Romance Languages professor honored by University of Caen

Honorary doctorates are reserved for those individuals who have positively influenced the lives of those around them through word and deed. Recently, the University of Caen in France recognized this distinction in a University of Missouri-Columbia professor.

Marvin Lewis, professor of Spanish, received an honorary doctorate from the University of Caen and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in recognition of his significant research on Afro-Romance literature. Chosen from a pool of 44 nominees to receive the award, Lewis’ research on countries such as Argentina, Peru and Venezuela has made a significant impact on the field of Afro-Romance literature.

"I never expected such an honor would be bestowed upon me," said Lewis. "I accepted the award in recognition of all Afro-Romance scholars."

Lewis is director of the MU Afro-Romance Institute for Languages and Literature of the African Diaspora, the country’s only focus area in the field. The institute’s primary aim is to bring the literature of African-American writers of French, Portuguese and Spanish expression into the academic mainstream. The institute offers courses at both the graduate and undergraduate level, holds conferences featuring Afro-Romance writers and publishes two academic journals.

Lewis joined the MU faculty in 1986. He is founder of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association and co-editor of the Afro-Hispanic Review and the Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association. He has written six books, including Afro-Hispanic Poetry, 1940 - 1980: From Slavery to Negritude in South American Verse and his latest book, Afro-Uruguayan Literature: Post-Colonial Perspectives. Lewis received his doctorate from the University of Washington-Seattle in 1974.

Additional links:

Afro-Romance Institute for Languages and Literatures of the African Diaspora
Department of Romance Languages and Literatures

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