Shannon Spasova

Instructor, Undergraduate Advisor E-mail: Shannon.Spasova@Dal.Ca Phone: 494-3817 (from August 1, 2007) Office: Room 3015, McCain Building

Bio: Shannon Spasova started studying Russian in high school in Toledo, Ohio, then continued with Russian at Oberlin College. During college she spent a semester in St. Petersburg and then later as a graduate student she spent a semester in Moscow. After graduating from Oberlin, she entered the graduate program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While at UW-Madison, Shannon enjoyed teaching Russian language and literature, developing online curriculum for the RAILS project (Russian Advanced Interactive Listening Series), and working at UW's Learning Support Services, where she helped instructors use technology in their teaching.

In 2007, Shannon earned her Ph.D. after defending her dissertation on the insect image in Russian and Soviet science fiction of the twentieth century.  She has also enjoyed teaching at Middlebury College's Russian School since 2006, where she led the science fiction club, internet club, and participated in the Russian choir.  This year Shannon is excited to lead Dalhousie's Russian choir. 

Shannon's interests include Russian and Soviet science fiction, Russian postmodernism, and computer-assisted language learning.  During her free time, Shannon likes to play handbells and the balalaika, play on the internet, as well as work on improving her Bulgarian language skills.

Current projects: received a grant to create a space for language learning simulations in a virtual environment, developing multimedia materials for conversation classes.