MARIA BOURLATSKAYA directs the Russian Language and Culture Program at the Lauder Institute of Management and International Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Bourlatskaya has been a lecturer in the University's Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures since 1992. She specializes in teaching advanced Russian content-based courses for business professionals with the use of film and literature, as well as political and business materials. She has also developed and taught a number of courses for heritage students at the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Bourlatskaya received her Ph.D. in Russian Literature from the University of Pennsylvania and her Master's degree in philology from Moscow State University. Recently she has completed a two-year Management Certificate Program at the Wharton School. Her current research interest lies in techniques for training business professionals to develop and assess cross-cultural competency.