She has also been presented with the 2015 Outstanding Administrator Award by the Alabama Association of Foreign Language Teachers (AAFLT). “I'm honored to have been recognized by the state organization where I first started volunteering and serving,” she says of the award.Dr. Danielou is also an Associate Professor of French and Interim Chair of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. In her 25 years at UAB, she has directed the International Studies Program, been named the SGA Faculty Member of the Year and Faculty Advisor of the Year, and won the UAB Conner Prize for the History of Ideas and the UAB President’s Excellence in Teaching Award.
The AATF was founded in 1927, and with nearly 10,000 members, it is the largest national association of French teachers in the world. Dr. Danielou has been a member of the organization since 1989, has been the AATF-elected Region IV Representative since 2010, and served on the organization’s steering committee and Conference Proceedings editorial board. She has served the organization in Alabama, and has also been the Vice-President and President of the state level chapter of the AATF. Her other awards and honors include the French Government’s Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques distinction, The AAFLT Outstanding Foreign Language Teacher Award, Postsecondary; and the AATF-Alabama Prix d’Excellence.
Dr. Danielou says that as an academic, she can make an impact on her profession, but that her work can be as practical as it is scholarly. “Serving my profession has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career,” she says. “I don’t believe in working in a vacuum or from an ivory tower. Our purpose as educators and world citizens should have meaning in a context that’s larger than our university’s and that’s connected to what my colleagues do and believe in, in Alabama and beyond.”
Dr. Danielou adds that her role at UAB helps bridge gaps between higher ed and professional organizations and allows her to see a bigger picture of the university experience, the language policymaking in Washington, the work of advocacy groups, and the challenges that K-12 educators are facing. “I have been able to contribute at the state level in different capacities and represent the Southeast region. It’s helping me be better-rounded,” she says.
Her goals as AAFT president include strategic planning, fostering meaningful and significant relationships between K-12 and university-level teachers; encouraging K-12 teachers to take on new projects; conveying the importance of innovative digital learning, curriculum redesign and global leadership; and growing membership.
Dean Robert E. Palazzo says given her work ethic, it’s no surprise Dr. Danielou has been recognized by and named to leadership positions of her professional organizations. “Catherine plays a critical role in the administration of the College of Arts and Sciences, he says. “As a scholar and selfless contributor to her field of research, along with her commitment to furthering the international academic enterprise, she is well prepared to extend her leadership roles to state and national societies. As her colleague, I am delighted by the well-deserved recognition of her achievements and confident that she will make significant contributions to advancing the interests of foreign language instructors at home and abroad in her new role.”
