Nikki Kazimova

Graduate Teaching Assistant

Nikki is a Composition 101 course instructor in the Fall 2026 semester. She is a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the English Department’s MFA in Creative Writing program, with a concentration in nonfiction.

Nikki has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a teaching certificate from Moreland University. She is a credentialed educator and has taught writing and literacy in K-12 and post-secondary settings using her many years of experience in journalism and public relations.

At GMU, Nikki worked as a writing tutor at the Writing Center from August 2025 to August 2026 and was named a Consultant of the Year. She has written about Alan Cheuse International Writers Center events and worked as an English teacher with the Early Identification Program and as a Graduate Research Assistant with the Costello College of Business where she wrote articles about faculty research.

Nikki speaks several languages, with Russian and English being her fortes. Born in Soviet Baku, she has lived, studied, and worked in the United States, Azerbaijan, and France. In addition to news articles and press-releases, she has written intercultural training manuals for global expatriates and the Culture Smart – Azerbaijan guide published by the Kuperard publishers in London. In her creative writing explorations, including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, Nikki reflects on cross-cultural comparisons and linguistic identity in postcolonial states.