New era in foreign language, literatures

Dr. Susana Rivera-Mills is focused on future of dept. despite budget crisis

By: Ryan Gunderson

Posted: 6/24/09

By Ryan Gunderson

The foreign language and literatures department will be ushering in a new, more focused era this coming fall, with an emphasis on future growth and strengthening ties to the community.
"Our motto is 'tools for the global citizen' and that is the direction that we are heading," said Dr. Susana Rivera-Mills, the newly appointed chair of the Foreign Language and Literatures Department.
Rivera-Mills came to OSU in 2007 after spending 12 years as an assistant professor of Spanish and linguistics at Northern Arizona University. The opportunity to reconnect with the Latino community, as well as move closer to her family, was too good for Rivera-Mills to pass up.
"What attracted me the most was the 'diversity advancement' aspect," said Rivera-Mills. "I thought this would be an opportunity to get back to connecting with the Latino community, which is where I feel the most at home."
Rivera-Mills had been an associate professor of Spanish linguistics and diversity advancement before being appointed the new chair to the foreign language and literatures department.
Teaching and mastering Spanish, as Rivera-Mills has, was more than just an academic interest. She immigrated to America with her parents and four siblings from El Salvador at age 12, due to violence and repression associated with a civil war in that country.
Migration peaked during 1982, the year that Rivera-Mills and her family fled El Salvador for California, with an estimated 129,000 individuals leaving the country, according to Migration Information.
Shortly after arriving in America, Rivera-Mills realized that she was losing her heritage and culture, particularly her language, and wanted to do something to change it.
"I was afraid that if I didn't study Spanish soon, I would forget how to speak it, and with that, I would lose my culture and a large part of my identity," Rivera-Mills said, expressing her decision to get her bachelor's and master's in Spanish linguistics from Iowa.
She would go on to get her Ph.D. from University of New Mexico in romance languages as well.
Many colleagues initially questioned Rivera-Mills desire to be considered for this position, with Rivera-Mills also admitting that OSU faces some tough challenges during the economy's current financial crisis.
However, strong leadership and dedication from her students and colleagues excited her about the opportunity, and she is expected by her peers to excel in prioritizing what programs best serve the university's needs now and in the future.
"She's an outstanding advocate for the department of foreign languages and literatures in the face of an extraordinarily challenging budget climate," said Larry Rodgers, the dean of the College of Liberal Arts.
The future goals of the foreign language programs will be rooted in community involvement if Rivera-Mills' vision is realized. Working directly with the community while studying language and culture will better serve the student's needs, further their intercultural understanding, and help them grow into global citizens.
"My job is really about creating connections and building communities that support our intercultural understanding," Rivera-Mills said. The collective futures of the foreign language programs now rest with a new leader who has a clear vision of where the program is going.