Irina Drigalenko

Irina.Drigalenko@ttu.edu

CV

Irina Drigalenko has taught Russian language in both Russia and the United States for more than 20 years. She teaches various levels of Russian at Texas Tech University's Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures (CMLL) since 2009. She guides her students to higher levels of language proficiency and intercultural competence, and as students gain insights into the vastness of Russian culture and the values of Russian speaking countries, they establish a cultural lens they can use to examine and reflect on culture and values of their own. 

For more than a decade, she has been a faculty advisor in the Tech Russian and Slavic Association (TRSA). She facilitates unique cultural lectures, events, and outreach activities with the aim of expanding opportunities for learners to appreciate the cultures and languages of Slavic nations.

Irina Drigalenko's research focuses on student motivation. She creates a stimulating and dynamic learning environment that is designed to help students discover their most effective individual learning strategies while providing feedback and guidance that ensures that they feel motivated, encouraged, and respected. 

She has been nominated for the President's Excellence in Diversity and Equity Award two times as well as honored twice by Phi Beta Kappa members as a faculty member who was influential in their academic and intellectual development. She is a recipient of the 2022 Professing Excellence Award.