Dobro Slovo: The National Slavic Honor Society

Academic Excellence in Slavic Studies: Language, Literature, History, Culture


A Brief History of Dobro Slovo

Dobro Slovo was originally founded as a local Slavic Honorary Society on the campus of the University of California at Berkeley on October 29, 1926. 

In 1963, with the help and encouragement of the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European languages - AATSEEL, Dobro Slovo became the National Slavic Honor Society. There are now over 130 local chapters with a total membership of 6,200. 

Dobro Slovo servers as a means for the recognition of academic excellence in the study of Slavic languages, literature, history, and culture. The Society serves as an incentive for scholarly interest in Slavic life and culture. 

The National Slavic Honor Society has been patterned after other existing honorary organizations. The Key of the Society is as representative of academic excellence in Slavic Studies as the Phi Beta Kappa is for academic studies as a whole. 


To qualify... 

There are three classes of membership: student, faculty, and honorary. Members may be chosen from both undergraduate and graduate students and from the faculty of the local institution. 

Qualifications for student membership are: 

  1. The student must have completed two years (or equivalent) of study of Slavic languages, literature, culture or related subjects with a minimum average grade of 85% (B) or its letter or point equivalent. 
  2. The minimum overall academic average must be 80% (B) or its letter or point equivalent. 
  3. The student must indicate an active and continuing interest in Slavic languages, literature, culture or related fields of Slavic studies. 

The Chapter Faculty Advisor is responsible for determining the eligibility of all candidates. 


Members receive... 

  • national recognition for academic excellence
  • personalized Membership Card
  • 8 1/2 x 11 Membership Certificate (suitable for framing) 
  • A Society Pin

Epsilon Delta Chapter

Faculty Adviser: Prof. Laura Givens
Faculty Dobro Slovo Members

Prof. John Givens
Prof. Laura Givens

Honorary Dobro Slovo Members

Dr. Ralph Józefowicz
Dr. Frederic Skalny

Dobro Slovo officers

2018-19
President: Boguang Yang
Secretary: Siobhán Seigne

2017-18
President: Boguang Yang
Secretary: Siobhán Seigne

2016-17
President: Tanveer Karim
Co-President: Katelyn Murphy

2015-16
President: Angelika Kropiowski
Secretary: Christina Amaral

2014-15
President: Alexander Glebov
Secretary: Natalia Godyla

2013-14
President: Olga Nikolayeva
Secretary: Leyla Akhverdiyeva

Dobro Slovo Initiates

2019
Thabani Dube
Maria Hackett
Ryan Kohn
Jamia Leonard
Eilis Regan
Mariel Sackman
Elise Vincent

2018
Eric Franklin
Benjamin Garcy
Forrest Hangen
Kathryn Hanlon-Hall
Graeme McGuire
Alexandra Mesropov
Alexis Wallace

2017
Katharine Baum
Cherish Blackman
Frederik Brekk
Stephen Burgay
Matthew Eisenstein
Benjamin Goehring
Christopher Hodgman
Robert Parent
Siobhán Seigne
Zachary Smith
Boguang Yang

2016
Emily Bozelli
Paige Garlington
Jillian Johannes
Md. Tanveer Karim
Alexander Lamothe
Rebecca Morton
Katelyn Murphy
Di Wang

2015
Emma Alperin
Christina Amaral       
Ian Delbridge
Kendall Gildersleeve
Angelika Kropiowski

2014
Hannah Chute
Natalia Godyla
Jordan Shapiro
Daniel Webb

2013
Leyla Akverdiyeva
Gabrielle Cornish
Rachael Daum
Meredith Doubleday
Alexander Glebov
Stephanie Kane
Andrew Kless
Madeleine Klingler
Michael Kloboucher
May Zhee Lim
Olga Nikolayeva
Zachary Palomo
Zachary Pressman
Gregory Sutherland
Alexander Turpin
Yiyang Zhu