Find Academic Supervisors

Kevin M. F. PlattView profile

Professor

• Russian Historiography
• Post-Soviet Cultures
• Russian Lyric Poetry
• +3 more

Kevin M. F. Platt is the Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Pennsylvania, serving as Graduate Chair of the Comparative Literature Program. His research focuses on Russian historiography, post-Soviet cultures, and the interplay between memory, poetry, and political history. Platt holds a B.A. from Amherst College and a Ph.D. from Stanford University, with prior teaching experience at Pomona College. His notable works include Terror and Greatness: Ivan and Peter as Russian Myths (2011) and History in a Grotesque Key (1997/2006), alongside co-edited volumes on Russian historiography and translations of works by Anna Akhmatova and Osip Mandelstam. Current projects explore critical historiography of Russia, contemporary Russian culture in Latvia, and translation initiatives. Platt’s teaching spans Russian and East European cinema, literature, and cultural studies, including courses on Sergei Eisenstein, Andrei Tarkovsky, and post-Soviet cultural dynamics. His scholarship bridges historical analysis with literary critique, emphasizing postcolonial frameworks and diaspora studies. Recent research and publications address decolonization narratives, Latvian-Russian cultural intersections, and the legacy of Soviet imperialism. Platt actively engages with contemporary artistic movements, such as the Orbita Group, and critiques geopolitical identity formations in post-Soviet spaces.

Melissa FeinbergView profile

Professor

• Modern European History
• Gender History
• Eastern European Studies
• +6 more

Melissa Feinberg is a Professor of History at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, where she has been a faculty member since 2008. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and specializes in modern Eastern European history, with particular focus on Czechoslovakia, gender history, Cold War politics, and human rights. Her work examines political culture, feminism, and everyday experiences under communist regimes. Research Focus: Her scholarship centers on gender equality debates in interwar Central Europe, truth politics during Stalinism, and the societal transformations under communism. She employs ordinary voices to analyze historical change, with recurring themes including: Gender citizenship in democratic and socialist systems Cold War propaganda and information warfare Emotions as political tools Post-1989 legacies of communism Publication Trends: Feinberg's 15 most recent works (2017-2025) predominantly explore Eastern Europe's communist era through lenses of gender, dissent, and daily life. Her 2022 book Communism in Eastern Europe reexamines socialist governance through civilian experiences, while earlier works like Curtain of Lies (2017) analyze truth manipulation during Stalinism. Recurrent keywords include Cold War propaganda, women's activism, state surveillance, and post-socialist transition. Teaching: Regularly teaches undergraduate courses on 20th Century Europe, Communism, Human Rights, and Cold War seminars. Graduate instruction includes Women's/Gender History and Eastern European studies.

Ann KomaromiView profile

Professor

• Late Soviet Culture
• Samizdat Studies
• Dissidence in USSR
• +5 more

Ann Komaromi is a Professor in the Centre for Comparative Literature at the University of Toronto and holds an affiliated faculty role at the Centre for European and Eurasian Studies. Her research focuses on late Soviet culture, samizdat (underground publishing), dissidence, and modernist/avant-garde movements. She explores alternative publics and epistemologies in samizdat texts, alongside Jewish activism in Leningrad and post-War visual art's engagement with trash and used objects. Current projects include studies on dissident memoirs, a history of Soviet Jewish activism, and the role of discarded objects in museum exhibits. She co-led the Project for the Study of Dissidence and Samizdat , a digital archive of samizdat materials. No scientific awards are listed, but her work has been recognized through major publications and archival initiatives. She advises no listed students, though her research collaborations are central to her academic contributions.

• 19th-20th Century Russian Prose
• Russian Emigration Literature
• Russian Intellectual History
• +3 more

Giuseppina Larocca is a Tenured Professor of Slavic Studies at the University of Macerata , where she joined in 2019 after serving as a Research Fellow (2011-2014, 2019-2022). She has held adjunct/visiting roles at Universities of Florence, Pisa, Siena, and international institutions like Columbia University and the University of Oxford. PhD in Slavic Philology (University of Pisa, 2011) Expertise: 19th-20th Century Russian Prose, Emigration Literature, Intellectual History, and Literary Theory Editorial Roles: Section Editor for 'Russian Studies' in Studi Slavistici (2024-present), former editor of ROBINBa project monographs Her 15 most recent articles (2024-2023) focus on Russian emigration in Italy, Soviet dissent publishing (e.g., Di fronte e attraverso series), Turgenev’s Italian reception, and archival studies in Moscow/St. Petersburg. Key journals include Slavic and East European Journal and Enthymema . Scientific Awards & Collaborations: Recipient of international research fellowships (Harriman Institute, Queen Mary University), member of PRIN and ROBINBa projects, and co-editor of Universum versus (2013), a foundational text on Russian formalist theory.

