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Fellow Biographies - University of Alabama—Huntsville

Cohort 2 - Fall 2007

Chethna Amin, English and History Teacher
Udayachal High School
Mumbai, India
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Amin studied English at the University of Mumbai and received her bachelor of arts in April 1988. She also has a bachelor of education and a master of arts from the University of Mumbai. Ms. Amin completed her master’s degree in order to improve her knowledge about literature. She has taught at Udayachal High School for 5 years, where she instructs students in English, History/Civics, Geography, and Economics. Previously she has also taught computer skills.

Brinda Balasubramonian, English Teacher
Jai Hind High School and Junior College
Pune, India
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Balasubramonian earned her bachelor of arts in Physics in 1972 from the University of Madras in Pondicherry, and went on to receive master of arts degrees in English from the Srivenkateswara University and Linguistics from the University of Poona. Ms. Balasubramonian was awarded a Doctorate degree in 1986 in Linguistics from the University of Poona, and has also studied English and Education at the S.N.D.T. University and University of Poona. She has taught English to grades 11 and 12 for 24 years, as well as giving guidance to teachers and serving as the Editor and President of the school magazine committee.

Sukanya Chakraborty, Social Science Teacher
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Nand Vidya Niketan
Surat, India
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Chakraborty received a bachelor of arts and a master of arts from the Department of Arts of Vishwa Bharati Santiniketan in West Bengal and a bachelor of education from Indira Gandhi Open University Baroda Gujarat. Ms. Chakraborty also has a certificate in Computer Applications in office work from the Gandhi Institute of Information Technology. She has taught secondary students social science at her current institution for the past 12 years. She now serves as Head of the Department. Ms. Chakraborty has participated in workshops focused on assisting children with learning disabilities, and she has organized student visits to poor villages.

Meghmala Dutta, Social Science Teacher
Centre Point School, Katol Road
Nagpur, India
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Dutta has a bachelor of arts, a master of arts, and a bachelor of education from Nagpur University, Maharashtra. She has taught at Centre Point School for 16 years. She is now the Head of the Social Science Department, where she strives to bring her history lessons alive by linking social science subjects to reality by organizing many educational field trips.

Silvia Sofia Fernandes, English Teacher
Greenlawns High School
Mumbai, India
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Fernandes has degrees in English, Philosophy, and Geography from the University of Bombay, where she studied from 1979 until 1984. She recently completed a month’s yoga teacher training and is currently doing a diploma in Yogic education. She is also doing a “Green Teacher” diploma in Environmental Education. Ms. Fernandes is the Head of the English Department where she has taught for 20 years. She also works with Akanksha, a charitable society that strives to impact the lives of less privileged children by pairing them with a sister school.

Supriya Gadre, English Teacher
Shiksan Prasarak Mandali English School
Pune, India
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Gadre has a bachelor of education from Tilak College in Pune, a bachelor of arts from S.P. College Pune in English and Arts, a master of arts from Pune University in English and Arts, and a master of education from S.N.D.T. University Pune. She is one of the Directors for the school at Shirir, a rurual area. In addition to teaching English to grades 6-10, she has been the editor of the school magazine for 4 years. Ms. Gadre has also arranged visits for school children to Goa and other cities, to historical places around Pune, and to old age homes and schools for the blind.

Madhuri Godbole, English Teacher
Muktangan English School and Jr. College
Pune, India
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Godbole studied at S.P. College University of Pune, where she received a bachelor of arts in 1975. She went on to earn a bachelor of education in 1984 from Tilak College University of Pune. She has taught grades 9 and 10 at her current school for 21 years. Previously, she worked at the Indian Embassy School (Saudi Arabia) for 4 years. Ms. Godbole’s other activities include participation in the state workshop on environmental studies, working as the head of the history department and the library.

Kalyani Gokhale, History Teacher
Dr. Kalmadi Shamarao High School
Pune, India
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Gokhale attended Delhi University’s Department of Economics from 1979 to 1982 and graduated with a bachelor of arts in Economics in 1982. She went on to earn a master of arts in Economics in 1984 from Punjab University in Chandigarh as well as a bachelor of education degree from the Indira Gandhi National Open University in Delhi in 2002. She has been a facilitator in the teaching of English at the National Institute of Open Schooling, a government of India initiative for school drop outs. Ms. Gokhale has been teaching History to grades 5 and 7 for 10 years at the Dr. Kalmadi Shamarao High School.

