Suzanne Thompson
- Assistant Professor of Practice, Russian / Slavic Studies
- Member of the Graduate Faculty
Contact
- (520) 621-9005
- Learning Services Building, Rm. 340
- Tucson, AZ 85721
- seanes@arizona.edu
Biography
Native of Tucson, Arizona. Lived for approximately 12 years in the Soviet Union/post-Soviet Russia; worked in various capacities there and traveled widely. Educated as a pianist (Bachelor of Music in piano performance, summa cum laude, College-Conservatory of Music, Cincinnati, OH, 1984) and a Slavist (MA, University of Arizona, 2003). Worked as an embassy attache (U.S. Embassy, Moscow, USSR); disarmament contractor (variously as linguist, support supervisor, site manager, at Votkinsk Portal Monitoring Facility, outside gates of Votkinsk Machine-Building Plant; and as office manager under the Cooperative Threat Reduction program); journalist during a period of great change and upheaval in SU/Russia (The Moscow Times, variously copy editor, features and news correspondent, editor of travel, leisure, and opinion pages). Since Fall 2008, have taught in the Department of Russian and Slavic Studies.
Work Experience
- University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (2015 - Ongoing)
- Raytheon Technical Services Company, contractor to US Department of Defense (2001 - 2006)
- US Department of Commerce, SABIT program (1999)
- The Moscow Times newspaper (1996 - 2000)
- Hughes then Raytheon Technical Services Company, contractor to DoD (1994 - 1995)
- Hughes Technical Services Company (1991 - 1993)
- US Embassy Moscow; employed through Pacific Architects and Engineers, contractor to Department of State (1987 - 1989)
Awards
- COH Distinguished Advising/Mentoring Award
- College of Humanities, University of Arizona, Spring 2024
- COH Outstanding Mentor
- College of Humanities, UA, Spring 2015
Licensure & Certification
- Competency in Russian language, Department of State (1987)
- Competency in Russian language, Department of Defense (1991)
Interests
Teaching
Slavic folklore, Russian music, Russian literature of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, contemporary Russia, women in Russian literature and culture, the Soviet experience of World War II, teaching advanced Russian conversation and reading
Research
Link between Russian/Soviet history and culture with contemporary geopolitical concerns; post-Cold War realities between Russia and the West; evolution of Russian culture in the post-Soviet period (particularly in music--e.g., Russian rap)
Courses
2025-26 Courses
-
Adv Grammar+Composition
RSSS 301 (Fall 2025) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 415 (Fall 2025) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 515 (Fall 2025) -
Russia: Hist /Global Context
RSSS 160C2 (Fall 2025)
2024-25 Courses
-
Independent Study
RSSS 399 (Summer I 2025) -
Adv Grammar+Composition
RSSS 302 (Spring 2025) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 415 (Spring 2025) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 515 (Spring 2025) -
Honors Thesis
PPEL 498H (Spring 2025) -
Independent Study
RSSS 399 (Spring 2025) -
The Soviet Experiment
RSSS 350 (Spring 2025) -
Adv Grammar+Composition
RSSS 301 (Fall 2024) -
Honors Thesis
PPEL 498H (Fall 2024) -
Intermediate Russian I
RSSS 201 (Fall 2024) -
Thesis
RSSS 910 (Fall 2024) -
WW II: Soviet Cultural Exper
RSSS 345 (Fall 2024)
2023-24 Courses
-
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 415 (Spring 2024) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 515 (Spring 2024) -
The Soviet Experiment
RSSS 350 (Spring 2024) -
Thesis
RSSS 910 (Spring 2024) -
Topics in Slavic and Eurasian
RSSS 395A (Spring 2024) -
WW II: Soviet Cultural Exper
RSSS 345 (Spring 2024) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 415 (Fall 2023) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 515 (Fall 2023) -
Russia: Hist /Global Context
RSSS 160C2 (Fall 2023) -
WW II: Soviet Cultural Exper
RSSS 345 (Fall 2023)
2022-23 Courses
-
Independent Study
