Staff

Thomas Stephens, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Spanish and Portuguese
Faculty Director, The Language Center (TLC)

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Thomas Stephens is a professor of Spanish and Portuguese, and the Director of the Language Center. He provides leadership to The Language Center, the Language Engagement Project, and the Language and Social Justice Initiative. Professor Stephens is the co-author of “Dictionary of Latin American Identities” with J. Maddox IV (University Press of Florida Editorial Board, 2021).
He is the recipient of numerous awards and grants, most notably the Academic Excellence Grant, Rutgers University, Graduate Program in Bilingualism.
For a full list of Professor Stephens' scholarly contributions and service to Rutgers, click here.

"I have worked with and been colleagues of the staff at The Language Center since my arrival at Rutgers in 1981. It has been, and will continue to be, my pleasure to be attached to the Center. My teaching has improved and my class planning has become less complicated through collaborations with TLC and its staff."

He teaches courses on:

  • History of the Spanish Language
  • Race, Language, and Ethnicity in Latin America
  • Language and Social Justice in Latin America
  • The Romance Languages: A Brief Introduction
  • Dialectology in the Spanish-Speaking World

Doaa Rashed, Ph.D.

Associate Teaching Professor
Director, Language Engagement Project (LEP)

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"It is an honor and a privilege to be part of such great team. Together, The Language Center and the Language Engagement Project strive to create a culture of diversity and inclusion in language teaching and learning."

 

 

 

 

Carolyn Burger

Manager

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"It is gratifying to me that my Spanish and French studies at Rutgers have served me well in my position as Manager of The Language Center and in my involvement with the World Languages Institute, which addresses the need of K-12 language teachers for continued professional development. Those who have never experienced a world language and culture other than their own probably don't even realize how many riches and rewards they are missing." 

Joseph Ponist

Audio Visual Coordinator

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  "If it can be done, we'll do it. The hard we'll do right away. The impossible will take us a little longer."

 

 

 

Daissy Santamaria

Office Manager

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"It's wonderful to work in an environment where I can interact with people from different parts of the world."

 

 

 

Patricia Blum

Administrative Coordinator

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"Working at Rutgers University and The Language Center, in particular, never ceases to amaze me. I get the chance to meet people from vastly different backgrounds on a daily basis. It's great to be surrounded by such cultural diversity."

 

 

 

Katherine Armbruster

Administrative Assistant

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"Being a part of and working at The Language Center is an incredibly fulfilling experience. I love the cultural diversity and the interactive and exceptional learning environment."