Next Steps

The position for which I was hired is multifaceted and evolving, it is often spoken of as unique within Modern Languages and Dietrich College. I am an Assistant Teaching Professor in Media Creation and Multicultural Studies, directing and curating a physical space, the Askwith Kenner Global Languages and Cultures Room that is inscribed in the Dietrich College strategy, and interfacing with a CMU-side tradition of technology-enhanced learning. I have started on a trajectory (as a practitioner, educator, researcher, administrator, and community member) that finds its coherence in the way my own profile, skillset, and competencies are engaging with these various aspects of the position. This stems from a commitment to providing my students with research-informed pedagogy anchored in active learning, to self-reflective teaching practices, to investigating technology-enhanced learning, as well as a commitment to multicultural storytelling in a way that values multiple voices, fosters social justice, and engages the CMU and Pittsburgh community at large.

Ezba by Reem Al-Haddad – Thinglink – Outcome for 82284 – Digital Immersion: Relating Your World in VR

I am working to further enhance this trajectory by increasing my academic profile and engaging in professional development. In recent months this has included weekly mentor meetings with NCFDD colleagues through the “buddy” system. I have been talking with a Professor at the University of New Mexico, sharing experiences of writing, finding publishers and audiences for my work, as well as the challenges of working in the current situation and adapting to remote working.

Writing is where my focus currently lies and I am finding opportunities to publish through journals, websites, and conferences in the areas of Digital Humanities, TEL (Technology Enhanced Learning), and CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning). I have also been asked to talk about my work with colleagues working in cultural studies, where there is great interest in the creation of media and community projects. These opportunities are leading to a greatly increased network and it is rewarding and interesting to meet colleagues working in similar ways across the same academic areas.

It has been an exciting and challenging start at CMU, and I am looking forward to a future that will continue to provide surprise and opportunity. There are so many potential opportunities for collaboration and no shortage of new projects, that the journey over the next part of my career will need to be deftly negotiated and carefully considered to serve the needs of the role, to capitalize on my strengths, and support my continued development.

There are moments when my skillset and outlook complement the position, the department, and wider CMU perfectly when projects such as Kaleidoscope, or student outcomes in Multicultural Pittsburgh or conversations with colleagues seeking expertise or support with these new technologies. As I continue to find more of those moments, I value the trust that others have placed in me, I realize that there is much more to follow and look forward with certainty and confidence. I believe that my teaching philosophy and my creative and research activities have found a home at CMU, that I can make an important contribution to the area of language, culture, and the intersection of technology. This is work that will support the department, college, and wider institution’s increasing international reputation in this area and create new knowledge, increased understanding, innovation, and reward.