Book by Ingemanson Inspires Russian Museum Exhibit

A book by Honors faculty member Birgitta Ingemanson, professor of foreign languages and cultures, has inspired the Russian city of Vladivostok to assemble an exhibit of audial, visual, and paper items recalling its past.

Ingemanson's “Eleanor L. Pray’s Letters from Vladivostok, 1894-1930” was published in Russian in a 450-page hardback edition.

The regional history museum’s exhibit this past winter featured photos, sound recordings from Russian life, and readings and hand-written excerpts from Pray’s letters.  Pray was an American who lived in Vladivostok through war and revolution and into the Soviet period.  She helped her family run “Smith’s American Store.”  Her husband was a store manager and later a consul official.

“Both the exhibit and book have received overwhelmingly favorable reviews in the Russian media,” Ingemanson says.  Both were featured in November 2008 in the annual International Book Fair in Moscow.

Ingemanson has taught in the Honors program for three decades.  She has served in a number of faculty leadership roles in the college.  In her home department, she was recently named the Marianna Merritt and Donald S. Matteson Distinguished Professor of Foreign Languages and Cultures in the College of Liberal Arts.

Halverson Awarded Foreign Language Professionals Award

Rachel Halverson, associate professor of foreign languages and cultures and long-time Honors faculty member, received in November 2008 the Ray Verzasconi Northwest Postsecondary Teacher of the Year Award.

The Pacific Northwest Council for Languages presents the Verzasconi annually.  Halverson was nominated for the award by the Washington Association for Language Teaching.

She received Honors’ top faculty award in 2002.