Dr Zinaida Gimpelevich

Dr. Zina J. Gimpelevich is a Professor Emerita at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Born in Minsk, Biełaruś, Z. Gimpelevich came to Canada in 1979 with an MA in Russian Philology. Her Ph.D. is in Slavic Studies (the University of Ottawa, 1987). Prior to her appointment at the University of Waterloo in 1990, she worked for the Department of External Affairs and the University of Ottawa (1980-1990). Her research interests are Biełarusian and Russian languages, literature, and culture. She has published seven books, seventeen-book chapters, and close to eighty articles in the scholarly refereed press. Prof. Gimpelevich co-authored one textbook and has given over eighty presentations at professional conferences and congresses. Gimpelevich was one of the three founding members of the Canadian Relief Fund for Victims of Chernobyl in Biełaruś (together with its first President, Mme Joanna Survilla, President of the Biełarusian Government in Exile; BNR) and Mrs. Paulina Smith-Paškievič. During her university teaching career, she was nominated by her students multiple times as “the best professor.” In addition to other admin. duties at the UW, Dr. Gimpelevich served as the President of the Canadian Institute of Arts and Sciences (BINiM, Canada 2002-2017) and the President and the Past-President of the Canadian Association of Slavists (CAS, 2008-2014). Among other of her awards, there is a letter-certificate of merit from His Excellency, The Governor-General of Canada, Edward R. Schreyer (1984). She is the Honorary Life Member of the Biełarusian Writers’ Union (2017-), Honorary President of the Canadian Association of Slavists (2017-2018), and the Honorary Life President of the CRFVCB. Gimpelevich is the recipient of the BNR’s centenary medal. Zina Gimpelevich is active in North American Biełarusian community life; one of her dreams is to see her native country to follow an example of her adoptive country, Canada, and to become democratic, prosperous, and free.