Hemangini Inamdar, English and History Teacher
Muktangan English School and Jr. College
Pune, India
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Inamdar earned a bachelor of arts from the University of Pune in 1983. In addition, she has earned a bachelor of education and a master of arts from the same university in 1985 and 1988. Ms. Inamdar has taught English and History/Civics at Muktangan English School for 16 years. She handles several school committees such as the Scholarship Exam and History Talent Search and she is also involved in the school’s excursion program to educational sites and historical places.

Jaishree Nair, Social Studies Teacher
Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 3
Bhopal, India
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Nair received her bachelor of arts in 1986, her master of economics in 1988, and her bachelor of education in 1990, all from the University of Bhopal. She has taught social studies for 13 years. She has translated a text book of social studies for class-VII from Hindi to English for the Madhyapradesh State Education Department, and she has edited a text book of social studies for class-VI. Ms. Nair has been a resource person for the Regional Institute of Education and for the National Curriculum Framework in 2005 for Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education. At her school, she is in charge of the youth parliament competition and social science exhibition.

Sandhya Shah, English Teacher
Balbharti High School
Mumbai, India
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Shah received a bachelor of education degree in 1982 from Saurashtra University, Wadhwa City, and a bachelor of arts in 1977 from Saurashtra University, Surendra Nagar. Ms. Shah is currently pursuing a Diploma in Jainology from Mumbai University. She has been actively involved in several NGOS for the welfare of homeless kids. Ms. Shah has also done critical reviews for more than 250 books on Literature in Gujarati. She has taught at her current school for 2 years, but taught for 16 years prior to coming to the Balbharti High School.

Tara Thorat, English Teacher
Sir Parashurambhau College (Junior Wing)
Pune, India
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Thorat originally studied Secondary Education at the University of Cambridge (local exams syndicate), and received her degree in 1968. She then earned a master of arts degree from the Department of English at the University of Pune in 1977. In 1983 Ms. Thorat received a Diploma in Higher Education from the University of Pune. She then attended the Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages in Hyderabad and earned a post-graduate certificate in the teaching of English in 1990. She expects to receive an interdisciplinary M. Phil in 2007 from the Indian Institute of Education at the University of Pune. She has taught at the Sir Parashurambhau College for 29 years.

Olena Bushtruk, English Teacher
Shchors District Gymnasium
Shchors, Ukraine
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Bushtruk received her diploma in 1982 from the Foreign Languages Department of Nizhyn State Pedagogical Institute, Nizhyn.  Ms. Bushtruk has been the Head of the English Teachers’ Association of Shchorsky for 4 years. She has published 2 newspaper articles, titled “Why Should Teachers Learn?” and “Textbook + Computer= Interesting Lesson?” Ms. Bushtruk is interested in the theory of multiple intelligences and its application to the English classroom. She plans to study this question in more depth in order to make her lessons more effective.

Tatiana Gryshchenko, English Teacher
Sumy Lyceum
Sumy, Ukraine
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Grishchencko graduated from the Department of Foreign Languages at East Kazakhstan State University, Ust-Kamenogorsk, in 1993. She is now a post-graduate candidate of Pedagogical Sciences at Sumy State Pedagogical University, Sumy, where she researches creative pedagogies. Ms. Grischchencko is a member of the all-Ukrainian association “Rebirth of Lyceums and Gymnasiums.” At the association’s annual conference, she most recently participated in a workshop regarding “International Standards of Teaching.” She has taught at the Sumy Lyceum for 6 years, where she teaches English and Business English to grades 9-11.

Iryna Hardzeyevska, English teacher
Ternopilska Secondary School No 26
Tenopil, Ukraine
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Hardzeyevska graduated from the Department of Language Education at Ternopil State Pedagogical Institute in 1990. She has taught English to grades 2-11 for 13 years. In 2001, she participated in a conference in Switzerland focused on “Women and the Future of Democracy in Europe,” and in 2005 she was able to attend a workshop for educational staff in Finland. Ms. Bushtruk is the chief of the English Department at her school.

Tetyana Hrynkevych, English Teacher
Sambir Secondary School No 8
Sambir, Ukraine
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Hrynkevych received a diploma from the Lviv National University by Franko, Lviv, in July 1987. She has also a kandidat nauk (candidate of sciences) degree in Pedagogy from the Lviv National University, received in 2007. During the past 5 years, she has attended different courses, including a Military English course in Lviv and Kyiv. After the course she taught 15 officers English in the Sambir Military Unit and prepared them for passing the English exam in Kyiv. In the summer of 2006 she worked as a teacher at a language camp in Kosiv where students from Canada, Ukraine, Poland, and the USA studied English and Ukrainian. Ms. Hrynkevych has taught English and American Literature at the Sambir Secondary School for 16 years.

Oleksandr Iakymenko, English Teacher
Experimental School No 10
Berdychiv, Ukraine
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
From 2001 to the present, Mr. Yakimenko has studied at Berdychiv Politechnical College and Zhitomyr State University in the technology, foreign languages, and economic departments, doing both Diplom and post-graduate work.  Currently, Mr. Yakimenko works at an experimental school. Instead of having traditional lessons, the school utilizes specific educational modules. In addition to his required responsibilites as an English teacher, he is also responsible for creating educational modules with the goal of personal oriented teaching. Mr. Yakimenko is also interested in the use of computers in the modern educational process, including how to effectively utilize computers during class preparation and the creation of visual methods.

Victoria Illarionova, English Teacher
School No 3 Specialized in English
Dzerzhinsk, Ukraine
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Illarionova attended the Gorlovka State Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages and earned a diploma in 1993. She is a member of the school organization of teachers of English and the town organization of teachers. Ms. Illarionova was a participant in the all-Ukrainian Science Conference and also holds a certificate in computer skills. She has taught grades 5, 6, 8, 9, and 11 since September 1999.

Tetyana Mitronina, English Teacher
Kryvyi Rih Specialized Secondary School No 71
Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Mitronina received a diploma from Mordovian State University in Saransk, Russia, in June 1980. She has been teaching English for 20 years. She is the Deputy Director of the school and is in charge of foreign language teaching at the school. Ms. Mitronina has been the leader of the Young Teachers’ Club for 3 years. She prepares seminars for directors of secondary schools, and she is currently preparing a seminar focused on the management of education at schools, and she hopes that this visit to the United States will give her some good ideas for these programs in the future.

Olena Svyrydenko, English Teacher
Gymnasium 6
Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Svyrydenko studied in the Departments of English and German at Kalinin State University, Russia (now Tver State University). She received her diploma in June 1988. She has been a member of the teaching profession for 17 years, and has taught at her current school for 10 years, now serving as Director. Every year she encourages her students to take part in exchange programs and several of her students have studied in the USA.

Valentyna Tumasova, English Teacher
Bubnivska Slobidka Secondary School
Bubnivska Slobidka, Ukraine
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Tumasova has a diploma from Cherkasy State Pedagogical Institute, which she received in 1987. She also holds certificates from the Studio School of English, Cambridge, and the Cherkasy Teachers’ Training Institute. Ms. Tumasova has conducted seminars on topics such as “Ways of Teaching EFL to Younger Learners,” and on socio-cultural competence for regional EFL teachers. She has worked closely with Peace Corps volunteers on EFL projects, and she is the Head of the School Teachers’ Organization. She has taught at Bubnivska Slobidka Secondary School for 19 years. She teaches grades 2-11.

Maryna Ustenko, English Teacher
Gymnasium No 9
Kirovohrad, Ukraine
U.S. Host University: University of Alabama—Huntsville
Ms. Ustenko earned a diploma in June 2001 from the Kirovohrad State Pedagogical University. She has taught both English and German for 5 years, and she is also the Head of the Methodological Unit of Tutors of grades 9-11. She attends English-speaking clubs conducted by Peace Corps volunteers. While on the TEA program, Ms. Ustenko hopes to enrich her own English vocabulary, study the methodology of English teaching, bring back teaching materials for the gymnasia, learn more about interactive forms of teaching, and also to show American teachers the abilities of Ukrainian teachers.

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