Ilaria SicariView profile

Research Fellow

• Soviet Literature
• Cultural Cold War
• Translation Studies
• +4 more

Ilaria Sicari is a Research Fellow at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, specializing in Slavic Studies with a focus on Soviet literature, cultural Cold War dynamics, and transnational literary circulation. She holds a PhD in Slavic Studies from Ca' Foscari University (2017) and has taught Russian literature at the Universities of Bologna, Florence, and Pisa. Her current Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellowship explores Tamizdat (underground Soviet literature dissemination) through the TAMIZDAT project, collaborating with Stanford University and Leiden University. Research Institutes: Digital and Cultural Heritage, International Studies Key Projects: On the Two Sides of the Iron Curtain , Banned Books from Russia and Eastern Europe Her research emphasizes socio-cultural actors in literary circulation, including translators, editors, and dissidents. Major interests include Soviet censorship, dissident literature, and the reception of foreign literature in the USSR. She has published widely on Italo Calvino's Soviet reception, Soviet human rights movements, and Cold War cultural diplomacy. Recent articles examine Tamizdat publishing strategies in Italy, Soviet psychiatric abuse, and Cold War paratextual propaganda. She contributes to digital archives on banned Soviet texts and is affiliated with the Italian and international Slavic studies associations (AIS, ASEEES, AATSEEL).

Rada GeorgievaView profile

Part-Time Lecturer

• Latin American Art
• Eastern European Art
• Cold War Cultural History
• +4 more

Rada Georgieva is a PhD Candidate and Associate Lecturer at The Courtauld Institute of Art, specializing in transnational Cold War-era art networks between the Eastern Bloc and Latin America. Her research challenges center/periphery binaries through analysis of mail art and samizdat as counter-cultural resistance mechanisms. Her academic background includes: PhD Candidate in Art History, The Courtauld Institute of Art (2023-present) MSt in History of Art and Visual Culture, University of Oxford (2022-2023) MA in Art History and Russian, University of St Andrews (2018-2022) Georgieva's research centers on Latin American and Eastern European post-war art, examining materiality of censored publications, printmaking techniques, and word-image relationships in experimental poetry. Her work emphasizes Bulgaria, USSR, Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina as interconnected cultural nodes where mail art networks circumvented state control through global exchange. Her 2025 publication analyzes testimonial photography in Chilean artists' work, while recent conference presentations explore transnational visual poetry, asemic writing in mail art, and Cold War cultural diplomacy. These outputs reveal consistent interdisciplinary focus on marginalized artistic strategies across political divides, with emphasis on material circulation and poetic resistance. Funded by AHRC/CHASE, Georgieva contributes to art historical pedagogy as Teaching Assistant for The Courtauld's Summer University (2024) and 'Exhibiting Art' course (2025), bridging her doctoral research with practical museum studies instruction.

Anna HorakovaView profile

Assistant Professor

• German Literature
• East German Literature
• Transnational Literature
• +5 more

Anna Horakova is an Assistant Professor of German at the University of Connecticut , affiliated with the Department of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages. She holds a PhD in German Studies from Cornell University (2016), an M.St. in Medieval & Modern Languages from the University of Oxford (2010), and a BA in Philosophy & Modern Languages from the University of Oxford (2009). Education PhD, Cornell University (German Studies, 2016) M.St., University of Oxford (Medieval & Modern Languages, 2010) BA, University of Oxford (Philosophy & Modern Languages, 2009) Her research focuses on transnational and post-Soviet contexts of Cold War-era German literature, dissident movements, and media intersections. She has taught at institutions including Harvard University, College of William & Mary, Emory University, and the University of Grenoble. Horakova’s publications explore themes like East German samizdat print culture, feminist literary analysis of Christa Wolf, transnational refugee narratives, and exile-era postal art. These works span subfields such as Cold War studies, gender politics, and avant-garde experimentation. Scientific Awards Harvard College Fellowship

Tara Talwar WindsorView profile

Research Fellow

• German cultural and literary politics
• Cultural production and social justice
• Exile and post-migration studies
• +4 more

Dr Tara Talwar Windsor is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Cambridge, affiliated with the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics. She co-leads the Cambridge-based research group 'Cultural Production and Social Justice' and serves as a By-Fellow at Churchill College. University of Cambridge Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics Department of German Her research focuses on German literary, cultural, and intellectual politics from the early 20th century to the present, with a specialization in the role of creative writers as public intellectuals. Key areas include cultural production and social justice, exile and post-migration studies, and the history of gender and emotions. Recent publications address themes such as postmigrant literature, memory activism, and literary interventions in radical diversity. She has received prestigious awards from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the German Historical Institute, and the German Academic Exchange Service. Arts and Humanities Research Council award German Historical Institute award German Academic Exchange Service award Her academic career spans roles at the University of Birmingham, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut Essen, Liverpool John Moores University, and Trinity College Dublin.

