Millennium Magazine_5th Ed

109 Millennium - A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine G rowing up, Dr. Rafika Merini’s mother was an artist and her father was a lover of reading in their spare time. Naturally, Dr. Merini picked up on the same interests. She received a BA in English, cum laude, in 1978 and an MA in romance languages and literature in 1981, both from the University of Utah. From 1980 to 1982, she attended the University of Washington, and in 1992, she obtained a PhD in comparative literature from Binghamton University. In 1988, she became certified in translation by Binghamton University. At the inception of her career in 1978, Dr. Merini was a teaching assistant at the University of Utah until 1980 and the University of Washington until 1982. For one year, aided by her exceptional ability to learn and teach languages, she served as an administrative assistant, French teacher, interpreter and translator at the International Language School in Seattle. In 1983, Dr. Merini was a lecturer at Pacific Lutheran University, and from 1983 to 1985, she was a French and Spanish instructor at Pierce College (Fort Steilacoom C.C.). Between 1985 and 1988, Dr. Merini was a teaching assistant at Binghamton University in the departments of romance languages, women’s studies and comparative literature. She was a visiting instructor of the humanities and French at Union College and in Skidmore College’s department of foreign languages. Since 1990, Dr. Merini has been an assistant and then associate professor within the department of modern and classical languages at the State University College at Buffalo. Notably, Dr. Merini is the author of the 1999 work, re-issued in 2001, “Two Major Francophone Women Writers, Assia Djébar and Leïla Sebbar: A Thematic Study of Their Works,” and is also a contributor to professional publications. For her work, Dr. Merini has been interviewed by The Pioneer, Fort Steilacoom C.C. newspaper; WBNY; Radio-Canada; FranceInter, Radio- France (Allo la Planete); RadiodiffusionTelevisionMarocaine; andThe Buffalo News. She frequently gives lectures and workshops at conferences. Dr. Merini is a member of the Modern Language Association and the Northeast Modern Language Association. From 2003 to 2019, she was a board member of the Faculty-Student Association. RAFIKA MERINI, PHD HUMANITIES EDUCATOR State University College at Buffalo Buffalo, NY EDUCATION