ALENA GRAY ANISKIEWICZ
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ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
Assistant Professor, Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities, 2021-Present 

     Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 
          Core Faculty, Center for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies
          Affiliate Faculty, Center for Research, Collaboration, Learning, and Engagement

Visiting Associate, Copernicus Center for Polish Studies, 2020-2021
     University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute for the Humanities, 2019-2020
     University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

EDUCATION 
Ph.D. in Slavic Languages and Literatures, 2019 
     University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 
     Dissertation: Cultural Remix: Polish Hip-Hop and the Sampling of Heritage
     Committee: Dr. Benjamin Paloff, Dr. Charles Hiroshi Garrett, Dr. Herbert Eagle, Dr. Jodi Greig 
Certificate in Polish Language, 2012
     Jagiellonian University Center for Polish Language and Culture in the World, Krakow, Poland 
M.A. in the Humanities, 2010
     University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 
     Thesis: "If You Ever Plan to Motor West": "Route 66" as Travel Narrative
B.A. in History, with Honors, minor in Musicology, 2008
     University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 

RESEARCH AND TEACHING FIELDS
Polish Literature and Culture, Popular Music, Heritage and Memory, Eastern European Cinema, English Composition

FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS
Walter and Pauline Adams Academy for Instructional Excellence and Innovation Fellowship, Michigan State University (2025-2026)
Fintz Award for Teaching Excellence in the Arts and Humanities, Michigan State University (2023)
Center for Integrative Studies Award for Service to Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities, Michigan State University  (2023)
Association for Women in Slavic Studies Graduate Essay Prize​ (2019) 
Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, University of Michigan (2018-2019)
Polish Studies Association Photography Prize (2018)
Sweetland Dissertation Writing Fellowship, University of Michigan (Summer 2018)
Sweetland Writing Fellowship, Junior Fellow, University of Michigan (2017)
Copernicus Summer Grant, University of Michigan (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)
Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant, University of Michigan Summer (2017)
FLAS Fellowship, Polish, University of Michigan Summer (2014)
FLAS Fellowship, Ukrainian, University of Michigan (2013-2014)
Copernicus Fellowship for Polish Studies, University of Michigan (2012-2013)
Kościuszko Foundation Year Abroad Scholar (2011-2012)
International House Fellow, University of Chicago International House (2009-2010)
Phi Beta Kappa (2008)
Phi Kappa Phi (2008)
James B. Angell Scholar, University of Michigan (2008)
University Honors, University of Michigan (2004-2008)

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
“Dropping Knowledge: Understanding (and Teaching) Eastern Europe Through Hip Hop.” The Past, the Present, and the Future of Popular Music Research in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe, International Association for the Study of Popular Music – CESE Conference, Kraków, Poland (2025) [Paper Accepted]

‘“Authenticity and Magic’: Hearing Poland in L.U.C.’s 39/89 Zrozumieć Polskę.” Midwest Slavic Conference, Center for Slavic and East European Studies, The Ohio State University (2025)

"Making Fun: Teaching East European and Russian Culture Through Humor," American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages Conference, Las Vegas, NV (2024)

“The Bronx via Jeżyce: Performing Race, Poverty, and Genre in Polish Hip-Hop.” Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies Convention, Chicago, IL (2022)

"Parodic Sampling and ‘Keeping it Real’ in Polish Hip-Hop.”  International Association for the Study of Popular Music-US Conference (2021)

"Sampling Symbols: Dorota Masłowska's Hip-Hop Critique of Convention." Polish Social Protest Across Generations, Polish Studies Association Conference (2021)

“Remembering ‘44: Polish Hip-Hop Remixes the Warsaw Uprising.” Musical Cities: Music, Historiography, and Myth, International Association for the Study of Popular Music-US Conference, New Orleans, LA (2019)

“Getting to the Roots: Performing Genre and National Credibility in Polish Hip-Hop.” Hip-Hop in the Golden Age Conference, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (2019)

"Remixing the Past: Polish Hip-Hop and the Sampling of History." Association for Slavic, East European & Eurasian Studies Conference, Boston, MA (2018)

