A native of Bulgaria, Tanya Ivanova-Sullivan’s personal and professional biography has been shaped by a deep commitment to the study of languages in its many forms. She is Associate Professor in the Department of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Languages and Cultures and currently serves as Associate Director of the National Heritage Language Resource Center. Before joining UCLA in 2023, she held faculty appointments at The Ohio State University and the University of New Mexico.

Her research integrates applied and psycholinguistic approaches to Slavic languages acquisition, with a specialization in heritage language bilingualism across the lifespan. She investigates the cognitive, linguistic and sociolinguistic factors that shape bilingual development. In her teaching, Dr. Ivanova-Sullivan introduces undergraduate and graduate students to the rich linguistic landscape of Greater Los Angeles, the mechanisms of language acquisition, and the history, structural properties and contemporary dynamics of Slavic languages.

As co-director of the Center for World Languages, Dr. Ivanova-Sullivan works to bridge research and practice in language studies through cross-institutional collaboration and sustained community engagement. She is particularly committed to strengthening partnerships with public school districts, community-based schools, community colleges, and local community organizations dedicated to supporting multilingual learners.