We are extremely pleased to have such experienced and knowledgeable
staff and faculty for the Naropa Study Abroad Program in
Prague. Below are brief descriptions of each staff and faculty
member.
Lisa Birman
SWP Director
Lisa Birman, MFA Naropa University, is a poet and writer from Melbourne, Australia. She is Director and BA Coordinator of Naropa University’s Summer Writing Program as well as the Writing Faculty and Faculty Director for Naropa’s Study Abroad Program in Prague. She has taught at Naropa University, the University of Colorado, and several universities in Australia. She is co-editor of Civil Disobediences: Poetics and Politics in Action, and her work has appeared in the Poetry Project Newsletter, 26, admit2, Square One, Thuggery & Grace and sub-scribe. Lisa is a freelance proofreader and copyeditor, and she is the co-founder of Movie Star Press. She teaches Collaboration/Crossings and Collisions for the MFA in Creative Writing.
Photo by Karel Stedra
Pavla Jonssonová
Pavla Jonssonová is a recipient of a Fulbright research scholarship on the topic Women¹s Rock Lyrics. In Prague she teaches literary and alternative culture classes at Charles, Naropa, and Anglo-American University. Her publications include articles, interviews, translations, and poetry. She performs with an all women¹s rock band, Zuby Nehty, who have produced seven albums and a film for television.
For more on Pavla Jonssonova’s work, please visit:
Lenka Davisonová is a very experienced Czech language teacher. She has taught large groups of American students from organizations like the U.S. Peace Corps and N.Y.U. She began teaching Czech at Charles University in 1986 and was appointed Director of Studies at the Prague Branch of Charles University in 1991. In 1994, she began her own Czech Language Center, an interactive, experiential learning environment. Lenka teaches
Czech Language I.
Jolana Dvorakova MgA
Jolana Dvorakova administrative director of the Prague program, has worked as a theatre producer for more then seven years (STUDIO YPSILON THEATRE PRAGUE), as well as with many independent projects. She has also worked as a production coordinator for film. Jolana used to be a special needs teacher and has spent years working on various projects supporting physically and mentally challenged children. Her most long-term project with the handicapped is Rolnicka, a space where handicapped young people create visual and practical art. She is interested in Eastern philosophy, meditative practices and yoga. Jolana is responsible for general administration of the program, including finances, logistics, housing and educational trips.
Petr Svobodny PhD, Charles University
Petr Svobodny is an associate professor at the Institute for the History of Charles University / Archive of Charles University. He specializes in the history of education, sciences, humanities and medicine, with a special interest in history's representation in and relationship to literature. He teaches courses in Czech History for foreigners and is a member of the Club of Historians of the Czech Republic. Petr teaches Literature in History–History in Literature.
Lisa Birman 
