Juliacie Dieuvel, a first-year graduate student working toward a degree in speech-language pathology in the Stony Brook University School of Health Professions, is the first recipient of the Georges E. Fouron Education Legacy Scholarship.
Fouron is a professor in the Department of Africana Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the scholarship was established by his children to support undergraduate or graduate students at Stony Brook who have a passion for teaching underserved, immigrant and at-risk communities.
Fouron has taught thousands of students and more than 200 undergraduate and graduate classes. Many of his former students still reach out to him for professional advice and support. He has said that he is most proud of the number of teachers he has and continues to train and develop during his tenure at Stony Brook. In 2021, he won the COVID Teaching Hero Award at the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching’s Celebration of Teaching.
Eligible students must be enrolled as a full–time undergraduate or graduate student at Stony Brook and demonstrate high academic achievement as defined by Stony Brook policy. Preference is given to students who demonstrate financial need based upon the completion of a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), as determined by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Services.
“To all of us in Africana Studies, and I think at Stony Brook University, Professor Georges Fouron is a model,” said Patrice Nganang, professor and chair in the Department of Africana Studies. “I remember his voice resonating on the floor of the University Senate, and it was before I became a member of the faculty in the Department of Africana Studies. This is a wonderful tribute to one who, to us, is a moral and intellectual compass.”
“I would like to thank my children for having bestowed this great honor upon me,” Fouron said. “As long as I can remember, my passion has been in teaching and my life’s goal has been to be the best teacher I could ever be. This great honor is a recognition of my dedication to that noble endeavor. I also wish to thank Stony Brook, especially the thousands of students I have taught through my 37 years at this great institution, to have given me the opportunity to fulfill my life’s dream.”
“I am sincerely honored to be selected as the inaugural recipient of the Georges E. Fouron Scholarship,” Dieuvel said. “I appreciate the generosity and support of Professor Fouron and his children who have made this scholarship possible. In the future, I look forward to giving back and helping other students achieve their goals, just as this has helped me.”
In her winning essay, Dieuvel expressed a desire to be a representative for children in underprivileged communities. Dieuvel wrote of her involvement as the founding president of the Caribbean Students Union at Stony Brook and her development of the Black STEM program, which connects students of color within their major who are interested in pursuing a profession in a STEM field.
This is so great! So happy for our students!