Awards/Recognitions

• Aug. 2024: Promoted to the rank of Full Professor.
• May 2, 2024: AAC Professor Recognition Award by Geneseo 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 Geneseo 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 SUNY Geneseo.
• 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 SUNY Geneseo.
• Mar. 1, 2014: Awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by the Ghana Project Association at Geneseo.
• 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 SUNY Geneseo.
• 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 Geneseo (Department & College)

• Jun. - Sep. 2024: Member of the Search Committee to recruit Geneseo'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 SUNY Geneseo.
• 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 Geneseo.
• 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 Geneseo Academic Affairs Awards Committee.
• Jul. 2018 - Oct. 2018: Member of the Geneseo Intersession Implementation Team.
• May 12, 2018: Attended, in regalia, the 152nd Commencement ceremony at SUNY Geneseo.
• May 2, 2018: Member of the Geneseo 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. Geneseo's external partner, SME, co-hosted the focus group with Brian Bennett, SUNY Geneseo'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 Geneseo 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 Geneseo.
• 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 SUNY Geneseo.
• Jan. 2016 - present: Member of the Committee on Undergraduate Academic Standards.
• May 16, 2015: Attended, in regalia, the 149th Commencement ceremony at SUNY Geneseo.
• 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 SUNY Geneseo.
• Dec. 1, 2014 - May 2016: Elected member of the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate at SUNY Geneseo (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 SUNY Geneseo.
• Spring 2014: Search Committee member for a full-time Lecturer position in French.
• May 17, 2014: Attended, in regalia, the 148th Commencement ceremony at SUNY Geneseo.
• Fall 2013 - Spring 2015: Member of the American Council on Education's Internationalization Laboratory group at SUNY Geneseo, an 18-month project to advance Geneseo's diversity strategic plan, and develop Geneseo 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 SUNY Geneseo.
• Apr. 12-14, 2013: Was one of the Faculty Chaperones to a group of SUNY Geneseo 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 SUNY Geneseo.
• Nov. 8, 2012: Organized and supervised the third Annual French Spelling Bee contest at SUNY Geneseo.
• 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 SUNY Geneseo.
• Feb. 20 and 24, 2012: Attended the 'Greet the Candidate' meetings with candidates from the department of Mathematics at SUNY Geneseo.
• Feb. 19, 2012: Was the Faculty Chaperone to a group of SUNY Geneseo 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 SUNY Geneseo.
• 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 SUNY Geneseo in the festivities of February 2012 in Rochester.
• Nov. 10, 2011: Organized and supervised the second Annual French Spelling Bee contest at SUNY Geneseo.
• Aug. 29, 2011 - Nov. 2014: Member of the SUNY Geneseo Committee on Nominations and Elections [Chaired the committee from December 2013 to November 30, 2014].
• Aug. 28, 2011: Attended the New Students Convocation at SUNY Geneseo.
• Aug. 2011- Aug. 2013: Faculty Advisor of the SUNY Geneseo 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 SUNY Geneseo.
• May 14, 2011: Attended, in regalia, the 145th Commencement ceremony at SUNY Geneseo.
• Apr. 8-10, 2011: Was the Faculty Chaperone to a group of SUNY Geneseo 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 SUNY Geneseo.
• Feb. 27, 2011: Participated, on behalf of SUNY Geneseo, 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 SUNY Geneseo.
• Nov. 8, 2010: Initiated and organized the first edition of the annual French Spelling Bee contest at SUNY Geneseo.
• Aug. 2010 - Aug. 2011: Department Senator at the college senate.