Svitlana Antonyuk-Yudina serves as a Lise Meitner senior postdoctoral researcher at the University of Graz, Austria, within the Institute of German Studies under the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) project M 3361-G "Deriving Discourse Configurationality of (East) Slavic" led by Prof. Victor Edgar Onea Gaspar. Her research centers on syntax-semantics interfaces , argument structure , and information structure in East Slavic languages (Ukrainian and Russian), with specific expertise in quantification, Instrumental syntax, Object Shift phenomena, and the realization of Givenness/Focus. Current investigations explore aspect-argument structure relations in East Slavic and cross-linguistic scope freezing, while her interests increasingly extend to generative typology and contact-induced language change. Dr. Antonyuk-Yudina holds the prestigious Lise Meitner Fellowship from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). She is actively engaged in the FWF project M 3361-G and co-edits two Special Collection volumes for Glossa: a journal of general linguistics , with experimental work mapping East Slavic syntactic structures to prosodic realization upcoming.
Paulina Łęska-Bayraktar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English-Polish Comparative Linguistics at the Faculty of English, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, where she conducts research and teaches in formal syntax and comparative linguistics. Her academic foundation is deeply rooted in the same institution, reflecting a sustained commitment to linguistic scholarship in Poland. Her educational background includes: B.A. in English Linguistics, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (2012) M.A. in English Linguistics, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (2014) Ph.D. in English Linguistics, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (2019) Her research interests lie at the intersection of syntax, semantics, and cognitive grammar, with a strong focus on generative approaches to Slavic languages—particularly Polish. She investigates complex syntactic phenomena such as binding theory, pronoun distribution, quantifier scope, agreement, and the structure of relative and nominal clauses. Her work combines formal theoretical analysis with empirical data, often drawing on acceptability judgments and psycholinguistic methodologies. The trends in her recent publications reveal a sustained engagement with the syntax of Polish, especially in non-canonical constructions involving dative arguments, experiencers, and pronominal clusters. Her work contributes significantly to the understanding of how universal syntactic principles manifest in Slavic morphosyntax, and she frequently collaborates with leading scholars like Prof. Jacek Witkoś. She has received research funding from the Polish National Science Center through multiple grants, including OPUS, Beethoven, and Miniatura projects, which have supported her investigations into nominal expressions, pronouns, and anaphora in Polish. These grants underscore the national recognition of her research contributions. Paulina Łęska-Bayraktar actively participates in the international linguistics community, presenting her work at major conferences such as Formal Approaches to Slavic Linguistics (FASL), Formal Description of Slavic Languages (FDSL), and the Poznań Linguistic Meeting. She is also involved in collaborative research teams and has co-authored works with scholars from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and other institutions. Her academic presence is further strengthened by her profiles on ORCID and ResearchGate.
Professor Bernd Möbius is a leading academic in Phonetics and Phonology at the Department of Language Science and Technology, Saarland University. His research bridges phonetic theory with speech technology applications, focusing on text-to-speech systems, prosody modeling, and computational simulations of speech processes. Current research projects: DFG SFB 1102, C1: Information density and phonetic structure predictability DFG SFB 1102, C4: Slavic intercomprehension and surprisal theory (INCOMSLAV) Research Themes: Key areas include text-to-speech synthesis, speech prosody analysis, experimental methods in speech production/perception, information density in phonetics, and cross-linguistic studies of Slavic-Germanic languages. Scientific Contributions: Recent work explores Parkinson-induced dysarthria detection, breath noise acoustics, surprisal-driven speech behaviors, multilingual BERT models for idiomaticity, and perceptual consequences of acoustic adjustments.
Maria Gouskova is a Professor of Linguistics at the Department of Linguistics, New York University (NYU). She is affiliated with the College of Arts and Science and holds editorial roles as an Associate Editor of Language and board member of NLLT and Phonology . Her research focuses on phonology, morphology, and lexicon, with a particular emphasis on morphophonological interactions, sublexicons, and phonotactic constraints. She earned her Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (2003) and a B.A. in English Linguistics and German Language/Literature from Eastern Michigan University (1998). Her work bridges theoretical phonology and experimental methods, addressing questions such as how phonological patterns interact with morphology, the role of sublexical phonotactics in grammatical processes, and the learnability of complex segmental inventories. Recent research includes studies on Russian diminutive affixes, gradient phonological constraints, and the phonological properties of compounds. Her publications span topics like allomorphy, lexical phonology, and the typology of morpheme structure constraints. She frequently collaborates on projects investigating the interplay between syntax, phonology, and morphology, as seen in studies of Russian prepositions and compound stress patterns. Her contributions to phonological theory include advancing models of sublexicon theory and nonlocal constraint induction.
