Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ

Awards/Recognitions

• Aug. 2024: Promoted to the rank of Full Professor.
• May 2, 2024: AAC Professor Recognition Award by Â鶹´«Ã½ÍÅ¶Ó Student Association.
• April 18, 2024: Inducted Honorary Member by Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society.
• Aug. 26, 2022: Awarded the James & Julia Lockhart Endowed Professorship. 
• Mar. 4, 2021: Awarded the 2021 Roemer Summer Faculty Fellowship.
• Aug. 28, 2020: Recipient of the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.
• Feb. 21, 2020: Selected for JV Educational Leadership Award for providing outstanding leadership within the field of higher education.
• Nov. 6, 2017: Recipient of the CIEE International Faculty Development Summer Seminar Award.
• Aug. 2016: Promoted to the rank of Associate Professor.
• Feb. 19, 2016: Recipient of UUP Professional Development Award.
• Dec. 6, 2015: Nominated and featured in Positively Â鶹´«Ã½ÍÅ¶Ó Fall 2015 Highlight Book.
• May 7, 2015: Received the Hurrell/McNaron Award for Scholarly Presentation.
• Apr. 17, 2015: Recognized at Faculty Recognition Day as most influential professor to senior student-athlete Kayleigh Blersch.
• Feb. 26, 2015: Awarded Honorary Membership Certificate by the Golden Key International Honor Society at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Apr. 18, 2014: Awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by the Teaching and Learning Center & the Student Association Academic Affairs Committee for dedication to teaching and ability to make a meaningful impact on the college experiences of students at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Mar. 1, 2014: Awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by the Ghana Project Association at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Jan. 28, 2012: Recognized at Faculty Recognition Day as most influential professor to senior student-athlete David Arduin.
• May 10, 2011: Awarded the SUNY-wide Chancellor's Award for Internationalization (CAFI) [now called The Chancellor’s Grant for Innovative Study Abroad Programs (ISAP Grant)] for the 2011-2012 academic year.
• Mar.1, 2011: Awarded the 'Presidential Summer Research Fellowship' for 2011 at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Aug. 2007: Awarded the 'Graduate Diversity Enhancement Fellowship' by the Graduate School of the University of Tennessee for the 2007-2008 academic year.
• Apr. 26, 2006: Received the 'Outstanding Graduate Student in French' Award from the department of Foreign Languages and Literature at North Carolina State University.

Service at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍÅ¶Ó (Department & College)

