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Lioba Moshi established UGA’s
program in African languages, which currently includes
Swahili, Yoruba and Zulu. (Photo by Peter Frey) |
Lioba Moshi, a professor of comparative
literature and director of the African Studies Institute
in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, has been
named a University Professor.
The title of University Professor is given to faculty at
UGA who have had a significant impact on the university
in addition to fulfilling their normal academic responsibilities.
The impact may be in the areas of policy development, teaching,
curricular change, innovative programs or academic leadership.
The honor recognizes individuals whose actions as change-agents
have improved the quality with which the university serves
its missions.
No more than one University Professor may be named in any
given year. The professor receives a permanent increase
of $10,000 in salary added to the merit raise in the year
of appointment. In addition, the professor receives a yearly
academic support account of $5,000 as long as she or he
holds the position. Appointment to the position ordinarily
is continuous until retirement or resignation from the
professorial ranks.
“I am indeed thrilled for this honor,” said
Moshi. “I am equally thrilled that my colleagues
and I had the opportunity to build African studies
at the University of Georgia.”
A native of Tanzania, Moshi received bachelor’s and
master’s degrees in linguistics from the University
of Dar Es Salaam. She earned an M.Phil. degree from the
University of York in England and a Ph.D. from UCLA, both
in linguistics.
Moshi began her academic career at Stanford University
and came to UGA in 1988. She taught during the 1994–1995
academic year at the University of Pennsylvania.
At UGA, Moshi established the program in African languages,
which currently includes Swahili, Yoruba and Zulu, and
also established a studies abroad program in Africa
in 1997, which now includes programs in Tanzania, Kenya
and Ghana. She was instrumental in establishing the Institute
for African Studies at UGA in 2001 and oversaw the new
minor in African studies, which was instituted in 2004.
“We are so delighted that Dr. Moshi has received
a University Professorship,” said Garnett S. Stokes,
dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “She
has for years been a leader in global education, and this
honor recognizes her remarkable work.”
Moshi has authored or co-authored five books, including
The Pedagogy of African Languages:
An Emerging Field. She
is currently working on a new book, Democracy
and Culture: An African Perspective. She is the author of more than
35 scholarly articles and has received grant support for
numerous projects. The latest, for $240,000, is a U.S.
Department of Education Fulbright-Hayes Groups Project
Study Abroad grant. This grant supports intensive language
and culture instruction in Tanzania. The program selects
13 students from different universities in the U.S. to
participate in an eight-week program.
Moshi has taught many courses in linguistics and Swahili
at UGA and has developed a number of multimedia works,
including a series of videos intended to help students
acquire the Swahili language and culture. |
