Meet the Faculty: Nikita Duling

Throughout the year, we will shine a spotlight on some of the people who work at Brewster in the classroom and behind the scenes. This time, we’re introducing you to a new face on the faculty: Nikita Duling!

Ms. Duling’s passion for Spanish began in high school, and is evident in her rich academic background. She majored in Spanish and History at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee, then earned her Masters in Spanish Language, Literatures, and Cultures at Syracuse University. There, she also received her Certificate in University Teaching, and later attended Middlebury College’s esteemed Portuguese Language School. Through the University of Kansas, Ms. Duling is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Spanish.

Ms. Duling began teaching in 2019 in conjunction with her graduate coursework and has five years of experience teaching Spanish and Portuguese language and culture at the university level. She, much like Charlemagne, believes that “Learning another language is to possess a second soul.”

“Language learning is no easy task,” she says, “but it is a joy to see students not just overcome these challenges, but to embrace and connect with the vast diversity of language and culture that makes this world such a beautiful place.”

This lover of language has earned recognition for her scholarly work: She was awarded the 2021 Outstanding Teaching Assistant award from the Graduate College of Syracuse University and the Outstanding Graduate Student Award from Syracuse’s Department of Language, Literatures, and Linguistics the same year. And let’s not forget the 2022 Distinguished Student Award from the Portuguese Language School at Middlebury!

You’ll often find Ms. Duling cheering for her Milwaukee Bucks—but she doesn’t mind rooting for the Celtics once in a while. In the spring, she closely follows NCAA Softball. When she is not teaching or studying, she enjoys caring for her many houseplants and trying out new recipes. She is also a self-proclaimed “huge Lord of the Rings nerd,” though she did not name her cats after Hobbits. They are Babalú and Stormy, and share space in Brown Hall with Ms. Duling and her financé, Joe.