‘“If Mickiewicz was alive today; he’d be a good rhymer’: Performing Genre and National Credibility in Polish Hip-Hop.” Midwest Slavic Conference, Center for Slavic and East European Studies, The Ohio State University (2018)

“What Has Poland Done to Chopin? Dissecting the Polish Legend on Stage.” A Century of Revolution: Culture, Politics, and People, Graduate Student Conference in Slavic Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2017)

INVITED TALKS AND GUEST LECTURES
"Hip-Hop in Poland." Guest Lecture, Music in Eastern Europe & Russia, Department of Musicology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (2021)

“‘He’d be a good rhymer’: Polish Hip-Hop and the Legacy of Romanticism.” FellowSpeak Public Lecture, Institute for the Humanities, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (2019) 

“Cultural Remix: Polish Hip-Hop and the Sampling of Heritage.” Slavic Department ‘Sneak Peek’ Symposium, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (2017)

“Collaged Meaning in Vera Chytilova’s Daisies.” Guest Lecture, Central European Cinema, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (2017)

“Nothing is Black and White: History and Memory in Paweł Pawlikowski’s Ida.” Presentation, Language Resources Center Film Festival, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (2016)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE 
Michigan State University

IAH 207: Identity, Cultures, Identities (On the Road: Identity and Community in Travel Narratives)
IAH 207: Identity, Cultures, Identities (College in Popular Culture)
IAH 208: Music and Culture (Hip Hop in Eastern Europe and Russia (Honors Section)) 
IAH 231A: Human Values in the Arts and Humanities (Central European Cinema) 
IAH 231A: Human Values in the Arts and Humanities (Humor and Politics in Eastern Europe and Russia) 

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (​Instructor of Record)
SLAVIC 299: Hip-Hop in Eastern Europe & Russia 
ENGLISH 125: The Stories That We Tell: Memory, Narrative, Genre (First-Year Writing Seminar)
HONORS 135: American Odyssey: Identity on the Open Road 

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (Graduate Student Instructor)
SLAVIC 312: Central European Cinema: Race Ethnicity, Gender (Upper-Level Writing Course) 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 
Creating Community to Support Dialogic Practices and Student Flourishing Leaning Community (2025-2026)
     Michigan State University, East Lansing
IAH 321: Teaching Across the Arts and Humanities Learning Community (2024-2025)
​     Michigan State University, East Lansing 
Junior Faculty Symposium, American Musicological Society Popular Music Study Group (2022)
     Case Western University, Cleveland 
Digital Fellows Program (2022) 
     Michigan State University, East Lansing 
Public Writing Workshop, Jackman Humanities Institute (2021) 
      University of Toronto, Toronto 
Graduate Teacher Certificate (2018)
     Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Professional Development Certificate (2018)
     Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 

UNIVERSITY SERVICE 
Faculty Advisor, Polish Students Association (2024-Present)
     Michigan State University, East Lansing 
Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities Student Awards Committee (2022-Present)

     Michigan State University, East Lansing 
Organizer, Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities Professional Development Workshop Series (2025-2026)
     Michigan State University, East Lansing

Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities Standards of Teaching Excellence Review Committee (2025)
     Michigan State University, East Lansing 
Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities Syllabus Review Committee (2024) 
     Michigan State University, East Lansing​ 
Judge, University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (Humanities) (2024)
     Michigan State University, East Lansing​
Peer Review Committee, Designation B Promotion Review (2023)
     Michigan State University, East Lansing 
Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Planning Summer Fellows (2022)
​     Michigan State University, East Lansing
Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities Scoring Committee (2022)
     Michigan State University, East Lansing 
Research Mentor, 
Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (2019-2020)
      University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 
Graduate Student Representative, Slavic Department Executive Committee (2018-2019)

     University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 
Group Leader, Sweetland Writing Center Dissertation Writing Group (2018)
     University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Selection Committee, Feinberg Family Prize for Excellence in First-Year Writing (2018)
     University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Selection Committee, Granader Family Prize for Excellence in Upper-Level Writing Sweetland Writing Center (2017)
     University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
Manuscript Review for Nations and Nationalism (2024)
Manuscript Proposal Review for Palgrave Macmillan (2024)

LANGUAGES 
English (native)
Polish (spoken)
Ukrainian (reading) 
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