Zenon Wasyliw

Professor, History
Phone: 607-274-1587
Office: Muller Faculty Center 427, Ithaca, NY 14850
Specialty: USSR, East Central Europe, Russia, Global History; Social StudiesTeacher Education

Professional Headshot

Spring 2024 courses : 

  • HIST 22200-01  The USSR:  History and Legacies  MWF 12:00-1:10 pm

Office Hours*:

  • MWF 1:30 - 2:30 pm 

* I am also available other days and times by appointment either by e-mail communication wasyliw@ithaca.edu or by request during class meetings.

I arrived at Ithaca College the fall of 1989.  I was immediately impressed with Ithaca College’s commitment to excellence in teaching, the community’s scholarly and cultural offerings and the surrounding region’s natural beauty.  I have taught more than fifteen different courses in the Department of History since 1989.  My most recent course offerings include The USSR: History and Legacies, Global Revolutions in the 20th and 21st Centuries, The Other Europe: Modern Eastern and Central Europe and related advanced level history seminars that include The East of Europe and Stalin and the Stalinist System - Stalinism. I also teach an introductory course, History in the News, Global Identities and the Search for Justice, focused on globalization and human rights. I thoroughly enjoy teaching these courses and run my classes in an interactive manner focused upon mastering differing critical historical arguments, using primary source historical documents and include a measure of role playing.  I am actively engaged in scholarship related to these historical subjects through research, writing and conference presentations.  I have published fourteen articles in the areas of Soviet, Ukrainian and global history, and social studies pedagogy. I am working on additional articles on a variety of topics and a contracted book focusing on Soviet Culture in the Ukrainian Village.  I have given over fifty conference presentations since 1995 and am a member of numerous professional associations.

I became coordinator of the Social Studies Teacher Education program in 1992.  I taught the Pedagogy and Practice in the Teaching of Social Studies seminar that prepares students for their student teaching.  I also placed and supervised student teachers.  We have an excellent, selective social studies teaching program with a strong reputation among area schools. Our Social Studies Teacher Education program is nationally accredited. We have wonderful collaborative links with talented and committed mentor social studies teachers in local middle and secondary schools, many of whom are our own graduates.  We also have a graduate program in Social Studies Teacher Education.  The M.A.T. degree offers teacher certification in a concise one year program or as a combined five year program. Our Social Studies Teacher Education program has a very strong network of alumni who are increasingly also serving as Alumni-Mentors. We established an Ithaca College Social Studies Alumni Facebook group with one hundred fifty-five members sharing resources, ideas and initiatives.

I have had a wonderful time teaching, working with and advising Ithaca College students.   Many graduates remain in contact with me as they pursue successful careers in a variety of professions and activities. We have a closed Facebook page specific to our alumni "History and News: Ithaca College and the World" with 228 members and growing. Our current students are very involved in their classes, internships, campus life and the History Club.  I encourage student civic involvement and am personally engaged in a number of community and international activities.  I look forward to hearing from potential history and social studies teacher education majors.