Professor Vicki Grove, a member of our Russian and Nordic Programs, is one of only two faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences to receive the honorary title of “Teaching Professor of Distinction” this year. The title recognizes faculty members for their outstanding record in the areas of teaching, service, and leadership.
Dr. Grove’s teaching and research have long focused on Russian folklore, culture, fairy tales and epic narrative, as well as nineteenth-century Russian literature and contemporary Scandinavian fiction. As a member of many department, campus, and CU system committees—including GSLL’s Teaching Quality Framework and Quality Teaching Initiative Committees and the system’s FCQ Redesign Committee—she has also been active in campus and system efforts to improve the assessment of teaching.
Professor Grove’s distinguished teaching record includes her volunteer work for the Russian, East European and Central Asian Heritage Camp for Adoptive Families, which she has co-directed since 2015. With volunteers from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine and with other members of the Denver community, as well as from CU Boulder's Russian Program and its majors, this camp offers a rare opportunity for children to learn about the culture of their native countries and participate in a community of fellow adoptees.
Dr. Grove’s teaching excellence is complemented by her dedication to leadership and service. From 2018 to 2020, Professor Grove served as Vice-Chair of the BFA, and on the system level, Dr. Grove has been the A&S representative on Faculty Council since 2015 and the Boulder campus representative on the System Budget Committee since 2018. In 2020, Dr. Grove’s leadership was recognized by a BFA Excellence in Leadership and Service Award and a Faculty Council Distinguished Service Award.