Title: Adjunct Professor
Company: University College at the University of Denver
Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
Sabina Pavlovska, PhD, adjunct professor at University College at the University of Denver, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements, and leadership in international studies and comparative politics.
Growing up in Bulgaria during the fall of Communism, Dr. Pavlovska became familiar with the intricacies of international politics from a young age. She initially pursued education in her home country, obtaining dual master’s degrees in conflict resolution and political science from Sofia University in 2002. After immigrating to the United States, Dr. Pavlovska joined the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver for a master’s degree in international studies and comparative politics in 2008. She stayed at the same institution to earn a PhD in international studies and comparative politics in 2014.
While completing her PhD studies, Dr. Pavlovska accepted her first professional roles as a research assistant and lecturer at the University of Colorado Denver. She returned to her home country for two years to take on the position of Balkan scholar in comparative politics and European studies at the American University in Bulgaria. Following that, Dr. Pavlovska gained experience as an adjunct professor at Colorado State University and the University of Denver. For several years, she contributed as an assistant professor at Hastings College. Dr. Pavlovska served as a faculty lecturer at the University of Colorado Denver in 2022. In 2023, she began her current tenure as an adjunct professor at University College, the college of continuing studies at the University of Denver.
Dr. Pavlovska has built a reputation for bringing a strong personal touch to her lessons, regularly sharing powerful anecdotes drawn from her real-life experiences as a child during a tumultuous time in Bulgaria’s national history. As a teacher, she prioritizes aiding in developing her students into critical thinkers and is currently teaching a course on methodology. Dr. Pavlovska has held classes as small as 10 students and as large as 200, providing her a well-rounded view of how to reach students in a wide variety of settings. Her courses include the study of the United Nations, anti-corruption efforts in government, the influence of international organizations on domestic politics, gender issues and democratization. In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities as a professor, she actively supports University College’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, an area she first explored while at Hastings College. She conducts comprehensive evaluations of all of the school’s courses to ensure that they meet diversity requirements.
Throughout the course of her career, Dr. Pavlovska has authored numerous publications. She collaborated with the University of Amsterdam for a piece studying the European Union’s influence on the Communist bloc and corruption in Eastern Europe. Dr. Pavlovska has submitted two articles, which are under review for publication in the Eastern Journal of European Studies and the European Journal of Marketing. Most recently, she conducted an extensive analysis of social media discourse about the conflict in Ukraine. Dr. Pavlovska is now editing and compiling that data into a book.
Though her professional journey has been filled with many memorable moments, Dr. Pavlovska is most proud of achieving tenure-track professorship. She prides herself on being aware of when educational needs are not being met within the existing system and works hard to bring about change where it is necessary. Dr. Pavlovska’s accomplishments were honored when she was named as Best Teaching Professor at Hastings College. She credits her success to the values instilled in her by her parents, including independence, organization and critical thinking.
Outside of her career, Dr. Pavlovska is a dedicated mother to two children. In her free time, she enjoys skiing and practicing Yoga and transcendental meditation. As she looks ahead, Dr. Pavlovska plans to pursue a master’s degree in consciousness and human development at the Maharishi International University. She hopes to integrate lessons from that program into her own teaching process, allowing her to create a better learning experience for her students. Dr. Pavlovska intends to continue heading up courses and conducting research in the field of international studies, while also taking on more impactful roles in diversity and inclusion. She aims to provide more insight in this space while serving on university committees and in other leadership positions.
For more information, please visit:
Contact Dr. Pavlovska:
