Retiring professor lauded for 40 years in Russian studies

Elizabeth Neatrour, who retires next month from JMU's foreign languages and literatures department, received the 2000 distinguished service award from the American Councils of Teachers of Russian last winter.

The ACTR, one of the professional divisions of the American Councils for International Education, conducts academic exchange, curriculum development and technical assistance programs between the United States and countries in eastern Europe and Eurasia.

Neatrour has served on the ACTR board of directors since 1980 and has been the organization's secretary (1987-1996) and president (1996-2000). She joined the JMU faculty in 1961 and helped build the university's Russian studies program. She earned a reputation as a world-renowned expert on the pre-Soviet writer Nadezhada Teffi, publishing works about her in both the United States and Russia. She was asked to write the introductory article in Vol. I of the Collected Works of N.A. Teffi, published in 1999.

In 1998, Neatrour was honored with the Pushkin Medal from the International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature. The award was presented by the Russian ambassador at a reception at the embassy in Washington, D.C. She also received Virginia's Distinguished Foreign Language Teacher Award in 1988 and the State Council of Higher Education Outstanding Faculty Award in 1991.

American Councils programs are funded by the U.S. Department of State (Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs), the U.S. Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Library of Congress and other public and private organizations worldwide.