Former Core Faculty

Benczes, Réka, PhD, habil., Assistant Professor, 2006 - 2015
Réka Benczes studied at Eötvös Loránd University and holds an MA in English Language and Literature (awarded in 1999) and American Studies (2000). She continued her studies at the English Linguistics PhD program and received the title of PhD in 2005. Between 2006 and 2015, as Assistant Professor at the American Studies Department, she taught various courses on American English and English linguistics at the BA, MA, and PhD levels. Her research centers around cognitive semantics, linguistic creativity, compounding, and motivation in language. She has published extensively on these subjects, including dozens of articles in peer-reviewed journals, as well as two monographs, Creative Compounding in English (John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2006) and Kognitív nyelvészet, co-authored with Zoltán Kövecses (Budapest, Akadémiai Kiadó, 2010). Most recently she has edited Wrestling with Words and Meanings: Essays in Honour of Keith Allan (Melbourne, Monash University Publishing, co-editor: Kate Burridge). Réka currently works at the School of Languages, Literatures, Cultures, and Linguistics at Monash University, Melbourne.

Federmayer, Éva, PhD, Associate Professor, 1990 - 2016
Éva Federmayer received her M.A. in English and Hungarian Language and Literature at Eötvös Loránd University and her Ph.D. in American Literature. She studied at the University of Bridgeport, Connecticut, the University of Minnesota, St. Paul-Minneapolis, and Yale, and received research fellowships at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Indiana University, Bloomington, Kennedy Institute, Berlin, the University of Iowa, and the University of Illinois. Besides Budapest and Szeged, she had various teaching positions and assignments at other institutions, and she has participated and given presentations at a number of conferences related to American Studies and Gender Studies.
Though most of her current research focuses on African American Studies, her professional interests range from literary criticism to cultural studies, critical race studies, gender studies, multiculturalism, and American women writers.
Professor Federmayer is the author of Psychoanalysis and American Literary Criticism (Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, 1983) and editor and co-author of the electronic textbook, Netting America: Introduction to the Culture and Literature of the United States (Budapest, 2006). She has published on Edgar Allan Poe, Hungarian home design, Black science fiction, passing novels, and film.
She was co-chair of HAAS from 2003 to 2007, served on the board of the László Országh Award (2000-2005), was program director of the postgraduate English Teacher Training Program of the DAS (1993-98), and acting director of the American Studies Ph.D. Program of ELTE (2002, 2004). She is on the advisory board of Americana, the electronic journal published by the University of Szeged.

Tibor Frank ✝, PhD, DLitt, Professor Emeritus (1948-2022)
Born in 1948 in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor FRANK was Professor of History at the Department of American Studies and was Director of the School of English and American Studies, at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Budapest, Hungary (1994–2001, 2006–2014). He was one of the founding members of the Department of American Studies at ELTE and Chair from 1992 to 1994. In Spring 2000 he set up a new Ph.D. program in American Studies at Eötvös Loránd University which he served as program director until his death in 2022.
Tibor Frank OBITUARY

Gutmann, Todd
Native Language Instructor, 1999-2000.
Degrees: BA in Dramatic Art and English (University of California, Santa Barbara, 1987); MA in English (UCDavis, 1991). Courses taught: language practice.

Heller, Geoffrey †
Native Language Instructor, 1996-2001.
Degrees: BSFS in Comparative and Regional Studies (Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service, 1985); MA in Modern European History (Yale University, 1987). Courses taught: Language Practice, U.S. Cultural and Intellectual History. Fields of interest: American and European history, Jewish studies, literature, political thought, applied ethics.

William Hoversen, Native Language Instructor
E-mail: billhove@gmail.com
Phone: +36 1 485 5200 / 4307
Office: Room 432

Hunter, Aaron
Native Language Instructor, 2001-2007.
He received his B.A. in English literature from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, and his M.A. in English from the University of Maine, Orono. He also studied at University College Dublin. Besides ELTE, he has also taught at the University of Maine, Orono, and the University of Southern Maine. His interests include American fiction, film, jazz and popular music, and the many intersections of politics and culture. Aaron is a founder and the Deputy Editor of Pilvax magazine, Budapest’s only English-language literary magazine, which began publication in February, 2005

