Mannigfache Wege gehen die Menschen.
Wer sie verfolgt...wird wunderliche Figuren entstehen sehen.
Jenny Strakovsky, Ph.D.
Humanist, Teacher, Designer, Career Coach
Researcher of the Meaningful Life
People take a multitude of paths.
Whoever follows them...will see wondrous shapes unfold.
Novalis, 1798
Hello! I'm Jenny. I'm a learning designer, career advisor, and humanist. I work with organizations to create educational programs that can empower people to make the world a better place and find more fulfillment in their work, and have enjoyed working with university departments, government ministries, and international aid organizations on a variety of programs, from degrees to leadership retreats.
I serve as Associate Director of Executive Education at the Fletcher School at Tufts University, where I design educational programs for various partners, including government ministries and multilateral organizations, covering topics from climate finance to negotiation and conflict management. Previously at the Georgia Institute of Technology, I created and oversaw the Graduate Program at the School of Modern Languages, in collaboration with the Atlanta Global Studies Center (Title IV), served as a career coach for humanities students, and taught courses in German Studies, career development, community management, and leadership.
My teaching experience and background in literature and philosophy continue to inform my work. I hold a Ph.D. in German Studies from Stanford University, where my research focused on the history of happiness in literature, philosophy, clinical psychology, and education. I have published and offered trainings on the innovation of graduate education, online learning, career education, curriculum design, and interdisciplinary collaboration, most recently Graduate Education for a Thriving Humanities Ecosystem, a national framework for education innovation, published by the Modern Language Association.
NEW BOOK
I'm thrilled that Graduate Education for a Thriving Humanities Ecosystem, which I co-edited with my colleague, former classmate, and dear friend Stacy Hartman, is now available!
This collection of essays features examples of innovations in graduate education in the humanities from across the United States. Our goal was to develop a framework for graduate education that is rooted in abundance, collaboration, community engagement, and personal well-being. We envision graduate education in the humanities as a training ground for careers of meaning, purpose, and joy.
I would like to thank the many contributors who submitted essays for this volume, as well as the Modern Language Association for believing in this project.
Programs Portfolio, Georgia Institute of Technology
As Assistant/Associate Director, Graduate Studies and Career Education, School of Modern Languages,
Teaching Faculty of German Program; Affiliate Faculty, Atlanta Global Studies Center
New Graduate Degree Programs in Language, Media, and Cultural Studies
Professionals in the humanities foster equity, engagement, and sustainability in many professional fields. This graduate program offers an approach to advanced study in language, media, and communication that is viable for students pursuing engineering, business, and a variety of other career paths. The MS-GMC and MS-ALIS combine graduate-level language study with applied humanities (media, communication, sustainability studies, history) to prepare students for high-impact careers in business, STEM, non-profit, and education.
New Degree Programs :
M.S. in Global Media and Cultures (6 languages)
M.S. in Applied Language and Intercultural Studies (3 languages)
5-year BS/MS in Applied Language and Intercultural Studies (3 languages)
Doctoral Minors (customizable)
Press:
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"Georgia Tech Launches Two First of Their Kind Degrees with Professional Applications for Language, Culture, and Media Studies" Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts News
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"Do You Speak My Language? You Should" New York Times Opinion
Culture-Driven Career Design
Global Career Lab:
Jumpstart your future with German
The Global Career Lab provides intensive career design training in the target language and showcase the exciting career opportunities that language study opens up for Georgia Tech students in a variety of fields. Participants explore learn to leverage German to pursue their long-term professional goals, meet with faculty and professionals in the Atlanta area to discuss key current issues in science, technology, and business, and prepare a career and life design portfolio in German.
Please visit "Teaching/Advising" to learn more about my Culture-Driven Career Design programs.
August 2018, three day bootcamp version: Thank you to The Halle Foundation for supporting this program. Thank you to Sven Behrens, Natalie Stingelin, Michael Nitsche, Markus Rimmele, Martin Brucherseifer, Barbara Heil-Sonneck, the Office of International Education, and Grenzebach Corporation for joining us as guest speakers and going above and beyond to create a wonderful experience for our students. Thank you to my co-director Britta Kallin and our TA team!
"Culture at Work" Graduate Research Assistantship Program
Partners: Residential Life, Office of International Education, Innovation Ecosystems, Dean's Office
The Culture at Work GRA Program puts the humanities to work and gives students an opportunity to learn how their language and cultural studies can apply in real-world contexts. Students work closely with faculty on a variety of applied projects. They learn project management, program creation and development, marketing, communications, graphic design, and community engagement. In lieu of the traditional graduate funding model, this program prepares students for careers in communications, media, global business, global science and technology, and public sector work.
21st century Humanities and Radical Interdisciplinarity
GT-FIRE Grant for Education Innovation (2018), Atlanta Global Studies Center (2019)
collaborators: Anna Stenport, Sebnem Ozkan, Amanda Weiss, Hyoun-A Joo
The skills taught in the humanities – communication, cultural analysis, sensemaking, aesthetics, and ethics – are crucial for success in business, science, public work, and design. How are the humanities used in science and tech fields? How do we connect "real life humanistic practice" to the humanities taught in classrooms? This project developed curriculum to bridges the gap between the university and industry, preparing students to apply humanities knowledge in the real world. Students produced podcasts, blog posts, and a peer-review article on the role of humanities in the tech-driven 21st century.
Programs Portfolio, Stanford University
As Ph.D. Candidate and Instructor in German Studies, Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages
Finding Meaningful Work: A Strategies Guide for PhDs and Postdocs
The official Career Handbook of the Stanford Career Center
co-editor with Chris Golde, Assistant Dean of Career Communities
Finding Meaningful Work: A Strategies Guide is a handbook for PhDs and postdocs applying for a wide range of careers: industry, non-profit, and academic. This book includes tips for exploring career fit, networking, pursuing opportunities, preparing job market materials, interviewing, and negotiating offers. Full text available here
Focal Group on Humanities Education, Stanford University, 2011-2017
Faculty directors Russell Berman and Lisa Surwillo
This professional development event series offered programs on K-16 curriculum, pedagogy, policy, and careers. While we focused on preparing PhD students to enter the humanities profession, we also became an important space where students, faculty, and administrators from multiple departments oculd come together to reflect on teaching and learning. | 20+ programs over 6 years. Program Website
The Marriage of Figaro: A Walking Tour
A wandering opera production
Stage Manager, with Director Melissa Kagen
This outdoor opera production set Mozart's Marriage of Figaro as a campus tour. Figaro (played by talented musician who was also a trained campus tour guide) takes his wedding guests around his alma mater in anticipation of the ceremony in the quad.
To his dismay, drama quickly ensues...
As stage manager (under the musical direction of my dear friend and colleague Melissa Kagen), I had the delightful job to manage the logistics (to create the illusion of a wedding in public spaces on campus) and cue the show (design and manage precise timing of each scene).
Check out the cue book for the full script, which also translates Figaro for a U.S. college context.
Walking Route
(click to enlarge)