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| Headlines |
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>>ART Briefs
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By : Katie Ellis
| Okpewho |
Isidore
Okpewho, professor of Africana Studies, has been named a distinguished
professor by the SUNY Board of Trustees. Okpewho has been recognized
for playing a seminal role in the development of the scholarly
understanding of oral traditions in African literature.
The
distinguished professor title, granted only by SUNY trustees, is the
highest academic rank possible and is conferred on individuals who have
achieved national or international prominence.
Okpewho joined the University’s faculty in 1991. His extensive research
into oral traditions and African tales involves ethnographic
investigations and the collection of narratives.
Named a Guggenheim Fellow last year, he will spend the next academic
year researching African mythology in the New World. His research will
help construct an identity for those who were brought to America from
Africa.
“When you examine a tale from Africa, you must look at the society from
which it comes and study the background of a tale’s transformation,” he
said. “Away from Africa, these people have a way of fashioning their
own identity and it’s reflected in the tales they tell.”
In nominating Okpewho, President Lois B. DeFleur said, “His prolific
writing demonstrates great diversity ranging from African oral
literature, to literary criticism and finally, to creative writing. One
is struck by the overwhelmingly positive assessment of his
contributions by distinguished national and international scholars.”
“It certainly makes a difference when you are recognized by your
peers,” Okpewho said. “When your colleagues listen to you, you know
you’re doing something worthwhile.”
Okpewho earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of London, his
PhD in comparative literature from the University of Denver and a
doctor of literature degree from the University of London. Prior to
coming to Binghamton, he taught at SUNY Buffalo, Ibadan University in
Nigeria and Harvard University.
He served as associate dean of graduate studies at Ibadan University
and as chair of the Department of English there. He has also chaired
the Department of Africana Studies at Binghamton.
A prolific writer, Okpewho is the author, co-author or editor of 14
books and dozens of articles. He has served on the boards of the
African Studies Association and the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis,
Minn. He is a member of the Research Advisory Council for Harvard’s
Center for the Study of World Religions and is a member of the American
Literature Association and the American Folklore Society. Okpewho also
serves on the editorial board of Oral Tradition and Research in African
Literatures and he has served on numerous campus committees.
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