Victoria Hasko, director of the University of Georgia’s Russian Flagship Program, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Richard Reiff Award for Campus Internationalization, according to a March 11 announcement. The award is presented annually by the Office of Global Engagement to full-time faculty who have made exceptional contributions to global education at the university.
The recognition highlights Hasko’s efforts since 2018 to expand access to international learning opportunities for students across various disciplines. As an associate professor of applied linguistics and Slavic studies with joint appointments in both the department of Germanic and Slavic studies and the department of linguistics in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, Hasko has played a key role in advancing student success through language instruction and study abroad programs.
“Through thoughtfully designed language instruction and distinctive opportunities abroad, Dr. Hasko has broadly advanced student success and contributed to the achievements of some of our most outstanding students,” said Martin Kagel, UGA associate provost for global engagement. “The Reiff Award is a fitting recognition of her exceptional leadership and the lasting impact the Russian Flagship Program has had on our campus.”
Under Hasko’s leadership, the Russian Flagship Program has become one of the largest and most successful programs nationally. Initially funded by the Defense Language and National Security Education Office in 2018, it serves students from more than 30 majors and minors. Alumni include two recent Rhodes Scholars, a 2025 Truman Scholar, as well as recipients of Boren awards, Fulbright grants, and Critical Language Scholarships.
The program emphasizes intensive language instruction, weekly tutoring at all levels, career readiness training, scholarship advisement, professional development opportunities, and collaboration with departments across campus such as public affairs, business, art history, chemistry, history, and mathematics. “This is not just a program to study Russian,” Hasko said. “This program fosters global competence. I sincerely believe that the students who come to us are future global leaders.”
Since becoming director, Hasko has secured over $7 million in federal funding for global education initiatives at UGA. This funding supports programming like Immersion in the Russian Language in Riga, Latvia; capstone partnerships with American Councils; Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Kazakhstan; as well as domestic trips for students. On campus she established a Living-Learning Community for Russian language learners at Rutherford Hall and expanded extracurricular activities including conversation sessions.
“Our students spend time with each other in classes and in almost daily activities,” Hasko said. “We have scholars who come and present, conversation hours and international graduate students who represent their countries. It’s wonderful when ambitious students share that kind of core experience with each other. They inspire each other to keep going.”
Alumni from these programs have gone on to work at agencies such as the National Security Agency (NSA), U.S. Department of War, State Department, Homeland Security Department, military intelligence units and consulting firms. Currently mentoring more than 90 students while serving as chair of the national Language Flagship Directors’ Council,
Hasko continues her commitment to developing globally competent graduates.
“No matter the task, Dr. Hasko consistently creates meaningful opportunities for students to engage in Russian studies and develop the global expertise needed to better understand this complex region,” said Mercedes Bengs—a graduate of UGA’s Russian Flagship Program—who was also named a Truman Scholar in 2025.
For more information about this award or about UGA’s Russian Flagship Program visit globalengagement.uga.edu/richardreiffaward or russianflagship.uga.edu.
