CURRENT

Adjunct Professor, History Dept.
Towson University
8000 York Road
Towson, MD
21252

DEGREES

Ph.D., History, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, 2016
M.A., History,
University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, 2007
M.A., History, University of British Columbia, Vancouver,
British Columbia, Canada, 1987
B.A., History and Politics, City of London Polytechnic, London, England,
1981
B.A., History, Stephens College, Columbia, Missouri, 1979

PROFESSIONAL TEACHING APPOINTMENTS

Spring of 2019 Adjunct History Professor, Towson University, Towson, MD
2000-2018
Associate History Professor, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Baltimore, MD
2010/11 Adjunct History
Professor, Goucher College, Baltimore, MD
2009 Adjunct History Professor, University of Delaware, Newark,
DE
1994-2005 Adjunct History Professor, Community College of Baltimore County, Essex Campus, Baltimore, MD

PUBLICATIONS

Article 2025
“Знакомство американских студентов в США и иностранных слушателей в
России с наследием писателя И.А. Гончарова: Довузовская подготовка иностранных граждан: проблемы и
перспективы”
с Ирина А. Обуховой (“Introducing American students in the USA and foreign students in Russia to the legacy of
writer I.A. Goncharov: Pre-university training for foreign citizens: problems and prospects” with Irina A.
Obukhova), Сборник научных материалов III Международной научно-практической конференции (Казань, 25-27 сентября
2025 г.). Казань: Издательство Казанского университета, 2025. – С.378-383.

Book Chapter 2025
“Phenomenological approaches to spiritual unification of Edith
Stein and Pavel Florensky”
Hermeneutical Narratives in Christian Religious Experience: International
Perspectives
Malgorzata Haladewicz-Grzelak/Malgorzata Widel-Ignaszczak, (eds.)
(New York, NY:
Bloomsbury Academic, 2025), 47-61.
Order on Amazon

Book Chapter 2024
“Hieratic Communication in the Oeuvre of Kazimir Malevich,
Vasily Kandinsky, and Nikolai Roerich”
Hermeneutical Narratives in Art, Literature, and
Communication
Malgorzata Haladewicz-Grzelak/Paula Garcia-Ramirez, (eds.)
(New York, NY:
Bloomsbury Academic, 2024), 23-54.
Order on Amazon

Book 2022
When Emancipation Came:  The End of Enslavement on a Southern
Plantation and a Russian Estate
(Jefferson, NC:  McFarland and Company, Inc., Publishers,
2022).
Order on Amazon

Article 2022
“Сохранение Самобытной Национальной Идентичности Поволжья на
Исторической Траектории Модернизации” (“Preserving the Authentic National Identity of the Povolzh’e Region in
the Historical Trajectory of Modernization”), Межнународная ассамблея художников Пластовская Осень, Ульяновск,
2020-2021, стр.110-111.

Book Review Essay 2022
“Forging Better Understandings of the History of the Volga
River Corridor” New Zealand Slavonic Journal v. 55-56 (2021-2022), pp. 113-119.

Book Chapter 2021
“Communication with God: Utilizing Michel Henry’s Radical
Phenomenology to Analyze Hesychastic Meditation”
Intersubjective Plateaus in Language and
Communication
Malgorzata Haladewicz-Grzelak/Marta Boguslawska-Tafelska, (eds.)
(Berlin: Peter
Lang, 2021), pp. 209-224.
Order on Amazon

Book Chapter 2012
“Praskovia’s Redemption: A Case Study in the Self-Cloistering of
a Russian Noblewoman”
Cultural Identity and Civil Society in Russia and Eastern Europe
Andrew
Kier Wise, David M. Borgmeyer, Nicole Monnier and Byron T. Scott, (eds.)
(Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge
Scholars Publishing, 2012), pp.112-124.
Order on Amazon

Book Review 2010
Jennifer Putz, Voices from the Back Stairs: Interpreting
Servants’ Lives at Historic House Museums (Dekalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 2010). Maryland
Historical Society’s Maryland Historical Magazine, 05:3 (Fall), pp. 322-323.

