Harriot College honors faculty excellence through professorships

This fall, East Carolina University’s Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences appointed three faculty members to prestigious professorships that represent a breadth of knowledge and excellence in teaching and research within the arts and sciences.

Dr. Marame Gueye, a professor in the Department of English who has worked at ECU since 2007, is the Thomas W. Rivers Distinguished Professor for Global Understanding/International Studies.

Dr. Javier Lorenzo, a professor at ECU since 2002, is the McMahan Distinguished Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.

Dr. Lester Zeager, a professor at ECU since 1986, is the Harold C. Troxler Distinguished Professor in the Department of Economics.

Each of the professorships will be held through the 2026 academic year. The professorships may provide each faculty member with salary support, professional travel, conference participation, academic and professional dues, and more.

Dr. Marame Gueye (Photos by Rhett Butler)

Thomas W. Rivers Distinguished Professor for Global Understanding/International Studies in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences

The Thomas W. Rivers Distinguished Professor for Global Understanding/International Studies is named after the late Thomas W. Rivers, who had a passion for exploring the world and interacting with other cultures. The purpose of the fund is to allow selected scholars to be actively engaged in significant research with an international dimension; share the results of this research with the university community through seminars, classes, conferences and other suitable means, as well as with the broader scholarly community through publications; serve as a consultant to departments and interdisciplinary programs in the college to help them increase their international dimensions; and lead the university community to see the value of a more global campus.

The nominating committee, along with Dr. Allison Danell, dean of Harriot College, said they were impressed with Gueye. They said her extraordinary volume of international scholarship in African and African diaspora literature will further connect her research with the community.

“I felt honored to receive the professorship,” Gueye said. “This professorship will allow me to contribute further to ECU’s dynamic internationalization mission.”

McMahon Distinguished Professorship in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures

Dr. Javier Lorenzo

Knowledge of a foreign language is indispensable for many individuals and leaders in education, business, media, social work and many other professions. Therefore, the purpose of the McMahon Distinguished Professorship in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures is to allow the department to retain an eminent scholar and teacher at the rank of full professor who will serve as a role model for faculty and students at ECU. Duties include continuing to actively engage in significant research in foreign languages and literatures, and engaging in scholarly programming such as seminars, workshops, or other activities to increase the profile and appreciation of foreign languages and literatures at ECU.

“I am deeply honored to receive this professorship,” said Lorenzo. “It provides invaluable resources that will support my research in early modern Hispanic literature and culture. I’m especially excited to use this opportunity to advance the mission of the department by creating meaningful research experiences for both undergraduate and graduate students.”

Danell and the committee were impressed with the archival research Lorenzo plans to conduct in Spain’s National Library and at the Hispanic Society of America and said that it will help showcase the importance of studying foreign languages and literatures.

“The professorship will also allow students to collaborate with me on a translation project exploring the transatlantic and multilingual origins of Hispanism as an academic discipline,” Lorenzo said. “Additionally, I plan to use the professorship’s resources to strengthen our department’s study abroad initiatives by fostering partnerships with local businesses to enhance student engagement and immersion in foreign languages and cultures.”

Dr. Lester Zeager

Harold C. Troxler Distinguished Professorship in the Department of Economics

The Harold C. Troxler Distinguished Professorship in the Department of Economics is made possible by a generous gift from Harold C. Troxler. Over the years, the department has earned a reputation for excellence in teaching and research. Therefore, the person holding the professorship is expected to continue to generate substantial research visibility; interact with department faculty and students via scholarly programming or other special opportunities, placing special attention on mentoring and engagement; and engage with communities throughout North Carolina.

“The committee was impressed with Dr. Zeager’s vision for the professorship, which involves creating and launching a dashboard for North Carolina’s counties that will track metrics of wellbeing beyond income, such as education and health,” said Danell. “The groundwork he has laid for this project positions him well for success.”

Zeager said the professorship will enable him to “cap a lifetime of research on poverty” and that his project will create a system for monitoring the most vulnerable people in North Carolina’s 100 counties and bring their needs to the attention of researchers and policy makers.

“I feel honored to be selected for this position. It is the highest honor of my professional career,” he said.

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