Irina Stakhanova named 2002 Master Teacher

In recognition of her efforts far beyond her prescribed duties, Irina Stakhanova, German, Russian and East Asian languages, has been named the 2002 Master Teacher.

The Master Teacher Award is sponsored annually by the University's Student Alumni Association and is considered one of the highest honors for faculty because students choose the recipient. It includes a $1,000 cash award and a plaque in the winner’s honor.

The award was presented at the annual Faculty Recognition Dinner Oct. 24.

In addition to excellence in teaching, the Master Teacher Award recognizes a caring attitude toward students. Stakhanova, who joined the faculty in 1990, demonstrates a strong dedication to her students. A lecturer in the Russian program, she is the undergraduate adviser and Russian Club adviser.

As one of her nominators wrote, “She demonstrates an interest in her students’ lives and welfare, inside the classroom and out of it. She encourages many extra-curricular activities for students to develop a more rounded knowledge of different aspects of Russia and its culture."

This past year she enhanced her students’ educational experience by encouraging them to participate in the Ohio Foreign Language Conference, where they shared their ideas and research with other education professionals. She directs the summer and semester education-abroad programs at St. Petersburg. She also models strong academic professional values, continuing to pursue and present her own research and introducing innovative means of student assessment.

In the classroom, she is an exemplary communicator, making sure each student has a solid understanding of the material and is challenged at his or her level of mastery.

“Irina demands from her students what she knows they’re capable of, causing them to strive toward their full potential,” a nominator wrote. “She is at the same time very encouraging and always has more information to give on any subject.”

Stakhanova has been active in developing the Russian curriculum, revising the “Russian Novel” and the “Russian Film” courses, and supervising a new course called “Individual Translation Projects.”

She earned her Ph.D. in philology in 1984 from the Russian as a Foreign Language Department at Leningrad State University, where she previously had earned her master’s degree. In 1979 she received her B.A. in Russian Language and Literature from Leningrad State Pedagogical University.