Karen LeederView profile

Professor

• Modern German Culture
• GDR Literature
• Translation Studies
• +9 more

Professor Karen Leeder holds the Schwarz-Taylor Chair of German Language and Literature at the University of Oxford's Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, affiliated with The Queen's College. Her research traces from East German underground art scenes to contemporary German poetry's intersections with science, translation, and memory. She leads the 'AfterWords' project exploring postmodernity's literary inheritance and will assume an International Visiting Professorship in Beijing (2025). As a prize-winning translator, she bridges German and English literary cultures, notably for Durs Grünbein, Ulrike Almut Sandig, and Evelyn Schlag. Her editorial roles include co-founding the 'Companions to Contemporary German Culture' series and serving on journal boards like German Monitor . Her academic career includes grants from the British Academy, AHRC, and Einstein Visiting Fellowship (2023). Awards span translation prizes (English PEN, Schlegel-Tieck) and creative residencies. She curates public engagement initiatives like #OxfordReadsKafka and the Mediating Modern Poetry platform. Supervised doctoral topics encompass GDR literature, women's writing, and Berlin Republic cultural studies. Research interests span: GDR cultural production, post-1945 German poetry, translation as creative practice, ecocritical theory, late style aesthetics, and transnational literary networks. Recent work interrogates ecological poetics, digital humanities, and post-humanist frameworks in contemporary German expression.

Polly JonesView profile

Professor

• Soviet Literature
• Memory Studies
• Gulag Narratives
• +4 more

Dr. Polly Jones is Professor of Russian at the University of Oxford and Schrecker-Barbour Fellow at University College, with affiliations at Brasenose College. She completed her BA, MPhil, and DPhil at Oxford, with research periods at Harvard and Princeton. Her work examines Soviet cultural history through literature, memory studies, and media analysis. Research explores: Soviet/post-Soviet memory politics Gulag narratives across 20th-21st centuries Authoritarian expression mechanisms Biography as cultural form Publications focus on trauma representation, propaganda evolution, and cross-border cultural exchange. Recent books analyze labor camp literature and late Soviet biography, recognized by BASEES and AATSEEL prizes. Awards include British Academy funding and visiting fellowships. Current projects examine political prisoner narratives and 'provincial marginality' in post-Gulag societies. Supervises doctoral research on Soviet cultural studies, Gulag theater, and memory politics. Leads the Russian Archive Training Scheme and co-convenes the Russian/Social History Seminar.

Nicole G. BurgoyneView profile

Associate Professor

• Pedagogy of Language Acquisition
• German Literature and Culture of the 20th Century
• Socialist Realism
• +9 more

Nicole G. Burgoyne serves as Associate Instructional Professor in the Department of Germanic Studies at the University of Chicago, teaching intermediate and advanced German courses since 2018. Her pedagogy prepares students for living and working abroad through focused language instruction and cultural analysis of German society from the 1930s to present. She holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University (2016) and an A.B. from the University of Chicago (2008). Professor Burgoyne's research centers on 20th-century German literature and culture, with deep expertise in East Germany's Cold War dynamics, socialist realism, workers' culture, and censorship. She examines oral traditions, folklore, and modernity's emergence through prose, film, news media, and political commentary. Her work bridges historical analysis with contemporary applications, notably in workplace language use across Germanophone Europe. Her recent publications demonstrate consistent engagement with cultural Cold War scholarship, featuring edited volumes like The Red Vienna Sourcebook (2020) and analyses of Nabokov's Lolita through social memory frameworks, alongside foundational work on GDR literature and Samizdat archives. She received the 2021 Don York Faculty Initiative Award for directing SPARK for German, connecting university students with public-school learners through after-school tutoring. In advising, Professor Burgoyne mentors bachelor thesis writers on late 20th-century topics and guides SPARK participants in developing interactive cultural lessons. She actively supports student applications for international study and work placements. As a long-term member of the BTWH research network, she collaborates on Inter-War Years scholarship and regularly presents at German Studies Association conferences.