• Jun. - Sep. 2024: Member of the Search Committee to recruit Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ's Chief Diversity Officer.
• Sep. 2023 - present: Elected Vice-Chair of the College Senate Executive Committee.
• Sep. 2023 - Dec. 2023: Interim Chair of the Department of Global Languages & Cultures
• May 20, 2023: Attended, in regalia, the 157th Commencement ceremony at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Sep. 2022 - present: Member of the College Excellence in Teaching Committee.
• Aug. 2022 - present: Member of the College Undergraduate Policy Standing Committee.
• Aug. 2022 - present: Department Senator at the college senate.
• Feb. 2022 - Dec. 2023: Elected member of the College Faculty Personnel Committee (FPC).
• Aug. 2021 - present: Member of the Dept. of L & L Personnel Committee.
• May 22, 2021: Attended, in regalia, the 155th outdoor Commencement ceremony at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Feb. 2021 - present: Member of the College Study Abroad Advisory Committee.
• Jan. 2019 - Aug. 2021: Chair, Department of Languages & Literatures.
• Oct. 2018 - Feb. 2019: Search Committee member for a tenure-track position in West African literature in English Department.
• Jul. 2018 - Oct. 2018: Member of the Â鶹´«Ã½ÍÅ¶Ó Academic Affairs Awards Committee.
• Jul. 2018 - Oct. 2018: Member of the Â鶹´«Ã½ÍÅ¶Ó Intersession Implementation Team.
• May 12, 2018: Attended, in regalia, the 152nd Commencement ceremony at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• May 2, 2018: Member of the Â鶹´«Ã½ÍÅ¶Ó enhanced wordmark/logo focus group, a 90-minute meeting to look at how we could enhance our current logo by adding a design element or treatment, and make it more distinctive. Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ's external partner, SME, co-hosted the focus group with Brian Bennett, Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ's director of strategic initiatives.  
• May 2017 : Member of the Department of Languages and Literatures' Search Committee for a full-time French Lecturer position.
• Apr. 2017 - present: Member of the college Curricular Design Working Group (CDWG). The overall goal of the CDWG is to construct a specific, implementable Â鶹´«Ã½ÍÅ¶Ó curriculum plan.
• Apr. - Aug. 2017: Member of the Intersession Working Group put together to explore the possibility of re-establishing a winter intersession term at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Aug. 2016 - Apr. 2018: Member of CAS Board of Directors.
• Aug. 2016 - Dec. 2018: Member of the Personnel Committee, Department of Languages & Literatures.
• Aug. 2016 - May 2017: Member of the Academic Affairs Committee, Department of Languages & Literatures.
• May 14, 2016: Attended, in regalia, the 150th Commencement ceremony at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Jan. 2016 - present: Member of the Committee on Undergraduate Academic Standards.
• May 16, 2015: Attended, in regalia, the 149th Commencement ceremony at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Apr. 29, 2015 - Aug. 2016: Public Relations Liaison at the Department of Languages & Literatures (includes Newsletter, Website, and other P.R. duties).
• Apr. 8, 2015: Participated in a Global Leadership roundtable discussion panel on the topic: "What Happens There, Matters Here" [Social Justice Series] initiated by the GOLD Leadership program at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Dec. 1, 2014 - May 2016: Elected member of the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍÅ¶Ó (Treasurer).
• Nov. 2014 - Jan. 2019: Coordinator of the French Language Program at the Department of Languages & Literatures.
• Nov. 2014 - Feb. 2015: Search Committee member for the College Registrar position.
• Nov. 2014: Search Committee member for a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of French position.
• Aug. 24, 2014: Attended the New Students Convocation at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Spring 2014: Search Committee member for a full-time Lecturer position in French.
• May 17, 2014: Attended, in regalia, the 148th Commencement ceremony at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Fall 2013 - Spring 2015: Member of the American Council on Education's Internationalization Laboratory group at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ, an 18-month project to advance Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ's diversity strategic plan, and develop Â鶹´«Ã½ÍÅ¶Ó as a global institution; Joined the subcommittee of Internationalization at Home.
• Oct. 3, 2013: Co-organized with the Ghana Project Organization a panel discussion with invited scholars from St. John Fisher College, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Hobart and William Smith Colleges on the topic "Redefining Current Issues in African Politics".
• Aug. 26, 2013 - Apr. 29, 2015: Department of Languages and Literatures' Newsletter editor.
• Aug. 26, 2013 - Apr. 29, 2015: Assessment liaison for the Department of Languages and Literatures.
• Aug. 25, 2013 - Attended the New Students Convocation at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Apr. 12-14, 2013: Was one of the Faculty Chaperones to a group of Â鶹´«Ã½ÍÅ¶Ó students on a cultural weekend trip to Montreal in Quebec, Canada.
• Feb. 28, 2013: Presented 'Little Senegal' as part of the Alan Lutkus International Film Series (IFS) at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Nov. 8, 2012: Organized and supervised the third Annual French Spelling Bee contest at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Aug. 2012 - Aug. 2013: Webmaster of the Department of Languages and Literatures.
• Aug. 2012 - Aug. 2013: Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee in the Department of Languages and Literatures.
• May 2012: Member of the Hiring Committee for a French Visiting Assistant Professor position.
• May 12, 2012: Attended, in regalia, the 146th Commencement ceremony at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Feb. 20 and 24, 2012: Attended the 'Greet the Candidate' meetings with candidates from the department of Mathematics at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Feb. 19, 2012: Was the Faculty Chaperone to a group of Â鶹´«Ã½ÍÅ¶Ó students and the Ghana Project Association performers at the Black History Month Family Day event at the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester.
• Jan. 17, 2012 - Jan. 21, 2014: Member of the Global Education Advisory Committee at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Jan. 2012: Joined the Black Family Day Committee of the Memorial Arts Gallery of Rochester and coordinated the participation of The Ghana Project Association of Â鶹´«Ã½ÍÅ¶Ó in the festivities of February 2012 in Rochester.
• Nov. 10, 2011: Organized and supervised the second Annual French Spelling Bee contest at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Aug. 29, 2011 - Nov. 2014: Member of the Â鶹´«Ã½ÍÅ¶Ó Committee on Nominations and Elections [Chaired the committee from December 2013 to November 30, 2014].
• Aug. 28, 2011: Attended the New Students Convocation at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Aug. 2011- Aug. 2013: Faculty Advisor of the Â鶹´«Ã½ÍÅ¶Ó Karate Club.
• Aug. 2011: Created and directed every subsequent year the 4-week faculty-led summer study abroad program in Senegal where students take my West Francophone African civilization course, conduct field research on their chosen topic of interest, practice French on a daily basis, are introduced to the basics of Wolof language in their host families and participate in many pre-planned cultural events, weekend excursions, and site visits.
• Jul. - Aug. 2011: Chaired the Search Committee for a French Visiting Assistant Professor or Lecturer position.
• Summer 2011: Attended the 'Greet the Candidate' meetings with candidates respectively from Philosophy, Physics, English and Psychology departments at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• May 14, 2011: Attended, in regalia, the 145th Commencement ceremony at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Apr. 8-10, 2011: Was the Faculty Chaperone to a group of Â鶹´«Ã½ÍÅ¶Ó students on a cultural weekend trip to Montreal in Quebec, Canada.
• Mar. 31, 2011: Presented 'Faat Kine' as part of the Alan Lutkus International Film Series (IFS) at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Feb. 27, 2011: Participated, on behalf of Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ, in the Black History Month Family Day at the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester.
• Nov. 19, 2010: Attended the 'Greet the Candidate' meeting with a candidate in Accounting department at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Nov. 8, 2010: Initiated and organized the first edition of the annual French Spelling Bee contest at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍŶÓ.
• Aug. 2010 - Aug. 2011: Department Senator at the college senate.