Vida Johnson earned her Ph.D. in Slavic languages and literatures from Harvard. She was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and came to the United States with her family. Professor Johnson currently serves as director of the Russian program. Her coursework includes Russian language, literature, and film. Currently the focus of her research is post-Soviet, post-colonial, Central Asian, and world cinema. A seasoned travel veteran, she has participated in a number of Tufts Travel-Learn journeys.