Davis & Elkins College welcomes Daria (Dasha) Goncharova, PhD, as Assistant Professor of English for the upcoming academic year. Goncharova brings along nearly a decade of awards recognizing outstanding student and teaching excellence.
Goncharova’s college education began at Southern Federal University in Russia, where she would receive her Bachelor of Arts degree in Linguistics and graduate summa cum laude. She would then pivot to the University of Kentucky for the remainder of her education, receiving both her Master of Arts and PhD in English and a certificate in Gender and Women’s Studies.
“I am thrilled to join Davis & Elkins College and its outstanding community of educators and innovators,” says Goncharova. “I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with the passionate faculty, professionals, staff and students who come to D&E from all corners of West Virginia and the world. I very much look forward to building connections with centers, programs and individuals on campus and in Elkins and supporting the College’s mission of cultivating intellectual, creative, ethical and leadership excellence.”
Her student-centered inclusive pedagogies have been recognized with the 2024-25 Provost Outstanding Teaching Award, the Association of Emeriti Faculty Endowed Fellowship, the 2023 Jean G. Pival Outstanding Teaching Assistant, and the 2023 Excellence in Teaching Award from the University of Kentucky. Goncharova has numerous existing publications alongside several more that are forthcoming and has delivered at more than a dozen conference presentations and invited talks.
“While Dr. Goncharova has recently completed her PhD, she has already taught courses in Film, Composition and Communication and been an active member of the teaching, learning and student services communities at the University of Kentucky,” says Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Rob Phillips. “In addition, she has an active and productive research agenda that spans a number of topics in culture and literature.”
As an educator, Goncharova prioritizes accessibility, equity and diversity by incorporating free digital tools, drawing on current events and centering historically marginalized voices and narratives. She continues her work on a book project examining the effects of the postwar suburban sprawl on regional literature and cultural narratives defining American citizenship.
