Diana Ruggiero
2019 Four-Year College or University Level Teacher of the Year

The AATSP Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award College/University Level is Diana Ruggiero from University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee. Diana Ruggiero’s commitment to world language education reflects what one colleague calls “her absolute and unwavering commitment to the teaching of culture, both inside and outside of the classroom, and her ability to engage students in transformative learning.”

Her Creating Communities Engaged Scholarship Project (CruCES) in Memphis has earned her recognition as an expert and a leading scholar in the field. Diana’s unique pedagogy and interdisciplinary engaged scholarship-- which encompasses film studies, the Afro-Ecuadorian community, Spanish in medical and business settings, and social services in Latino communities-- inspires undergraduate research projects, while fostering empathy across cultural bridges. According to one of her many professional admirers, “her work represents the future directions that research in our field will have to take.”

And as one of her esteemed colleagues points out, “Few faculty members are able to blend their teaching, research, and community service the way Diana has; indeed, her professional profile is a testament not only to her creativity and success as a teacher-scholar, but also to the values and mission of the AATSP.”

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