David Danaher
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Rate Professor David Danaher
Always fair, encouraging, and motivating.
Makes learning feel rewarding and fun.
Makes learning engaging and enjoyable.
I’m grateful for how you challenged us to think critically while still being supportive. Your teaching style helped me grow so much
About David
David Danaher is Department Chair and Professor of Slavic Languages and Literature in the Department of German, Nordic, and Slavic+ at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received his Ph.D. in Slavic Languages and Literatures from Brown University in 1995 (dissertation: The Expression of Habituality in Czech), M.A. from Brown in 1990, and B.A. in Russian Area Studies/French Language and Literature from American University in 1989. Danaher joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 as Assistant Professor of Slavic Languages and Literature, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2004 and Professor in 2010. He has held multiple administrative roles, including Associate Chair (2004-05, 2008-12, 2013-15, 2023-25), Slavic Unit Head (2020-2025), and Department Chair since 2025. Earlier positions include Lecturer at the University of Denver (1996-1998), Visiting Assistant Professor at Emory University (1995-1996), and Visiting Instructor at Brown University (1994-1995).
Danaher specializes in Slavic languages and literatures, with research interests in Václav Havel and the culture of dissent in East Central Europe, Leo Tolstoy, ethnolinguistics, cognitive linguistics, and science fiction. His major publications include the books Reading Václav Havel (University of Toronto Press, 2015), The Semantics and Discourse Function of Habitual-Iterative Verbs in Contemporary Czech (Lincom Europa, 2003), and co-edited volumes such as Václav Havel's Meanings: His Key Words, Their Context and Legacy (2024), The Linguistic Worldview: Ethnolinguistics, Cognition and Culture (Versita, 2013), and Perspectives on Slavic Literatures (Pegasus, 2007). Notable articles feature “A Cognitive Approach to Metaphor in Prose: Truth and Falsehood in Leo Tolstoy’s ‘The Death of Ivan Il’ich’” (Poetics Today, 2003), “Ideology as Metaphor, Narrative, and Performance in the Writings of Václav Havel” (Slovo a smysl, 2015), and “Ethnolinguistics and Literature: The meaning of svědomí (‘conscience’) in the Writings of Václav Havel” (2013). Among his awards are the AATSEEL Excellence in Teaching (Post-Secondary, 2024), Kiekhofer Distinguished Teaching Award (UW-Madison, 2004), Fulbright Lectureship Grant at Charles University, Prague (2006), Vilas Associate Award (2006-2007), and Distinguished Honors Faculty Award (2014). He has also received multiple sabbatical leaves, research grants, and teaching honors.
Professional Email: dsdanaher@wisc.edu