BU President Melissa Gilliam Visits African Studies Center (ASC)

by Tejal Pednekar (MS ‘25)

On October 30, 2025, Dr. Melissa Gilliam, President of Boston University, visited the African Studies Center (ASC) to engage with the Africanist community and learn more about the center’s ongoing projects and future undertakings. She was warmly welcomed by Dr. Nimi Wariboko, Director of ASC and Scott Taylor, Dean of Pardee School of Global Studies. The event was moderated by Melissa Martin, Assistant Director of ASC. 

Dean Taylor opened the meeting by expressing his deep appreciation for the center, recalling how comforted and encouraged he felt by the strength of ASC when he accepted the role of dean at Pardee. Describing ASC as “a gem of the university,” he underscored its instrumental role in attracting outstanding scholarly talent from all over the country and world. Dean Taylor also emphasized Pardee and ASC’s collective objective to amplify the center’s visibility and promote it as a shared university resource and not just one that’s restricted to the international relations community. 

Dr. Wariboko echoed Dean Taylor’s sentiments and highlighted the center’s longstanding legacy of over seven decades, making it one of the oldest African Centers in the United States. He also called attention to the center’s vision that aims to serve broader communities in arts and sciences at Boston University, as well as institutions across the Boston area. 

Speakers, including Professor Fallou Ngom, Professor Zoli Mali, and Dr. Elsa Wiehe provided deeper insights into the center’s current programmatic initiatives. They highlighted the ASC’s partnerships with teachers across the country, Boston-area schools, higher education institutions, and nonprofits to advance the K-16 Education Program; the prioritization of language programs, with courses offered in eight African languages to inspire a holistic understanding of the continent; and opportunities for field research and language acquisition through study in Africa..

Besides faculty, students Jacob Rivelli (MAIA ’26), Josh Roberts (CAS ’26), and Coumba Konate (CAS ’26) also shared how their academic journeys were elevated through the ASC. Rivelli expressed gratitude for ASC’s collaboration with the African Studies Library, which provided him access to a treasure trove of rare books on the continent and its languages. 

For African linguistics and languages major Roberts, ASC has been his “home base” since he moved to Boston from Los Angeles for college. In just four years at BU, he has already mastered three African languages thanks to his instructors’ unwavering support and through study opportunities in South Africa and Kenya, which have also enabled him to conduct field research in Swahili.  

Konate, on the other hand, credits ASC for having a transformative impact on both her personal and academic life. She mentioned how learning the Wolof language helped her connect with her heritage, enriching daily interactions at home and within her community. Likewise, she noted that if it wasn’t for ASC, she might have never discovered Ajami, a script that uses Arabic-related letters to write African languages which she has been able to 

President Gilliam expressed appreciation of the ASC’s reach and impact, as well as the experiences and insights shared. During the final segment of the meeting, she led a spirited discussion with the faculty and students, inquiring about sustaining in-depth teaching methods for language programs and the center’s plans for collaboration with the rest of the campus. After the meeting, President Gilliam was accompanied by Dr. Cynthia Becker, Dr. Elsa Wiehe, Director Nimi Wariboko and Dean Scott Taylor for a brief tour of the African Studies Center, showcasing artwork, student involvement in art curation, and the Teaching Africa Library.