Jakabfi, Anna, PhD,
Retired Associate Professor, 1999-2009 (Hab. Associate Professor since 2010).
Anna Jakabfi was double major of English and French languages and literature and took her MA degree at Eötvös Loránd University in 1967. Her research areas included Canadian history, urban fiction, regionalism in Canadian literature, modern Canadian novel. She introduced Canadian Studies at ELTE in 1979. After ELTE launched the Canadian Studies Program in the MA Program of the English and American Studies in 1994, the American Studies Department employed her as an associate professor in 1999, and Anna Jakabfi played a key role in incorporating the program in the curriculum and establishing the Canadian Studies Centre. She was awarded the first Canadian Studies Central European Award of Merit in 2006.
She published extensively on Canadian literature, culture and history, took part in many national and international conferences in Europe and Canada. She authored books Canada Past and Present – Essays (Budapest, Eötvös Loránd University, 2003), Transatlantic Ties in Canadian Mainstream Fiction - Europe and North America (LAMBERT Academic Publishing, Saarbrücken, Germany, 2012), and American Democrat for Social Justice and World Peace – Upton Sinclair’s (1878-1968) Fiction (LAMBERT Academic Publishing, Saarbrücken, Germany, 2015); and edited books Continentalism and Nationhood – Essays (Budapest, Eötvös Loránd University, 2002.), Canada and the Millennium - Proceedings of the 2nd Canadian Studies Conference in Central Europe ­ A Selection. (Budapest, Eötvös Loránd University and the Hungarian Canadianists’ Association, 1999.), K.Kodó­ A.Jakabfi – B.Richter: Identity Building in the English Speaking World (LAP. Lambert Academic Publishing. Saarbrücken, Germany, 2012.).

James, Ryan, PhD
Native Language Instructor, 2002-2014.
Degrees: Brookdale Community College (Associate of Arts degrees in English, Fine Arts, and Human Services), Thomas A. Edison State College, New Jersey (B.A. degree in Psychology and Sociology,1979), Temple University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Masters of Social Work degree, 1986), Doctoral Program of the University of San Francisco, California (Doctorate of Education degree in International and Multicultural Education with specializations in Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Training, 2000). Courses taught: language practice courses; Dr. James was also the Coordinator of the American Studies Journalism and Writing Program Specialization, where he taught courses related to journalism, creative writing and academic writing.
Dr. James has become a professional travel writer having authored travel guides for the largest travel publication in the US (Frommer's Budapest & the Best of Hungary 7th and 8th editions, Europe by Rail 3rd and 4th editions - Hungary chapter, Eastern Europe 2nd edition - Hungary chapter).

Kodolányi, Gyula, PhD
He taught English and American Literature at SEAS between 1970–1985, he is one of the founders of DAS. He is an essayist, literary historian, poet, translator and editor. He received research and teaching fellowships from the British Council, the American Council of Learned Societies, CIES, The German Marshall Fund of the Us and the Fullbright Program. He taught at the University of California in Santa Barbara (1984–85) and at Emory University in Atlanta (2004–2009). He is Editor-in-Chief of Hungarian Review and of Magyar Szemle, is the author of eleven collections of poetry, scholarly and literary essays and poetry translations. He received numerous awards, including the Mikes Kelemen Prize, Europe Medal, and József Attila Prize. In 2012, he received Hungary’s Middle Cross with the Star and in 2005 the President’s Medal of Honour for his public and literary achievements.

Mészáros, Erzsébet †
Assistant Professor, 1991-1997. Courses taught: language and literature.

Olah, Leslie Nabors
Native Language Instructor
2001-2002.

Rae-Opean, Jennifer
2000-2001.

Thornburg, Linda, PhD
Fulbright Scholar, 1990-1991; Native Language Instructor and Associate Professor, 1992-1999.
Degrees: BA in English (Southern Illinois University, 1967); MA in English as a Foreign Language (Southern Illinois University, 1977); PhD in Linguistics (University of Southern California, 1984). Courses taught: American English, Grammar, Linguistics, Language Practice and Academic Skills. Field of activity/Publications: morpho-syntactic change in Early English, cognitive linguistics/speech act theory, language practice teaching. Co-editor with Klaus-Uwe Panther: Metonymy and Pragmatic Inferencing (Benjamins, 2003), Metonymy and Metaphor in Grammar, and with Janet M. Fuller: Studies in Contact Linguistics: Essays in Honor of Glenn G. Gilbert (Peter Lang, 2006).

Stanley A. Ward,
Native Language Instructor, 2010-2017.
Stan Ward received a B.A. in English Studies from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and his M.A. in Applied Linguistics from The University of Southern Queensland, Australia. He specializes in American culture and media, intercultural communication, politics, as well as English language proficiency. He also lived in Japan for eight years and taught at Meiji Gakuin University and Temple University Japan, teaching language proficiency and American culture. Besides teaching, Stan has worked as a business and political communications consultant. He published Ways to Improve Your TOEIC Score written in Japan.