The Foreign Literature and Languages Department has been an integral part of the evolution of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Professors and full-time lecturers who have served the department over the years include Joseph Vinci, Wesley Panunzio, James Weeks, Antone Felix, Gregory Rocha, Maria Moreira, Lew Kamm, Mel Yoken, Eugene Masse, John Twomey, Maria Elisa Rocha, Giulio Massano, Deborah Lee, Suzanne Pelletier-Massano, Ida and Larry Washington, Joseph Bronstad, Christina Biron, Carlos Benavides, Michelle Cheyne, Stephanie O'Hara, and Xavier Echarri Mendoza.
Part-time lecturers who have enriched the Department with their dedication and enthusiasm include Jane Campbell, Karen Aruri Carnes, Dora Goncalves-Currey, Jorge DeAbreu, Noemia DeMelo, Daniel Ouellette, Michael Whitten, Fadia Youssef and Weihua Zhang.
The success of the language program at this University has been fostered by the continuing availability of the Foreign Language Lab, which opened its doors in the late 1960s under the direction of Robert Ouellette. The Language Lab is presently directed by Suzanne Pelletier-Massano.
The Department's first secretary, Dorothy Hanley, arrived in the late 1970s. Upon her death in 1981, Alcina Galego replaced her. Since that time, Alcina has been an essential and steadfast component in the efficient and successful operation of the Department.
While the University is growing and responding to the area's academic needs, the Foreign Literature and Languages Department continues to provide an integral component to a modern institution of higher education.