Miloje Despic is an Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Cornell University , affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences . His research spans theoretical syntax , morphology , and semantics , focusing on cross-linguistic variation and the syntax-morphology interface. Research Focus : Cross-linguistic variation in functional elements (e.g., articles), syntax-morphology interactions (e.g., hybrid agreement, clitic-affix distinction). Languages Studied : Slavic (Serbian, BCMS), Turkic, Algonquian (Cheyenne). Publication Trends : Recent work addresses reflexive possessive agreement in Mongolian, nominal ellipsis in Serbian, cyclic and multiple agreement in Cheyenne, markedness in Algonquian theme signs, and non-intersective adjectives. His research intersects syntactic theory , morphological anomalies , and semantic interpretation .
Marcin Wągiel is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Czech Language at the Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. His office is located in building D, room D.413 at Arna Nováka 1, with contact details including phone 549 49 8884 and email marcin.wagiel@phil.muni.cz. His research centers on theoretical and descriptive linguistics with emphasis on Czech language semantics and syntax. Key interests include degree/number constructions, part-whole structures, classifier systems, and temporal-modal interactions in natural language. He employs formal linguistic frameworks to analyze comparative and typological phenomena across languages, particularly within Slavic linguistics. Wągiel actively supervises doctoral research, currently guiding a thesis on temporal-modal semantics. He has secured significant research funding including Czech Science Foundation projects like Classification of classifiers (GA24-10073S, 2024-2026) and Part-whole structures across languages (GA20-16107S, 2020-2023). Additionally, he contributes to Masaryk University's student research programs supporting work in general linguistics, Indo-European studies, narratology, and Baltic studies.
Svetlana Evdokimova is a Professor of Slavic Studies and Comparative Literature at Brown University, where she has been a faculty member since 1991. She previously taught at Yale University and holds a PhD in Slavic Languages and Literatures from Yale University and an MA in French Language and Literature from St. Petersburg University. She is a leading scholar in Russian literature of the 19th and 20th centuries, with a focus on Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and especially Chekhov. Her research explores the intersections between literature, philosophy, history, and aesthetics. She has published extensively on Russian Romanticism, the Russian intelligentsia, and the cultural significance of St. Petersburg. Her major works include Pushkin's Historical Imagination (1999) and Staging Existence: Chekhov's Tetralogy (2023), with a forthcoming monograph A Genius of Culture: The Chekhov Phenomenon . The recent publications reflect a deep engagement with Chekhov’s aesthetics, corporeality, and cultural philosophy, as well as Dostoevsky’s dialogues with Nietzsche and postmodern thought. Her work frequently examines the ethical dimensions of literature and the interplay between fiction and historical consciousness. Choice Outstanding Academic Title (2004) for Alexander Pushkin's Little Tragedies: The Poetics of Brevity NEH Research Fellowship (1995–1996) IREX Research Fellowship (1995) The Bogliasco Foundation Residency Fellowship (2018) Paul C. Gignilliat Fellowship, Yale University (1988–1989) Council on Russian and East European Studies Summer Fellowship, Yale University (1985) She has advised numerous graduate students and has secured competitive research grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, IREX, and Brown University. She is actively involved in scholarly communities, including the Modern Language Association, AATSEEL, and author-specific societies such as the North American Chekhov Society and the North American Dostoevsky Society. She teaches courses on Russian Romanticism, major novelists, theater, and cultural history.
Prof. Stefan Rohdewald is a Professor of East and South-Eastern European History at the University of Leipzig since 2020. Previously, he held positions at Justus Liebig University Giessen (2013-2020), University of Passau (2003-2012), and University of Zurich (1998-2001). His research focuses on transregional histories, religious memory, and intercultural communication in Eastern Europe and the Ottoman sphere. Key roles include coordinating DFG’s Transottomanica program and leading the GiZo partnership with University of Zagreb. Education: PhD (2004, University of Zurich), Habilitation (2012, University of Passau). Research interests span memorial discourses, Ottoman-Europe relations, and sport history. Major projects include studies on Serbo-Bulgarian religious figures and transottoman mobility dynamics. He chairs conferences on minority politics and Ottoman Europe, contributing to over 70 peer-reviewed publications. Award-winning publications include Götter der Nationen (2014) and Vlad der Pfähler (2017). His work bridges Eastern European, Ottoman, and transnational histories through innovative methodological frameworks.
