Dear friends,
I write with gratitude for your connection to the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Michigan, and with excitement to share more about the work our students and faculty are doing every day.
Our department remains a vibrant home for students exploring the languages, literatures, histories, and cultures of Eastern Europe and Eurasia. In our classrooms, students build advanced language skills, study influential works of literature and film, and examine the region’s complex place in global history and contemporary life. Faculty continue to publish significant scholarship, mentor undergraduate and graduate students, and create public programming that brings timely conversations to campus. At a moment when understanding this region is especially important, our department offers students both deep cultural knowledge and the analytical tools to engage thoughtfully with the world.
Our most pressing needs are centered on access, opportunity, and student support. Many students hope to pursue intensive language study, research travel, internships, conference presentations, and study abroad experiences, but financial barriers can make these opportunities difficult or impossible to access. We also seek support for guest speakers, cultural events, language tables, and community-building programs that enrich student learning beyond the classroom. Gifts to our strategic fund help us respond quickly to student needs and sustain the high-impact experiences that make our program distinctive.
Alumni and donor support has an immediate and meaningful effect. A gift can help a student attend a summer language program, support research using archives or regional sources, bring a scholar or artist to campus, or fund programming that connects students with alumni, faculty, and peers. These experiences strengthen our students’ academic paths and prepare them for careers in education, public service, law, business, translation, international affairs, and the arts.
Thank you for considering a gift to the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures. Your support affirms the value of language learning, cultural understanding, and humanistic inquiry at Michigan. We are grateful for your partnership and for the opportunities you help create for our students.
With appreciation,
Benjamin Paloff
Chair, Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
