I am pleased to inform you that Aimable Twagilimana, Buffalo State University professor of English, has been appointed Distinguished Service Professor by the State University of New York Board of Trustees. This honor is bestowed on faculty members who epitomize excellence in their profession, and in doing so, distinguish themselves and honor SUNY.
Through his 28 years with Buffalo State, Professor Twagilimana has demonstrated a commitment to academic excellence and student success. His appointment is a testament to his professionalism and extraordinary commitment to applying his scholarship to the greater good.
It should be noted that Dr. Twagilimana, a native of Rwanda, has also received his fifth Fulbright fellowship. The Fulbright Program is devoted to increasing mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.
Earlier this month, Dr. Twagilimana was notified by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board that he was selected for the Fulbright award to Rwanda for the upcoming academic year. His work with the Fulbright Program extends back to 2008, when he was chosen as a Fulbright scholar to teach American literature at Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, in Senegal, for the 2008–2009 academic year.
From 2009 through 2013, he served as a visiting professor at the University of Kibungo in the Eastern province of Rwanda. In 2014, he was awarded a Fulbright to teach courses in language and linguistics in the College of Education at the University of Rwanda. During this stint, he also conducted research on Rwanda’s history, economic development, financial institutions, and international relations for an encyclopedia project.
At Buffalo State, Dr. Twagilimana served as director of the African and African studies program from 2006 to 2012. Twice a year during this time, he organized symposiums covering African, Caribbean, and African American studies. These programs involved Buffalo State faculty, staff, and guest lecturers from across the country.
He’s also authored a book exploring the many causes of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, The Debris of Ham: Ethnicity, Regionalism, and the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, as well as other books about African American literature and about Rwanda. This includes the novel Manifold Annihilation and multiple chapters in other books. He holds a doctorate in English, with a focus on American literature and critical theory, and a master of business administration (MBA), both from the University at Buffalo.
Dr. Twagilimana has received more than 15 grants—from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the United States Information Agency, the British Council, and Buffalo State’s Provost’s Incentive grant, all to pursue additional study or attend conferences.
Professor Twagilimana will be officially inducted into the SUNY Distinguished Academy at a ceremony in June 20 in Albany. Next fall, the campus will honor Dr. Twagilimana during the Faculty and Staff Recognition Ceremony.
In the meantime, please join me in congratulating Dr. Twagilimana on this prestigious honor.