Elizabeth Blake is an Associate Professor of Russian and Division Coordinator in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at Saint Louis University's College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on 19th-century Russian literature, particularly Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, with emphases on empire studies, exile cultures, and religious dialogues between Russian Orthodoxy and Polish/French Catholicism. She has published two major books: *Dostoevsky and the Catholic Underground* (2014) and *Travels from Dostoevsky’s Siberia* (2019). Her work bridges literary analysis with historical context, examining themes like human rights, cultural mobility, and gender roles. Blake teaches courses ranging from language proficiency to advanced topics in Russian literature and cinema, including *Russian and Soviet Cinema* and *Dostoevsky Through the Centuries*. She has received numerous grants including Mellon and Fulbright-Hays awards for research in Russia and Poland. Her academic career includes extensive reviews for journals like *Slavic Review* and *Canadian Slavonic Papers*, alongside professional involvement with organizations such as the North American Dostoevsky Society. Blake’s teaching excellence is recognized through awards like the Spirit of the Billiken Award (2016), reflecting her impact on both scholarship and student mentorship.
Ksana Blank is a Senior Lecturer at Princeton University’s Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures. She coordinates the Russian Language Program and directs the Princeton-in-Petersburg Program, fostering academic exchange and interdisciplinary research. With a PhD in Russian Literature (Columbia University, 1997) and a BA in French Philology (St. Petersburg State University, 1979), her academic career spans over two decades at Princeton, preceded by teaching roles at Hunter College and Middlebury College Russian Summer School. Education: PhD, Russian Literature, Columbia University (1997) BA, French Philology, St. Petersburg State University (1979) Her research centers on Russian literature, emphasizing stylistic analysis and interdisciplinary connections with music, visual arts, folklore, and religious philosophy. Notable works include studies on Dostoevsky’s dialectics, Gogol’s The Nose , and the interplay between Russian modernism and Western art movements. She has authored multiple books and articles, many translated into Russian, and has published in academic journals across Russia, Europe, and China. Recent publications explore Dostoevsky’s paradoxes, Gogol’s linguistic innovation, and the intersection of Russian literature with music (Shostakovich), art (Malevich), and philosophy. Her 2023 book Парадоксы классики expands traditional interpretations of classic works through interdisciplinary lenses, while her 2021 The Nose guide deciphers Gogol’s wordplay and its narrative function. Earlier works address Tolstoy’s spiritual crisis and Bakhtinian dialogism in Russian literary theory. While no scientific awards are listed, her contributions to pedagogy include advanced Russian language courses and graduate-level Tolstoy studies. She currently works on Leo Tolstoy’s The Prisoner of the Caucasus and teaches courses on Russian literature, spirituality, and translation.
Laura Matthews is a Lecturer in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at Princeton University. Her work bridges nineteenth-century Russian literature with interdisciplinary themes such as pedagogical theory, social justice, and trauma-informed practices. Education B.A. from University of Pennsylvania Ph.D. in Slavic Languages and Literatures from Princeton University (2022) Research Interests span the intersection of literature and education, focusing on nineteenth-century Russian pedagogical reforms, metaphor theory in educational contexts, ethical dimensions in literature, and trauma-responsive child welfare frameworks. She also explores narratives of exile and displacement.
Stephan Conermann serves as Professor of Islamic Studies and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Bonn, where he has held continuous academic appointments since 2003. His institutional leadership includes directorship of the Annemarie Schimmel Kolleg (2010-2022), Bonn Center for Transcultural Narratology, and significant administrative roles culminating in his current deanship since 2023. Academic Background: Doctorate in Oriental Philology/Islamic Studies (Kiel University, 1996, magna cum laude) Magisterstudium in Asian History, Oriental and Slavic Philology (Kiel University, 1992) Conermann's research examines pre-modern Islamic societies through narrative strategies in historiography, with specialized focus on Mamluk Sultanate governance (1250-1517), Delhi Sultanate/Mughal transitions, and Transottomanica mobility dynamics. His work uniquely connects asymmetrical dependencies (particularly slavery systems), power structures, and global entanglements across South Asia, Middle East, and Eastern Europe. His extensive publication portfolio shows consistent thematic evolution toward comparative frameworks analyzing slavery beyond Eurocentric models, narrative construction of power across cultures, and mobility as historical catalyst. Recent scholarship increasingly integrates transcultural methodology with digital humanities approaches. Academic Leadership: Supervised 290+ theses (59 PhD, 96 Magister, 47 Master, 88 Bachelor) Acquired ~9 million euros in third-party funding (DFG, BMBF, DAAD) Editor of 15+ publication series including Mamluk Studies and Dependency and Slavery Studies Conermann directs the Bonn Center for Transcultural Narratology and co-leads the EXC 2036 'Beyond Slavery and Freedom' cluster, fostering interdisciplinary research on pre-modern dependency systems through international collaborations