Staff Spotlight: Alena Ermochenko

Let’s start from the beginning. Tell us about your journey at ITMO.

I did my Bachelor’s in forestry at St. Petersburg State Forestry University. In my second year there, studying some of the core courses and, at times, struggling, I would note what teaching styles I liked, what I’d change in the way a certain topic was delivered, or some cool techniques. I knew then that I wanted to become a lecturer and that it was important for me to learn from the best. In order to do that, I needed a PhD degree. So that was the plan!

I went step by step. After my Bachelor’s, I joined the Industrial Ecology Master’s program at ITMO. In my first month here, I signed up for ITMO.Mentors (an initiative that lets students assist teachers in organizing theoretical and lab classes, checking assignments, etc – Ed.). There, we first took a professional course on the fundamentals of pedagogy. In December, I got my course certificate and in February, I was already an officially employed mentor at the Faculty of Ecotechnologies. I worked as a mentor for 1.5 years throughout my Master’s and then won the Best Mentor competition. That’s how I knew I was doing something right.

PhD was the next step. I passed the entrance exams with flying colors and in my first year as a PhD student I was already employed as an assistant at the faculty. In the first course that I was assigned to teach, Fundamentals of Sustainable Development, we had 200 students and 6 lecturers, me included. I was lucky to start my teaching career surrounded by more experienced colleagues who were some of the best lecturers at ITMO.

Have you always been interested in ecology? Why did you choose to focus on this field?

Ecology and sustainability are global trends – and without these disciplines we won’t have a future. Sustainability is now rapidly developing in Russia and ITMO’s Faculty of Ecotechnologies is, in my opinion, one of the flagships in the field. Specialists in sustainability and ecotechnologies are crucial; these are very promising careers. When we teach our students, we introduce them to the global trends and changes in the field.

However, my interest started in teenagehood, when I’d go on “subbotniks.” As a student, I was an eco-volunteer, joining forest planting initiatives. Today I have 15 years of volunteering experience under my belt and I encourage my students to do the same: in May, we’ll be joining the Clear Shore initiative on the Gulf of Finland. I love to joke that my volunteering became my job. There’s this saying that goes, “do what you love and then you will never work a day in your life” – it inspires me a lot and I think that’s what happened to me.

Your work was recognized by wins in several contests: there’s Best Mentor, Best Educational Project (ITMO EduLeaders), and ITMO Love. What’s your secret to success?

First of all, I believe that a successful educational project requires a lot of creativity, which I think I have. Another important detail: students need to see what my course is about and understand why it’s relevant for them personally; they need to see their “pain” in the subject matter. We can discuss global problems all we like, but it won’t matter if students can’t see what impact they can personally make. It’s somewhat of an ecologist’s rule – think globally, act locally.

In 2024, three of my projects won at ITMO EduLeaders: the gamified course 2050: Saving the Future and two educational initiatives – an ecohackathon for school students and Science Sprint, a scientific paper writing hackathon. I came up with the idea for 2050: Saving the Future during a professional development course at ITMO, while my event management skills came in handy for the other two projects. That’s why I’d say that additional training and soft skills are key for a successful educator. 

Side note: in any competition application, it’s important how you fill it out. If you read the contest documentation, you’ll know what the organizers want to hear from you. You’ll know all their secrets!

And, of course, I love winning. :)

What do you love about teaching?

I am inspired by the feedback and passion of my students. I love it when after a challenging topic I hear that my students truly enjoyed the class or learned something new; when they approach me after class with extra questions, or share their excitement with the younger students who are yet to take my course.

Recently I was touched when, months after a course had ended, a student used the old group chat to share an article on. An active discussion followed and I joined in. It’s wonderful that students remember the chat and use it as a space for discussion.

You’re a PhD student, a lecturer, a manager of a Master’s program, and a manager at the faculty’s development department. How do you do it all?

Oh, it’s a challenge for sure, but I love it :) Now it’s particularly tough because it’s the last six months of my PhD program and I am finishing my thesis. I am certain that once I get the precious degree, it’ll get easier. I’d say that being at the faculty helps me a lot: all of my responsibilities are connected to it and its staff, so it’s not that challenging to keep all my to-do lists under control. It could be that some projects even turn out more successful because I can approach them on multiple levels.

Do you think your journey would be possible anywhere else apart from ITMO?

I came to ITMO because I wanted a radical change, like a new level in a game. At my first university, I was quite successful and I needed a new challenge. At ITMO, I truly started from scratch. Nobody knew me, it wasn’t easy. But then it all worked out just right. 

Maybe it wouldn’t have been possible in a conservative environment, but ITMO is a university where it’s easy to follow your path as a professional who shares ITMO’s values. I took part in many projects and I joined them, including ITMO Collab, with the thought “Okay, let’s give it a try.” First, you don’t know anything but then you learn from your mistakes and become a better professional.

I think the most important thing is to not fixate on one project, but to pass it on to the next generation as you go after your next idea – to avoid burnout. It all depends on what you want. Try something and if you fail, try again – or don’t, if you don’t want to. But remember that in this case, no one will learn about your ideas.

What are the next steps for your career?

My main goal is to get my PhD degree and then the associate professor title. And, of course, win the Best Lecturer competition – to collect all the trophies :)

I am thinking of passing some of my projects on and applying for a grant from the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs to fund a new project for school or university students, to open new opportunities. I want to focus on developing myself and the place where I work.

What would you recommend to other students at ITMO who want to teach?

First, to join ITMO.Mentors. As you study in the course, look around you: you will be instructed by expert lecturers from different ITMO faculties who can answer questions and teach you quite a lot. An ITMO.Mentors certificate is your golden ticket to teaching. Next, after you’re employed as a mentor, you’ll get even more opportunities – you’ll be able to join countless continuous professional development courses at ITMO on teaching methods and soft skills. Best mentors have access to even more resources, even training outside ITMO.

One of the phrases I love to conclude my talks and interviews is this: “Do it with your heart and soul – and success will come.”