GRANTS

2009/2010 Dissertation Research Grant (Ulyanovsk, Russia), Office of Graduate and
Professional Education, Center for International Studies and College of Arts and Sciences, University of
Delaware

2009 Dissertation Research (Natchez, Mississippi), Procurement Office, University of
Delaware

CONFERENCE ACTIVITY

Paper Presentations

2026

«Современные особенности художественного наследия Среднеповолжья»
(“Contemporary Features of the Artistic Heritage of the Middle Volga Region”)
A. A. Plastov Foundation for the Support of Creative Youth, the Ulyanovsk Regional Art Museum Conference: “Heritage and Transformation of Artistic Styles and Movements in the Art of the 20th-21st Centuries”
Ulyanovsk, Russia, September. (In absentia)

“The Constructed Russian Noble Estate: A Uniquely Created Landscape Phenomenon”
The Sixteenth International Conference
on the Constructed Environment, Pamplona, Spain, May

“Metaphysical Encounters: Grounding Mystical Spiritual Visions in the Lived
Experience”
Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences and Education Conference, Honolulu, HI, January

2025

“Знакомство иностранных студентов с литературным творчеством Ивана Гончарова”
(“Acquainting the Foreign Student with the Literary Work of Ivan Goncharov”)
III Международной
научно-практической конференции “Довузовская подготовка иностранных граждан: проблемы и перспективы”
The III International Scientific and Practical Conference “Pre-university Training for Foreign Citizens:
Problems and Prospects,” Kazan, Russia, September. (Remotely)

“Эстетика цвета в контексте русской национальной и религиозной культуры” (“The
Aesthetic of Color in the Context of Russian National and Religious Culture”)
A. A. Plastov Foundation for
the Support of Creative Youth, the Ulyanovsk Regional Art Museum Conference: “The Problem of Color in Art and
National Cultural Consciousness” within the framework of the Jubilee XV Assembly of Artists “Plastovskaya
Autumn,” Ulyanovsk, Russia, September. (In absentia)

“The Trinary Formula for Spiritual Unification as Illustrated in the Phenomenological
Approaches of Father Pavel Florensky and Philosopher Edith Stein”
Fifteenth International Conference on
Religion & Spirituality in Society, Rome, Italy, June

“Following the Route of the Famous Russian Defensive Line: A Landscape History
Odyssey”
Southern Conference on Slavic Studies (SCSS), Lexington, KY, February

“Phenomenological Approaches to Spiritual Unification of Edith Stein and Pavel
Florensky”
Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences and Education Conference, Honolulu, HI, January

2024

“Following the Route of the Famous Russian Defensive Line: A Landscape History
Odyssey”
Central Slavic Conference (CSC), St. Louis, MO, November

“Проблема национальной идентичности стиля в контексте модернизации: Эвристическая
дискуссия” (“The problem of the National Identity of Style in the Context of Modernization: A Heuristic
Discussion”)
A. A. Plastov Foundation for the Support of Creative Youth, the Ulyanovsk Regional Art Museum
Conference: “Preservation of Cultural Heritage and Traditional Folk Culture,” Ulyanovsk, Russia, September. (In
absentia)

“A Jewel in the Crown of Russian Landscape History: A Discussion of the
Simbirsk Defensive Line as a Sacred Emblem”
The Fourteenth International Conference
on the Constructed Environment, Vienna, Austria, April

“A Jewel in the Crown of Russian Landscape History: A Discussion of the
Simbirsk Defensive Line as a Sacred Emblem”
Southern Conference on Slavic Studies (SCSS), UNC, Chapel Hill,
NC, March

“The Trinary Formula for Spiritual and Community Unification as Illustrated in the
Phenomenological Approaches of Father Pavel Florensky and Philosopher Edith Stein”
The Society for the Phenomenology of Religious Experience (SOPHERE) panel at The
American Philosophical Association (APA) Central Division, New Orleans, LA, February

“A Jewel in the Crown of Russian Landscape History: A Discussion of the
Simbirsk Defensive Line as a Sacred Emblem”
International Conference on Arts and Humanities (IAFOR),
Honolulu, Hawaii, January

2023

“A Jewel in the Crown of Russian Landscape History: A Discussion of the Simbirsk
Defensive Line as a Sacred Emblem”
The Central Slavic Conference (CSC), St. Louis, MO, November In
conjunction with this conference I was a member of the committee which evaluated graduate and undergraduate
paper submissions.

