NEWS West Virginia University at Parkersburg
300 Campus Drive Parkersburg WV 26104
Phone: 304-424-8203 | Fax: 304-424-8315
WVU Parkersburg Humanities Speakers Series to present talk by visiting lecturer from Bulgaria.
CONTACT: Nancy Nanney, chair of Humanities Division, 304-424-8301.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEA West Virginia University at Parkersburg visiting lecturer will present a personal perspective in a talk on "The Bulgarian Experience: Transitions in Lifestyle and the Mind," to be held Oct. 8 at the college.
Milena Popova, a visiting lecturer from the University of Rousse in Bulgaria, will discuss the experience of transitioning from monarchy to communism to democracy in the free presentation at 7 p.m. in the college Theatre.
Her talk is presented by WVU Parkersburg’s Humanities Speakers Series. A question and answer session will follow her presentation. The program is free and open to the public.
Ms. Popova was born in Rousse, Bulgaria, as socialism was gaining power. She studied English in one of two only English language high schools in the country. Her love of languages and literature led her to pursue further education in this field, and she acquired her master’s degree in English Language and Literature at the University of Veliko Turnovo in Bulgaria, followed by a specialization in Modern Languages and Literature at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, Great Britain. Milena has spent most of her whole life teaching English as a Second Language, English for Specific Purposes, and different language skills courses.
She’s been working as a lecturer of English at the University of Rousse since 1989, with a brief interruption in the beginning of the 1990s, when she came to the United States to "see democracy in action" as part of a Citizens’ Democracy Corps’ initiative. An active participant and organizer of projects, she has been involved in partnerships with various institutions of higher learning in Europe and the U.S. She became involved in the Fulbright-Hays project of WVU Parkersburg in 2002 and together with other faculty from Rousse University hosted and organized a month’s visit of Parkersburg faculty in her country. Her present engagement as a visiting lecturer at WVU Parkersburg is a result of this cooperation, which has affected the lives of many faculty and students in both Bulgaria and the United States.
In her capacity as an educational advisor since 1996, Milena has helped many young achievers to realize their dreams and come to study in the U.S. In 1977, at a European Student Youth Conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, she shared a dream of a world without frontiers. Now, 30 years later, she can say that despite the damage terrorism has inflicted on the world, her dream has come closer to becoming true, which is the best reward for her continuous efforts and contributions to internationalization in education and life.
Additional information about her presentation is available by contacting the Humanities Division office, 424-8301.
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For additional information, contact:
Connie Dziagwa
WVU Parkersburg
Executive Director
Institutional Advancement
(304-424-8203, Office)
(304-424-8315, Fax)