Claudia OlivieriView profile

Associate Professor

• Slavic Studies
• Russian Literature
• 19th-Century Russian Literature
• +12 more

Claudia Olivieri is an Associate Professor of Slavic Studies (SSD L-LIN/21) in the Department of Humanities at the University of Catania, where she teaches Russian language, translation, and literature. Her academic work bridges historical and contemporary aspects of Russian culture, with deep engagement in literary, cinematic, and theatrical studies. University: University of Catania School: Department of Humanities Department: Department of Humanities Academic Rank: Associate Professor Email: claudia.olivieri@unict.it Office: Room 120 Office Hours: Monday to Saturday via Teams, Skype, or Zoom (by appointment) Her research interests are centered on Russian literature and culture, spanning from 19th-century figures like Dostoevsky to modern phenomena such as Vladimir Sorokin’s works, cinematic nostalgia, and contemporary Russian theater. She has made significant contributions to the study of Italian-Soviet film co-productions and the adaptation of Russian literature into film and comics. Her monograph Russian Cinema from Today to Yesterday (2015) and co-edited volume Italia-Russia. Un secolo di cinema (2020) highlight her expertise in cross-cultural cinematic relations. The analysis of her recent publications and student theses reveals a strong trend in interdisciplinary cultural studies, particularly in the adaptation of Russian literary works across media (film, comics, theater), memory studies, and the representation of Soviet and post-Soviet identity. Themes of nostalgia, ideological transformation, and cultural reinterpretation recur throughout her supervised research. Claudia Olivieri holds leadership roles in the academic community: Member and Secretary of the Board of Directors, Italian Slavists Association Member of the editorial boards of Slavic Studies Series , Masterskaja20 , eSamizdat , and Slavica TerGestina Co-founder of the Interuniversity Center for the Study of Post-Soviet Culture and Counterculture Member of the Scientific Committee of the 'Pagine di Russia' festival in Bari She actively supervises graduate students, with a wide range of thesis topics reflecting her broad scholarly influence, from Dostoevsky adaptations to Soviet horror films and Samizdat culture. There is no indication of part-time status or retirement, and her ongoing teaching and research confirm her active academic role. No scientific awards are listed in the provided text.

• Slavic Studies
• Russian Literature
• Russian Culture
• +2 more

Giuseppe Ghini is a Professor of Slavic Studies at the Department of Communication Sciences, Humanistic and International Studies (DISCUI) at the University of Urbino Carlo Bo. His academic career focuses on Russian literature, culture, and Slavic philology, with extensive teaching experience in these fields. Professor Ghini's research interests center on Slavic Studies, particularly Russian Literature, Russian Culture, and Slavic Philology. His work explores various aspects of Russian literary tradition from historical and contemporary perspectives, examining narrative techniques, cultural identity, and the evolution of literary movements. His research spans from classical Russian authors like Dostoevsky and Tolstoy to contemporary literary developments in post-Soviet Russia. Analysis of Professor Ghini's scholarly output reveals a strong focus on the intersection of literature and cultural identity, with particular attention to how political and social changes have influenced Russian literary production. His work demonstrates expertise in both historical philological approaches and contemporary literary theory, with recent publications showing increasing engagement with digital humanities methodologies for text analysis. The breadth of his research covers everything from Byzantine influences on early Russian texts to modern trends in post-Soviet literature. Professor Ghini has taught numerous courses related to Russian culture, literature, and Slavic philology, including Russian Culture, Slavic Philology, Russian Literature I-III, and History of Russian Culture. His teaching portfolio reflects his deep expertise in the field and commitment to educating students in Slavic studies.

Jason ArnoldView profile

Professor

• Disinformation
• Surveillance
• Government Secrecy
• +3 more

Jason Arnold serves as Professor and Chair of Political Science at Virginia Commonwealth University, specializing in the intersection of information politics and technology within governmental systems. His core research domains include: Disinformation dynamics Mass surveillance frameworks Government secrecy mechanisms Counterintelligence operations Public ignorance phenomena AI governance challenges Arnold's scholarly contributions examine transparency failures in modern governance, notably through his publications Secrecy in the Sunshine Era: The Promise and Failures of U.S. Open Government Laws and Whistleblowers, Leakers, and Their Networks: From Snowden to Samizdat, which analyze institutional secrecy and information control networks across historical and digital contexts.

• Soviet Cultural History
• Russian Dissent and Nonconformity
• Samizdat and Tamizdat Studies
• +3 more

Dr. Bernd Christoph Ströhm is a Postdoctoral University Assistant at the University of Vienna's Department of Slavonic Studies. His research and teaching focus on Soviet cultural resistance, Russian emigration, and Cold War-era intellectual networks. Specializes in alternative Russian cultural expressions under Soviet totalitarianism Examines German-language media's influence on Soviet policy Investigates Russian émigré integration in Western societies Analyzes cross-border literary exchanges in Eastern Europe He teaches courses on Russian/Ukrainian literature and Siberian cultural mythology. Contact: bernd.christoph.stroehm@univie.ac.at , +43-1-4277-42831.