Professor Silova first arrived at Teachers College in 1995 as a Muskie Fellow, pursuing an M.A. and M.Ed funded by the State Department. Following her master’s study, Dr. Silova returned home to Latvia where she worked diligently to develop the country’s teacher education programs. She soon returned to Teachers College to pursue a PhD in comparative education with a specialization in political science and history, graduating with distinction in 2002 as one of the youngest people to be granted a PhD from Columbia’s Graduate School of Arts and Science. While completing her doctoral studies, she worked for the Soros Foundation Network supporting school reform in post-Soviet countries. Her interests in Eastern Europe and Eurasia were evident in her work with Columbia’s Harriman Institute, first as a student and later as an affiliated faculty member.
Her scholarship and professional experiences showcase the dynamic, extraordinary, and unique approach she brings to her work. Serving first as a lecturer and visiting professor in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, Dr. Silova then returned to the U.S. to pursue professorships at Lehigh University and most recently, Arizona State University.
In addition to her teaching experience, she served as the President of the Comparative and International Society, shepherding the society through the worst effects of the pandemic. In her scholarship, Dr. Silova has written extensively on policy borrowing, decolonial studies in the post-Cold War context, and education for sustainability. Cutting across her various interests is a commitment to bridge the gap between theory and practice by engaging various stakeholders in diverse contexts. Dr. Silova is a groundbreaking, innovative, and creative scholar who has contributed significantly to the advancement of the field of comparative and international education and the program is honored to acknowledge her accomplishments as a distinguished alumna.