The American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) Minnesota Chapter is pleased to announce that Dr. Sarah Buchanan, professor at the University of Minnesota Morris, has been named the AATF Minnesota Chapter Teacher of the Year (2025-2026 school year). This award recognizes Dr. Buchanan’s outstanding commitment to teaching excellence, curricular innovation, scholarship, and student mentorship in French and Francophone studies.

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At a time when global awareness and inclusivity matter more than ever, Dr. Buchanan views teaching as a way to help students develop understanding, curiosity, and respect for diverse people, ideas, and cultures. Serving as a facilitator of learning in the over thirty-one courses that she has designed over the years, she prioritizes student engagement, critical thinking, and openness while creating dynamic classroom environments through a wide range of instructional approaches.

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Equally central to Dr. Buchanan’s work is her dedication to mentoring students, providing sustained academic and professional guidance that supports their success during and beyond their university experience. One former student, Dr. Tiwaloluwa A. Ajibewa, PhD, MS, of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, reflected on her impact:

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“Not only does Dr. Buchanan teach the texts and provide insight through her subject-matter expertise, but through her scholarship and teaching, she gives students the opportunity to delve deeper and make connections between the themes of the texts and our present context. Beyond being an excellent teacher, Dr. Buchanan is a remarkable human being who seeks to empower her students. I can honestly say that I would not be the scholar I am today without the impact and opportunities she provided for me.”

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Dr. Buchanan is also a leader in experiential learning. She has directed study abroad programs to France, Morocco, and Senegal, assisted with a political science study abroad course in Egypt, and led the French Club’s annual trip to Winnipeg for the Festival du Voyageur for over twelve years, with another trip scheduled for February. These experiences allow students to connect academic study with meaningful cultural immersion.

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In addition to her teaching, Dr. Buchanan is an accomplished scholar and active contributor to the academic community. She regularly writes and secures grants, serves as a keynote speaker and guest lecturer, and continually updates course content to reflect emerging scholarship. Her innovative teaching efforts have been supported through grant funding.

Dr. Janet A. S. Ericksen, Chancellor of the University of Minnesota Morris, praised Dr. Buchanan’s work, stating:

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“Innovative, collaborative, and responsive, unbelievably cheerful in the face of so many challenges in higher education, Sarah Buchanan continues to share effectively the vitality and importance of studying French, both for its own sake and as a means of making people and the world better. Her passion and rigor, determination and creativity, and the profound impact she has had on students’ lives have earned her recognition as Teacher of the Year.”​

 

Congratulations, Dr. Buchanan! We are honored to have you represent us.

 

Your AATF - Minnesota Chapter Executive Board