Congratulations to Dr. Mythili Menon, the director of The Center For Educational Technologies To Assist Refugee Learners, on her achievement of the “Young Faculty Risk Taker” award on May 7!
This highly competitive $2,000 award is granted to a faculty who demonstrate bravery in embracing difficulties and exceed the norm in teaching, research, and service in a short time.
Director of The Center for Educational Technologies to Assist Refugee Learners
Within 5 years since she joined WSU, Dr. Menon has contributed significantly to language-related teaching, research, and service. Here are just some of Dr. Menon’s selective achievements:
- Launched new “Applied Linguistics” major in collaboration with the College of Health Professions, the College of Engineering, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Initiating “American Sign Language” major in collaboration with other WSU faculty
- Creating a “Language And Music” certificate program in collaboration with the College of Fine Arts
- Developing a “Language And Food” certification program in collaboration with the department of Modern And Classical Languages And Literatures
- Recruiting students to join the WichiLing: WSU Linguistics Club
- Facilitating applied-learning and service-learning opportunities for WSU faculty, staff and students through her partnership with the Refugee Learning and Resettlement Team
- Assisting Swahili-speaking refugees in Wichita learn English
- Providing a field-data collection research project for WSU students to study the challenges of learning and integrating into another language culture
- Researching unpopular native languages such as Potawatomi or Judeo-Malayalam
- Supervising senior honors theses in WSU’s Cohen Honors College
“She's great! Building programs is hard work.” said Susan V. H. Castro, associate professor of philosophy
Each year, Wichita State University organizes the University Faculty Awards to acknowledge faculty who excel in teaching, research and creative activity. The selection process is rigorously reviewed by department chairperson, college deans, college advisory panel, faculty senate, office of the provost through many criteria. “Young Faculty Risk Taker” award recognizes the importance of positive risk-taking as a unique value at Wichita State University.
Indicators of risk-taking include: developing unique applied learning or research experiences for students; pioneering interdisciplinary curricula with others outside of the nominee’s college; capitalizing on relevant trends that increase quality educational opportunities in a distinctive way; accelerating the discovery, creation, or transfer of new knowledge via inventions, innovations, or technologies that are market-driven; empowering students to create a campus culture and experience that meets their changing needs; and enhancing learning via the creation of a campus that reflects—in staff, faculty, and students—the evolving diversity of society.
