Russian and Eastern European Studies Program
Advisor: Cynthia Hooper
Associate Professor, History
O’Kane 386
chooper@holycross.edu
508-793-3447 or 774-262-3921
Academic Administrative Assistant: Theresa Michniewicz
Center for Interdisciplinary Studies
Smith 328
tmichnie@holycross.edu
(508) 793-2497
Faculty
The distinguished Russian and Eastern European Studies (REES) faculty members offer students expert knowledge on topics ranging from Peter the Great to Otto von Bismarck to Vladimir Putin. Superior language courses provide students with the chance to immediately engage with a variety of primary materials, beginning with medieval legends and extending to contemporary speeches and films.
Irrespective of discipline or geographic specialty, all REES faculty are united in their study of a region that combines triumph with tragedy, noble aspirations and soaring cultural achievements with tremendous violence and suffering. All appreciate the ties between the political order and the world of literature, music, and the arts. And all specialize in a region whose uncertain future highlights the importance of understanding the past, the wealth of individual lived experiences that shaped it, and the power it continues to hold over people’s fears and dreams today.
How to Apply
The Russian and Eastern European Studies major and minor are offered through the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies (CIS), which encourages students to take initiative in drawing connections across time, discipline, and geographic region. Students are able to create diverse courses of study designed to complement their own unique academic interests.
Applications to the program are reviewed once each semester, and are due either by the first Friday in October or by the second Friday in February. You will need, among other things, a list of courses, a rationale describing your interest in the program and how you see your courses connecting, and two recommendations.