Dear Friends and Supporters of our Department -- I hope you'll forgive the tardiness of this newsletter (it includes news from this past spring and summer!), but I hope it arrives as a welcome reminder of warmer days. The good news is that this update has arrived in your mailbox, but also that we have another one on the way soon to bring you up to date on our achievements this past fall. As you'll see, we've been busy. In the meantime, I hope you'll have a look at what our fabulous students, faculty, and staff have achieved, and that you will stay in touch. If you are ever in the vicinity of campus, I hope you'll stop in to visit. With best wishes, David Smith, Associate Professor and Chair.
6th Annual FLL Awards Ceremony
FLL Student Empowering Education through Digital Humanities Initiative
In January, Sophie Adgate received an Undergraduate Research Award for her innovative research project, "EdAccess: A Resource Compilation for English Learners (ELs) and People With Intellectual Disabilities (ID)." Mentored by Dr. Laura Levi Altstaedter, Sophie conducted research aimed at bridging the gap in resources for English learners and individuals with ID.
Sophie's initiative embodies the spirit of student engagement and innovation within our department, and her project highlights the transformative potential of digital humanities in addressing educational inequalities and fostering inclusive teaching practices. Through her work, Sophie inspires educators to rethink their approach to education and embrace a more holistic and inclusive model.
Student Receives ProjectGO Award to Study Russian
Wayne (Sonny) Lehto has been awarded a prestigious ProjectGO Award to study Russian this summer. This incredible opportunity, designed for students affiliated with ROTC and the U.S. military, covers all expenses for students to participate in a two-month-long intensive Russian immersion study program. Congratulations, Sonny!
FLL Students’ Journey to Become a Spanish Teacher Takes Her From Eastern North Carolina to Mexico and Back
Alondra Torres' journey to become a Spanish teacher speaks to her perseverance and passion. Born in Williamston, but raised in Mexico, Torres returned to Eastern North Carolina to pursue her degree at ECU. As a student in our department, Alondra interned with the nonprofit organization AMEXCAN and at local high schools. In March, the Foreign Language Association of North Carolina recognized Alondra's dedication to her studies with their prestigious Jane Mitchell Manolita Buck Scholarship. You can read more about Torres' accomplishments by clicking on the link below.
Honor Societies Induct Students
In January, our department hosted its annual honors society induction ceremony to recognize students who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to the study of foreign languages. The event featured a warm welcome from Hispanic Studies Alumna Becky Leon, who delivered this year’s keynote address. Outstanding students in French, German, and Spanish were inducted into their respective honor societies: Pi Delta Phi (French), Delta Phi Alpha (German), and Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish).
The ceremony underscored the importance of linguistic and cultural proficiency in today's globalized world. Congratulations to all the new inductees for their outstanding accomplishments and their commitment to promoting cross-cultural understanding through the study of foreign languages!
Linda E. McMahon Distinguished Speakers Series Presents
Dr. Araceli Hernández-Laroche
Our department was honored to host Dr. Araceli Hernández-Laroche (USC-Upstate) as a part of the Linda E. McMahon Distinguished Guest Speaker Series in April. In her talk to the campus community, Dr. Hernández-Laroche highlighted the importance of fostering diversity within language communities. During her visit, she gave a talk to the campus community, delivered an address at our annual awards banquet, and met with students and faculty.
Inaugural Research and Teaching Symposium
In February, we hosted our inaugural research and teaching symposium open to the campus community. This event, which we look forward to continuing next year, brought faculty and students together to share updates on their research through a series of 5-minute presentations, followed by an open discussion of the topics presented.
Linda E. McMahon Distinguished Speakers Series Hosts
Dr. Rebecca Walkowitz
Dr. Rebecca Walkowitz, Dean of Humanities and Distinguished Professor of English at Rutgers University, delivered a captivating talk titled "The New Multilingualism" as part of the Linda E. McMahon Distinguished Speaker Series in February.
Drawing on examples from contemporary film and other media, Dr. Walkowitz exposed significant cultural, linguistic, political, and philosophical shifts in our understanding of language fluency. She argued that the experience of not knowing languages, including the process of acquiring and learning them, plays a vital role in fostering civic hospitality and facilitating the open exchange of ideas within local, national, and global communities, including university settings.
Dr. Walkowitz's talk and the Q & A session afterwards challenged participants' conventional notions of language proficiency and underscored the importance of embracing linguistic diversity in creating intellectually vibrant environments.
Course Spotlight
Pre-law Student Credits FLL’s SPAN 3003 for Heritage Learners
Sarah Mejía, a pre-law student, was interviewed by ECU News Services recently about her educational accomplishments, and she credited her participation in student clubs and our Spanish 3003 seminar for Heritage Learners for helping her succeed. You can read more about Sarah's inspirational journey via the link below.
(Photo by Steve Mantilla)
Student Groups
New Scholarship Opportunity!
Hilda Martin Harrell Memorial Scholarship Endowment
As a teacher of French and Spanish in North Carolina, Hilda Martin Harrell (East Carolina Teachers College, Class of 1943) impacted numerous students throughout her career. By providing financial assistance to students in our department aspiring to become educators, this endowment ensures that Mrs. Harrell's legacy of passion for teaching and dedication to excellence will continue to inspire generations of language enthusiasts, empowering them to make meaningful contributions to student learning in classrooms and communities alike. We extend our deepest gratitude to the family of Mrs. Harrell for this generous gift in honor of her memory and legacy, and for their support of our students.
We look forward to seeing our students return and witness their continued success in academia and in the community! Visit us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Gratitude
Dear alumni and friends, thanks to you, we tripled our number of Pirate Nation Gives donations in March and your support then and earlier in the year allowed us to cover the passport fees for our students purchasing their first-ever passport to study abroad. (We plan to continue this initiative this spring.) On behalf of all of us in our department, thank you. We couldn't sustain and expand educational opportunities for our students were it not for you. If you would like to find out more about how you can help support our students and department's offerings, or if you'd like to discuss issuing a challenge donation for this year's Pirate Gives event in March, please contact me, Dr. David Smith, department chair, at smithdav@ecu.edu or 252.328.0104. If you visit campus sometime this year, I hope you'll stop by our offices on the third floor of Bate Building. We would love the opportunity to (re)connect and learn more about what ECU means to you. With thanks and best wishes,
–David Smith, department chair, 252.328.0104, smithdav@ecu.edu
If you prefer to donate by check, please make it out to ECU Foundation with “Foreign Languages and Literatures” written in the memo line and mail the check to Greenville Centre, Attn: Melissa Croom, 2200 South Charles Blvd, Mail Stop 301, Greenville NC 27858
Credits:
David Smith and Lily Johnson