Faculty in the Russian Language and Literature Program at the University of Denver

Full-Time Faculty

Luc Beaudoin, Associate Professor of Russian, received his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in Slavic Languages and Literatures (concentration: Russian Literature, with a minor in Polish Literature). Though he has been teaching primarily in the Russian Language and Literature Program since his arrival at DU, he has branched out into DU's general humanities and Core curricula. He is currently working on his second (and third) book(s), and his research interests include gender/gay issues in Russian poetry and culture, literary psychoanalysis and Lacan, cultural semiotics, and Romantic irony and idealism in its Russian manifestations. He and his partner Mark live in Capitol Hill next to the Molly Brown Mansion (the "Unsinkable Molly Brown" of Titanic fame). Their faithful Golden Retriever Sasha (see a different picture of Sasha for yourself [opens a new window]) loves to go for walks and keep an eye on the neighborhood cats and squirrels. Luc's office is Sturm Hall 364, telephone x12609 (303.871.2609), and you can reach him at luc.beaudoin@du.edu.

A Visiting Senior Lecturer of Russian, Inna Tigountsova will be teaching six courses in Russian language and literature at the University of Denver this year; these include first-, second-, and third-year Russian and a course entitled "Lost Love in the Russian Novel." Dr. Tigountsova received her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures (2005) with a major in Russian literature and a minor in linguistics. Her doctoral dissertation is entitled "Dostoevsky and the Twentieth Century: An Examination of the Ugly (bezobraznoe)." Apart from teaching language at the University of Toronto, she spent a year at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, where she taught language and two courses on Russian literature, culture, and film: "Culture of the Russian Revolution" and "Censorship in Imperial, Soviet, and Post-Soviet Russia." Inna has a B.A. and an M.A. from the University of Kaliningrad (Russia) in English, English Literature, ESL, Translation, and Linguistics, and an M.A. in Mediaeval Studies from the Central European University in Budapest (Hungary). She also studied in Sweden, Ireland, and England, has an interest in art, poetry, and architecture, and has published on Dostoevsky and Bakhtin, experimental poetry, Iurii Mamleev and Baudelaire, Petrushevskaia and Tolstaia. In addition to finishing her articles on Petrushevskaia and Ry Nikonova-Tarshis, Inna is working on two books: an adaptation of her doctoral dissertation, and a project on the Eastern European avant-garde. She enjoys ballet and open water scuba diving, and lives in Englewood with her -- Russian-born and Canadian-bred -- daughter Alina, a French Immersion Junior High graduate, who is a teaching assistant in her Russian A.P. class at Cherry Creek High School. Inna's office is Sturm Hall 363, telephone x12147 (303.871.2147) and you can reach her at itigount@du.edu.

A Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant, Elena Rabinovich graduated from Saratov State University in 2005. She majored in English linguistics and her final paper was devoted to the concept of childhood in James Patterson's novel Kiss the Girls. As a post-graduate student, she is studying the linguistic means of demonstrating intellectual superiority in English and Russian (which basically means the ways of calling someone a fool in the two languages!). This is multifaceted research that includes, among other things, the study of speech strategies and tactics, national concepts, and semantics. Elena has published a number of articles, and, as a teacher at Saratov State, has worked with students at all levels. Her favorite classroom activity is debates. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies and working out. During academic year 2007-2008, Elena will be teaching the Russian Language and Literature Program's Introduction to Russian Literature series as discussion and conversation courses in Russian. Until Elena moves to Denver for the year, you can reach her through the Russian Language and Literature Program.

Full-Time Associate Faculty

Jonathan Adelman, Professor in the Graduate School of International Studies, served as doctoral dissertation advisor to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies in Washington. He received his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1976, and has written or edited ten books on international affairs. The focus of his current book, Global Threats, is on the Middle East. He also regularly teaches courses concentrating on the Russian Federation. His office is in Ben Cherrington Hall 204, telephone x12548 (303.871.2548), and you can reach him at jadelman@du.edu.

Kim Axline, Assistant Professor of Theatre, is a Boulder native -- as you might well guess from this picture of her with Kaja (her somewhat neurotic yet lovable Labrador). After earning her BA in Theatre and English (summa cum laude) from the University of Colorado, Kim received her Master's from Georgetown University (English and Dramatic Literature), before returning once more to CU for her Ph.D. (concentrations: Theatre History, Criticism and Directing). Her theatrical specializations are in the Renaissance and Baroque (especially all things Shakespeare), Russian, and Popular Theatre / Culture. . . although her interests are far-ranging and often surprising to her students (a minor in astrophysics). Kim is currently writing the literal book on Hamlet (that's Gamlet to those of you in Russian!), and remains a regular actress and "Jill-of-all-trades" both at DU and Denver's Curious Theatre Company. Kim lives with her boyfriend Matt in NW Denver with Kaja, Bo (a black "Chowbrador"), Yoshi (a chestnut "chowbraweiler"), and Ben (a standarad orange cat). Kim's office is Margery Reed Hall 205A, telephone x17865 (303.871.7865), and you can reach her at kaxline@du.edu.

Allison Horsley is Assistant Professor in the Department of Theatre. A number of years ago (probably 1994) at 9AM one September morning, she ventured into her first-ever college class, first-year Russian at DU. It's been an adventure ever since. Allision graduated from DU with majors in Russian and Theatre. She completed her MFA in Dramaturgy at Yale University, and proceeded to work for theatre companies across the United States. She has returned to the University of Denver as a faculty member in September, 2006. She is currently undertaking a number of translations from Russian into English for theatres in the United States, and travels to Russia regularly. Her office is Margery Reed Hall 205B, telephone x13161 (303.871.3161), and you can reach her at ahorsley@du.edu.

David Shneer is Associate Professor of History and Director of the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Denver. He received his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, in History with concentrations in Russian Jewish culture and identity and has recently published Yiddish and the Creation of Soviet Jewish Culture. His newest book project, Through Soviet Jewish Eyes: Photography, War, and the Holocaust, looks at the lives and works of two dozen World War II military photographers to examine what kinds of photographs Soviet Jewish photographers took when they encountered Nazi genocide on the Eastern Front. At DU, David teaches courses on Russian history and culture. David and his partner Gregg travel back and forth to Moscow (not to Petersburg. . . too provincial (just kidding!)) for research purposes, but also because they think that Moscow is the most happening place in Europe. David's office is Sturm Hall 360, telephone x12956 (303.871.2956), and you can reach him at dshneer@du.edu.