scholarship at Kansas University, and now she is studying the Ukrainian language and culture there. Additionally, Diana is a proactive volunteer at various local and international organizations that deal with refugee resettlement and other kinds of refugee support.