Galina Olegovna Shatalina received her degree in English and linguistics at Moscow State University in 1968 and her Candidate of Science Degree in English lexicography in 1979. She began her career in 1977 as a senior instructor of English at Moscow University’s College of Afro-Asian Studies, in the Department of West European Languages. Ten years later, she was promoted to the rank of associate professor and made chair of her department.
In 1995, she and her family emigrated to the US, where Galya found immediate employment at the Diplomatic School of Languages and also taught part-time at American University, the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies, and GW.
In 1998, GW hired Galya to manage and teach large parts of the Russian-language curriculum. She quickly distinguished herself as an excellent and beloved teacher of Russian. She was devoted to her students, spending hours with them in her office to provide oral practice, grammar help, and overall encouragement. GW recognized Galya’s hard work and pedagogical successes: she received a Bender Teaching Award in 2001 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2022.
Galina Shatalina became a nationally recognized name when she joined the author team for the 2001 Third Edition of Golosa, which led the introductory Russian textbook market for thirty years. She stayed with the book through the current sixth edition. She wrote oral and written exercises and recorded texts and rewrote some of the more unrealistic dialogs, and always brought to the work an extraordinary attention to detail.
Galya was also an exemplary departmental citizen who unfailingly supported her colleagues and showed up for all departmental initiatives whenever it was possible for her.
RGSS is profoundly grateful for her long contributions to teaching and service in the department. Please nhaidari
gwu [dot] edu (share your memories) of Galya, or Professor Shatalina. We will post them to this tribute.
nhaidarigwu [dot] edu (Send an email to nhaidari[at]gwu[dot]edu to share your memories)!
