Olga Tzanev is one of the newest additions to Greenhill’s Upper School Math Department.
Born and raised in Ukraine, Tzanev relocated to the United States while in graduate school, and later lived in both the United Kingdom and then Switzerland until 2023.
Tzanev received a Bachelor of Science at Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv, Ukraine, and has a master’s degree in physics from the University of Akron as well.
She followed in her husband’s footsteps and adopted teaching as a temporary form of employment and began by teaching undergraduate classes while in graduate school.
“When looking into research and teaching in Switzerland I didn’t speak French, [and this made] research a little bit complicated because I had to be fluent in one of the national languages,” Tzanev said.
Since Geneva has an almost 40% foreign population, the city has a fair number of international schools. So, she began interviewing for positions there. She first began teaching physics because that is what her degree was in.
“Math came along when one of my colleagues went on maternity leave,” Tzanev said.
After teaching the subject for the first time, she found she had a passion for the subject. Since then, she has been teaching math for 12 years.
When she first came to the United States one year ago, she was a substitute at Hockaday School.
Tzanev was searching for a full-time job and says Greenhill aligned with the aspirations she had in the workplace.
“The student body is very vibrant and there is never a boring day on campus,” Tzanev said.
Upper School Math Department Chair Darryn Sandler ’95 says he enjoys having her around.
“Her lessons are very strong, and she showed that she can challenge the students in a way they are expected to be challenged,” Sandler said.
Tzanev currently teaches Honors Algebra II and AP Calculus AB.
