Attended the Department of Modern Languages & Literatures Event at Bellarmine Hall Last Night & Honored to Be Peer with Dr. Michelle Farrell

I graded in my office until 5:30 pm last night before going to outgoing Chair, Dr. Michelle Farrell's, end of the year research celebration of junior faculty. As Chair, she opened to showcase the scholarship of up- and coming scholars who are doing incredible work and bringing our students with them. The celebration of intellectual leadership and excellence is something we can all celebrated more.

Too often, we stifle the excellence of a many for the narrative of a few. I believe this is called administration.

Fairfield University truly has remarkable minds doing out-of-this-world work, but the ballgame become whose narrative does such work belong to...the institution wants to own as their own, even when they do little to support such vision.

I'm super proud of my colleague's leadership, and I I recognize genius in Dr. Michelle Farrell. She has done a remarkable job with students of multiple languages in a cross-curriculuar way that allows majors in 2nd language-expertise a power and brilliance that deserves recognition.

But it's a Saturday morning. I'm reflecting on a crazy week, and I have much to do to finish this semester strong. I can say, the Department of Modern Languages & Literature were fortunate to have Dr. Michelle Farrell at their helm as long as they had her. She's a change-agent, a visionary, a hard-worker, and a brilliant colleagues.

I am so lucky to be invited to her end-of-the-year celebration. Put brilliant people into leadership and this is what you get. I wish their new Chair tremendous success and I look forward to seeing all Michelle chooses to do in the future. Her expertise and intelligence transcends any singular space.