Alana Felton

Alana Felton is a Ph.D. candidate in Slavic Languages and Literatures writing a dissertation tentatively titled, “Illuminating the Future: Belarusian Creative Collectives and Politically Engaged Art (1991–present).

Advisor: Marijeta Bozovic

Research Interests:

• Belarusian Literature and Culture

• Media studies: Hacktivism, Hackers, collaborative societies, networks

• Contemporary Belarusian art and media

• Nationalism, empire & colonialism

• Contemporary Russian and Polish literature, culture, and media

• Eastern Orthodoxy in Eastern Europe

Education:

M.Phil. (2022) Yale University, Slavic Languages and Literatures

A.B. with Honors (2018) Brown University, Slavic Studies

Study Abroad (2017) Middlebury College School in Russia, Yaroslavl, Russia

Conference Presentations:

“Hacktivism as Artistic Activism: Reading the Cyber Partisans through the Lens of Political Art,” International Congress of Belarusian Studies, Gdańsk, September 22, 2023

“The Belarusian Muzhyk: Depictions of the Belarusian Peasant by Nekrasov and Bahushevich,” ASEEES 2021 Conference, Virtual, December 2, 2021

“Fatal Mimicry in Maksim Haretski’s ‘Ruski,’”AATSEEEL 2021 Conference, Virtual, February 28, 2021

“Using Film to Teach Language and Culture,” #TeachersTalkShop Conference ‘Teach Better,’ Minsk, September 30, 2018

“Using American Folk Songs to teach English” #TeachersTalkShop Vitebsk Workshop, Viciebsk, November 10, 2018

“Through a Poet’s Eyes: Three Poems by Sophia Parnok,” Plenary Speaker, Fifth International Conference for Students, Postgraduates and Young Scientists, Viciebsk State University named after P. M. Masherov, Viciebsk, December 12, 2018

Awards and Grants:

2021: MacMillan Center Pre-dissertation Research Award

2020: Council on European Studies’ FLAS Award (declined due to COVID19)

2018–2019: Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Award, Viciebsk, Belarus

2018: The Dr. Pranas A. Sveikauskas Award for Outstanding Honors Thesis, Brown University

2018: Pushkin Prize for Undergraduate Honors Thesis, Brown University

2017: Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs Research Grant, Middlebury College

Teaching Experience

2024: Life Worth Living, Yale University, Part-time Assistant Instructor

2023: Art and Resistance in Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia, Yale University, Teaching Fellow

2021–2022: Introductory Russian, Yale University, Teaching Fellow

2019: Intro to American Culture and History, Viciebsk State University, Instructor

2019: Introduction to English Literature, Viciebsk State University, Instructor

Professional Experience:

Freelance Editor, Academic Studies Press, June 2023–Present

Acquisitions Editor, Slavic Studies, Academic Studies Press, October 2022–June 2023

Graduate Writing Fellow, Yale University Graduate Writing Lab, July 2023–Present

Graduate Assistant, Yale University Office of Fellowship Programs, August 2022–Present

Lead Writing Partner, Yale University Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, October 2019–Present