“Важная роль местных музеев в сохранении региональной истории” (“The Important Role
of Local Museums in Preserving Regional History”)
A. A. Plastov Foundation for the Support of Creative
Youth, the Ulyanovsk Regional Art Museum Conference: “Preservation of Cultural Heritage and Traditional Folk
Culture,” Ulyanovsk, Russia, September. (In absentia)

“Hieratic Communication Embodied in the Art of the Silver Age Artists”
The
Thirteenth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society, Athens, Greece, June

“Hieratic Communication Embodied in the Art of the Silver Age Artists”
The Society
for the Phenomenology of Religious Experience (SOPHERE) panel at The American Philosophical Association (APA)
Central Division, Denver, CO, February

2022

“Hieratic Communication Embodied in the Art of the Silver Age Artists”
Central
Slavic Conference (CSC), St. Louis, MO, October. In conjunction with this conference I was a member of the
committee which evaluated graduate and undergraduate paper submissions.

“Проблема Замкнутого о Круга Сельского Образа Жизни и Модернизации: Эвристическая
Медитация” (“The Circular Conundrum of the Rural Way of Life and Modernization: A Heuristic Meditation”)
A.
A. Plastov Foundation for the Support of Creative Youth, the Ulyanovsk Regional Art Museum Conference:
“Historical Villages, Rural Temples, Small Towns and Landscapes of Russia,” Ulyanovsk, Russia, September. (In
absentia)

2021

“The Preservation of Cultural Heritage and Traditional Folk Culture of Russia:  An
Overview”
Central Slavic Conference (CSC), St. Louis, MO, October

“Сохранение Самобытной Национальной Идентичности Поволжья на Исторической Траектории
Модернизации” (“Preserving the Authentic National Identity of the Povolzh’e Region in the Historical Trajectory
of Modernization”)
A. A. Plastov Foundation for the Support of Creative Youth, the Ulyanovsk Regional Art
Museum Conference: “Preservation of Cultural Heritage and Traditional Folk Culture,” Ulyanovsk, Russia,
September

“The Eternal Realm: Utilizing Edith Stein’s Theory of Community to interpret the
Religious Art of Nikolai Roerich”
Northeast Slavic, East European and Eurasian Conference (NESEEES), NYU
Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia, April (virtual)
Central Slavic Conference (CSC), St. Louis,
MO, March (virtual)
Society for the Phenomenology of Religious Experience (Sophere) at the APA Eastern
Division Conference, January (virtual)

2020

“The American Odyssey of Dmitri Harding:  A Russian Orphan’s Apprenticeship on an
Alabama Plantation” – Central Slavic Conference, St. Louis, MO, March

“From Cannibalism to Joy: The Distinguishing Characteristics of the Povol’zhe Famine
of 1921-23 in Simbirsk Province”- Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, Honolulu, HI, January

“Utilizing Michel Henry’s Radical Phenomenology to Analyze the Hesychastic Meditative
Experience” – Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, Honolulu, HI, January

2019

“Utilizing Michel Henry’s Radical Phenomenology to Analyze the Hesychastic Meditative
Experience”
Society for the Phenomenology of Religious Experience (SOPHERE), Valparaiso, Indiana, October

“From Cannibalism to Joy: The Distinguishing Characteristics of the Povol’zhe Famine
of 1921-23 in Simbirsk Province”
Northeast Slavic, East European and Eurasian Conference (NESEEES), NYU
Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia, March

“Exemplary Godmen: A Comparative Analysis of the Spiritual Beliefs of Malevich and
Kandinsky”
Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, Honolulu, HI, January

2018

“Exemplary Godmen: A Comparative Analysis of the Spiritual Beliefs of Malevich and
Kandinsky”
The Southern Conference on Slavic Studies, Charlotte, NC, March
The Society for the
Phenomenology of Religious Experience, Prague, Czech Republic, November

“From Cannibalism to Joy: The Distinguishing Characteristics of the Povol’zhe Famine
of 1921-23 in Simbirsk Province”
The Central Slavic Conference, St. Louis, MO, October

“Exemplary Godmen: A Comparative Analysis of the Spiritual Beliefs of Malevich and
Kandinsky”
The Southern Conference on Slavic Studies (SCSS), Charlotte, NC, March

2017

“Exemplary Godmen: A Comparative Analysis of the Spiritual Beliefs of Malevich and
Kandinsky”
The Central Slavic Conference, St. Louis, MO, October