across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Carol Apollonio is a Research Professor in the Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies at Duke University's Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. She specializes in Russian literature, Russian-Japanese translation, and language pedagogy, with a career spanning academia and high-level U.S. Government interpretation in nuclear weapons negotiations. Education: Ph.D. in Slavic Languages and Literatures (1987) from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Her research focuses on Anton Chekhov's literary legacy, cross-cultural translation dynamics, and pedagogical innovation. Recent publications in The Times Literary Supplement explore Chekhov's reception in English-speaking contexts and translation methodologies. Professional Activities: Co-editor of Chekhov's Letters (2018) Translator of Alisa Ganieva's works (2015-2022) Public intellectual contributions on Russian culture and academic labor
Bistra Andreeva is a full Professor of Phonetics and Phonology at Saarland University, Department of Language Science and Technology. She is also a principal investigator of the DFG-funded project “Judeo-Spanish in Bulgaria: a contact language between archaism and innovation” (2022-2025) and leads or co-leads several other externally funded projects on prosody, information structure, and language contact. She teaches and has taught at Saarland University, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, and other European universities. Education & Academic Background Habilitation (kumulative Habilitationsschrift): “Contrastive Prosody: Bulgarian vs. German”, Saarland University, 2016. PhD (Dr. phil.): “Zur Phonetik und Phonologie der Intonation der Sofioter-Varietät des Bulgarischen”, Saarland University, 2007. Research Interests Andreeva’s research focuses on the phonetics and phonology of intonation and rhythm, cross-language and individual differences in the production and perception of syllabic prominence, the relation between intonation and information structure, minority languages (especially Judeo-Spanish in Bulgaria), and the interaction between information density and prosodic structure. Her methodological expertise includes experimental phonetics, corpus-based studies, and acoustic analysis. Major Projects SFB 1102 C1: “Information Density and the Predictability of Phonetic Structure” (DFG, 2014-2026) JuSpa: “Judeo-Spanish in Bulgaria: a contact language between archaism and innovation” (DFG, 2022-2025) Prosodic aspects of Bulgarian compared to other languages with lexical stress (Bulgarian National Science Fund, 2019-2024) Prosodic manifestations of focus in French and English from a Bulgarian point of view (DAAD & Sofia University, 2021-2023) Scientific Awards & Recognition While no major named prizes are listed, Andreeva’s work has been continuously supported by competitive grants from the German Research Foundation (DFG), DAAD, and Bulgarian National Science Fund. Her publications appear in top-tier journals and conference proceedings (Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Interspeech, Speech Prosody, International Congress of Phonetic Sciences). Teaching & Supervision She offers a broad spectrum of courses including Experimental Phonetics, Prosody, Phonetics & Phonology of Slavic Languages, Introduction to Instrumental Phonetics, and seminars on language contact. She has supervised numerous BA, MA, and PhD theses and regularly teaches at the PhD School of Sofia University. Labs & Teams She is affiliated with the Phonetics Laboratory at Saarland University and collaborates closely with the Institute for Bulgarian Language (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences), working in interdisciplinary teams involving phoneticians, computational linguists, and field linguists.
Vladimir Golstein is Professor of Slavic Studies and Interim Chair of Slavic Studies at Brown University. He has previously held teaching positions at Oberlin College (1990–1993) and Yale University (1993–2003), where he taught a wide range of courses on Russian and Western literary traditions. Ph.D. in Slavic Languages and Literatures, Yale University, 1992 B.A. in Philosophy, Columbia University, 1982 M.S. in Computers, Moscow Institute of Management His research centers on Russian culture, religion, philosophy, and poetry from the 19th and 20th centuries. He has published extensively on major Russian authors including Pushkin, Gogol, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Tsvetaeva, and Bulgakov. His book Lermontov's Narratives of Heroism (1998) explores heroism in 19th-century Russian literature. He is currently completing a monograph on generational conflict in Russian society. The recent publications reflect a consistent engagement with Russian intellectual and cultural history, blending literary analysis with philosophical and religious inquiry. His work often examines the moral and spiritual dimensions of literature, particularly in relation to the role of the intelligentsia and artistic expression under political pressure. There are no scientific awards listed in the provided text. Professor Golstein has supervised graduate and undergraduate students and teaches courses such as Russian Culture: From Peter the Great to Putin , Dostoevsky , Russian Poetry: Silver Age , and Roaring Twenties: Literature, Arts, and Politics in Post-Revolutionary Russia . While specific grant information is not mentioned, his ongoing research and publication record suggest active scholarly engagement. He is deeply involved in the academic life of the Department of Slavic Studies at Brown, contributing to curriculum development and leadership as Interim Chair. His interdisciplinary approach connects literature with philosophy, religion, and visual arts, fostering a holistic understanding of Russian cultural evolution.