RSSS 399 (Summer I 2023) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 415 (Spring 2023) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 515 (Spring 2023) -
Elementary Russian II
RSSS 102 (Spring 2023) -
The Soviet Experiment
RSSS 350 (Spring 2023) -
Topics in Slavic and Eurasian
RSSS 395A (Spring 2023) -
Intro to General Ed Experience
UNIV 101 (Fall 2022) -
Intro to Russia Through Music
RSSS 160D1 (Fall 2022) -
Russia: Hist /Global Context
RSSS 160C2 (Fall 2022) -
WW II: Soviet Cultural Exper
RSSS 345 (Fall 2022)
2021-22 Courses
-
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 415 (Spring 2022) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 515 (Spring 2022) -
Independent Study
RSSS 399 (Spring 2022) -
Russia: Hist /Global Context
RSSS 160C2 (Spring 2022) -
The Soviet Experiment
RSSS 350 (Spring 2022) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 415 (Fall 2021) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 515 (Fall 2021) -
Independent Study
RSSS 399 (Fall 2021) -
Intro to Russia Through Music
RSSS 160D1 (Fall 2021) -
WW II: Soviet Cultural Exper
RSSS 345 (Fall 2021)
2020-21 Courses
-
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 415 (Spring 2021) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 515 (Spring 2021) -
Russia: Hist /Global Context
RSSS 160C2 (Spring 2021) -
Slavic Folklore/Culture
RSSS 315 (Spring 2021) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 415 (Fall 2020) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 515 (Fall 2020) -
Intro to Russia Through Music
RSSS 160D1 (Fall 2020) -
WW II: Soviet Cultural Exper
RSSS 345 (Fall 2020)
2019-20 Courses
-
Adv Grammar+Composition
RSSS 302 (Spring 2020) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 415 (Spring 2020) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 515 (Spring 2020) -
Independent Study
RSSS 399 (Spring 2020) -
The Soviet Experiment
RSSS 350 (Spring 2020) -
Adv Grammar+Composition
RSSS 301 (Fall 2019) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 415 (Fall 2019) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 515 (Fall 2019) -
WW II: Soviet Cultural Exper
RSSS 345 (Fall 2019)
2018-19 Courses
-
Independent Study
RSSS 399 (Summer I 2019) -
Adv Grammar+Composition
RSSS 302 (Spring 2019) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 415 (Spring 2019) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 515 (Spring 2019) -
Independent Study
RSSS 399 (Spring 2019) -
Intro to Russia Through Music
RSSS 160D1 (Spring 2019) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 415 (Fall 2018) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 515 (Fall 2018) -
Independent Study
RSSS 399 (Fall 2018) -
Independent Study
RSSS 499 (Fall 2018) -
Russia: Hist /Global Context
RSSS 160C2 (Fall 2018) -
WW II: Soviet Cultural Exper
RSSS 345 (Fall 2018)
2017-18 Courses
-
Independent Study
RSSS 399 (Summer I 2018) -
Adv Grammar+Composition
RSSS 302 (Spring 2018) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 415 (Spring 2018) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 515 (Spring 2018) -
Russia: Hist /Global Context
RSSS 160C2 (Spring 2018) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 415 (Fall 2017) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 515 (Fall 2017) -
Independent Study
RSSS 399 (Fall 2017) -
Intro to Russia Through Music
RSSS 160D1 (Fall 2017) -
Russia: Hist /Global Context
RSSS 160C2 (Fall 2017)
2016-17 Courses
-
Elementary Russian II
RSSS 101B (Spring 2017) -
Independent Study
RSSS 399 (Spring 2017) -
Russian Writers+Society
RSSS 340 (Spring 2017) -
WW II: Soviet Cultural Exper
RSSS 345 (Spring 2017) -
Adv Tps Russ Lang+Lit
RSSS 415 (Fall 2016) -
Independent Study
RSSS 499 (Fall 2016) -
Intro to Russia Through Music
RSSS 160D1 (Fall 2016) -
Slavic Folklore/Culture
RSSS 315 (Fall 2016)
2015-16 Courses
-
Independent Study
RSSS 399 (Spring 2016) -
Independent Study
RSSS 499 (Spring 2016) -
Slavic Folklore/Culture
RSSS 315 (Spring 2016) -
WW II: Soviet Cultural Exper
RSSS 345 (Spring 2016)
Scholarly Contributions
No activities entered.