“Education at the Demesne: A Comparative Overview of Educational Efforts at a Russian
Estate and a Southern Plantation in the Aftermath of Emancipation”
The Southern Conference on Slavic Studies,
Washington, D.C., March

2016

“Education at the Demesne: A Comparative Overview of Educational Efforts at a Russian
Estate and a Southern Plantation in the Aftermath of Emancipation”
The Central Slavic Conference, St. Louis,
MO, October

2013

“More Than a Thousand Words: Interpreting Photographs of the Freed Peoples at a
Russian Estate and a Southern Plantation”
Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, Honolulu,
HI, January

2012

“Emancipation at the Estate: A Case Study of Peasant Agency”
Hawaii International
Conference on Arts and Humanities, Honolulu, HI, January
The Southern Conference on Slavic Studies, Savannah,
GA, March
The Central Slavic Conference, St. Louis, MO, October

2011

“The Yazikov Kruzhok’s Curious Fixation with Sister Ekaterina: A case study in the
Romantic culture of a Russian Noble Family.”
Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities,
Honolulu, HI, January
The Southern Conference on Slavic Studies, Washington, D.C., March
The Central
Slavic Conference, St. Louis, MO, October

2010

“Praskovia’s Redemption: A Case Study of the Self-Cloistering of a Russian
Noblewoman”
Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, Honolulu, HI, January
The Southern
Conference on Slavic Studies, Gainesville, FL, March
The Central Slavic Conference, St. Louis, MO, October

I evaluated 10 papers in preparation for the Phi Alpha Theta Regional Conference at
Notre Dame of Maryland University.

2009

“The Peasant Orchestra of Yazikovo Selo: A Case Study of the Self-Ennobling of a
Russian Merchant”
Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, Honolulu, HI, January
The
Southern Conference on Slavic Studies, Charlottesville, NC, March
The Central Slavic Conference, St. Louis,
MO, October

2003

INVITED TALKS

2024

February 26 book talk at the Old Court House Museum Vicksburg, MS regarding my book
When Emancipation Came.
See press release here.

2022

October 31 book talk via Zoom regarding my book When Emancipation Came for
Professor Oduntan Oluwatoyin’s history class Comparative Emancipations at Towson University.

2003

“The Meaning of History,” History Department, Notre Dame of Maryland University,
February.

MEDIA COVERAGE

June 19, 2024 Interviewed by Deidre Tyler of New Books Network: African American
Studies with respect to my book When Emancipation Came.
Interview link

My work was featured in an article “UD doctoral student explores the aftermath of
liberation in two cultures” in the University of Delaware’s publication UDaily, September 2010.
Article
link

RESEARCH AGENDA

Writing a history of the Simbirsk Province, Imperial Russia.

Writing a history of the Russian Noble culture unique to Simbirsk Province (Ulyanovsk
region), Russia.

Completed a set of chapters which I am combining into a book form. It is a
prosopographical study of the Yazikov noble family and its contribution to Simbirsk Province’s history.

An article which examines Herbert Hoover’s philanthropic efforts to stave off the
starvation crisis in Ulyanovsk (formerly Simbirsk Province), USSR during the 1921-1923 Volga famine.

An article which examines the experience of a Russian orphan who worked on a Southern
plantation at the turn of the twentieth century, and was mentored by former slave, the talented John Benson of
Kowaliga Plantation, Alabama.

An article which discusses the history of the Russian Defensive Line in Simbirsk
Province.

Annotating the unpublished manuscript of Caroline Couper Lovell.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

I have regularly taught the following courses:
Survey American History:
Pre-Columbian period to 1865
Survey American History: 1865-Present
History of the United States
1900-1950
History of the United States 1945-Present
Colonial America
Dynamics of History: A Midwife’s
Tale

In addition, I have taught the following courses:
European Civilization
1648-Present
The American Civil War and Reconstruction
Intro to Political Science
Intro to Comparative
Politics
American Government
History of 20th Century Russia
Land of the Firebird: A Cultural History of
Russia’s Silver Age
Western Civilization Ancient-1715
History of England 1688-Present

LANGUAGE

Russian (good, can read with dictionary)

ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIP

American Historical Association (AHA)
Association for Women in Slavic Studies
(AWSS)
Southern Historical Association (SHA)
Organization of American Historians (OAH)
Association for
the Study of Eastern Christian History and Culture (ASEC)
Society for the Phenomenology of Religious
Experience (SOPHERE)