Marina Yancey

Marina Yancey began teaching Russian to American University students as a Fulbright language assistant back in 2013. She worked at Brandeis University where she provided an authentic Russian cultural experience to her students by hosting various cultural events on campus. Her experience as a Fulbright scholar has laid a strong foundation for successful communication with a diverse population of cultural ambassadors from all over the world.

Having completed her mission as a Russian ambassador in the US, she returned to her alma mater in Tyumen (Russia) to continue her doctoral studies in linguistics, with a focus on English and Russian comparative literature. Marina was awarded a PhD in linguistics on December 22, 2017 from Tyumen State University. Her doctoral dissertation is focused on fictional essays of the 20th century written by K.G. Paustovskij and J.B. Priestley – some of the most prominent representatives of this literary genre. Furthermore, it delves into the world of emotions and how they are expressed through numerous stylistic devices.

Having completed all her studies, Marina Y. accepted a two-year appointment in the Russian department at Wellesley College where she taught introductory and intermediate Russian. She was also involved in a number of creative projects such as, for example, shooting a movie or organizing a Russian talent show. Her training in methodology of teaching foreign languages and cultures has contributed enormously in the ability to create a truly language-culture immersion environment for every student.

Marina Y. was offered a faculty position at Brandeis University where she continued to teach Elementary and Intermediate Russian courses in 2018 and 2019. Additionally, in August 2019 she became a faculty member of the Department of Eastern, Slavic, and German Studies at Boston College. She has also been an active participant of annual New England Russian Pedagogy Roundtable and the ACTFL OPI workshop (Harvard University). For the last two years Marina Y. has been invited to serve as a committee member at the New England Olympiada of Spoken Russian where some of her students present their monologues and recite poetry.

Finally, Marina Y. is excited to be part of the Georgia Tech community and help her students accomplish ambitious academic goals, pursue study abroad opportunities and apply for prestigious fellowships, such as the Fulbright and Critical Language Scholarships.