From a childhood passion to a revered teaching career, Dr. Nataliia Safonova has dedicated her life to advancing English education in Ukraine. As one of four BridgeUSA Ukrainian academic fellows hosted by Florida State University (FSU), she has spent this past summer in an immersive pedagogical experience that increased her expertise, best practices, and research interests.
During the intensive month-long program, Dr. Safonova engaged with FSU mentors, attended workshops, explored campus facilities, and participated in various enriching academic and cultural activities. She initially applied for the fellowship in hopes of growing as an educational leader by improving her teaching methods and curriculum, and she ended up leaving with an expanded repertoire, as well as meaningful partnerships with FSU faculty members.
A natural-born leader, Dr. Safonova is a professor in the Department of English Philology, the director of the Master’s Program for English Teachers, and is responsible for international cooperation efforts in the Department of English Studies at Oles Honchar Dnipro National University. She also presents webinars and seminars on innovative English teaching methods for senior educational trajectories in the Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine.
Additionally, Dr. Safonova’s role as an associate professor for pre-service English teachers inspires her to continuously seek innovative techniques to implement in her classroom. During her stay at FSU, she enjoyed visiting several advanced English classes taught by different instructors.