Third-year PhD student Alexandra "Sasha" Novozhenova has died, according to an email sent to all students by graduate school dean Teresa Woodruff. Woodruff said no foul play is suspected, and Novozhenova was found in her Rogers Park apartment by police Tuesday evening.
Woodruff said in the email that Novozhenova was known for her "fierce presence" on campus and "sharp intellect." Novozhenova was an art critic, historian and lecturer who specialized in the Soviet avant-garde and Socialist Realism periods. At the time of her death, she was working on a thesis that re-examined how artists look at socialist avant-garde works.
"It is a great loss to the community – and to the scholarly community in Soviet art that we will no longer benefit from Sasha's contributions," Woodruff said in the email.
Woodruff advised students to take care of themselves in the days ahead. Students seeking support can call Counseling and Psychological Services at 847-491-2151 or Lauren-Ashley Buchanan in the Dean of Students' Office at 847-491-8430.