Amani Wazwaz: 2025 POY Finalist

Professor, Communications and Literature

Coordinator, Speech and Foreign Languages

Video Link: https://morainevalley.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=7d95b056-b2c1-4e15-9813-b27d0160b718

Ballot Information

Classes and Student Support

Instructor for Communications 101

  • Have created and continue to create activities and games to inspire and develop writing skills for this class and all my classes.

  • Student support through conferences beyond office hours.

Instructor for Communications 102, Source Based Course

  • Research and writing topics vary every year. At times, I adopt the One Book One College selection. Other times, I adopt books and movies that engage in current day issues.

  • During the pandemic, the primary source was the film, Contagion, and a play created by Jenny Lamb, former instructor at MVVC. Responding to the social distancing mandated by the pandemic, Jenny’s play was performed as a series of dialogues through WebEx.

Instructor for Literature Classes

  • All classes feature multiethnic and international literature selections

  • A wide range of literature has been taught throughout the years

    • One former student has been reading close to two to three Japanese fiction books per month after taking Non-Western Literature

    • Students return and discuss books they are reading

Recommendation Letters Writer and Reader of Personal Statements

  • for students going on to four year institutions

  • I have been writing recommendation letters personally tailored specifically to each student for twenty years.

  • Students have emailed to share with me their acceptance to four year colleges, being granted scholarships and gaining employment.

Teaching Awards

  • Master Teacher Award, 2021

  • Master Teacher Nominee, several nominations

  • Professor of the Year Nominee, many nominations over the years

  • Professor of the Year Nominee, a few years ago, nominated by eight students and one colleague (one of the most uplifting and also humbling experiences of my life)

College Service

Member: Hiring Committees

  • Many, including several from my Communications department, Humanities, Automotive, Managing Theater Director, and Instructional Manager positions. One was for an administrative position.

Faculty Mentor to three new colleagues

Assessment Leader

  • Assessment Committee for American Literature I and II (From 2015/2016 to roughly 2023)

  • Assessment Committee for Introduction to Poetry (2024 to present)

Founder of and Contributor to Moraine Reads Project (Two and a half year project)

  • Moraine Reads was a joint Library and Communications project aimed at promoting reading among MVCC students, staff, faculty, and administrators. It began during the pandemic in 2020.

  • Ninety Moraine Reads videos were contributed by faculty, staff and students for roughly two and a half years.

Faculty Member: MOAICS: Muslim Voices in America , Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and APAP Associaiton of Performing Arts Presenters

With great appreciation to Tommy Hensel, who led the MOSAIC project and supported my efforts throughout the duration of this project.

  • House of Wisdom Dress up as Scholars from the Muslim Golden Age during Fall and Spring Fest

  • COM 102 Research Projects and Micro Non Fiction Creative Projects 

  • Chris Matusek’s art students created posters based on the creative and research writing projects from COM 102. (Two-year project)

  • House of Wisdom Library Lectures

    • “The Alchemist Chemist: The Unnecessary Divide in the Life of Jabbir Ibn Hayyan”

    • “Measuring, Mapping and Observing the World: House of Wisdom Scientists” (invited to give this presentation at Westmont Public Library)

    • “A Biologist from Long Ago: The Accomplishments and Works of Al-Jahiz, a Ninth Century Polymath”

    • “Avicenna: The Often Forgotten Philosopher”

    • “The Role of the House of Wisdom: Translating, Preserving and Creating New Knowledge

  • House of Wisdom Library Panelist

    • “Bringing Mystical Sufi Music to Modern Audiences”

  • MOSAICS: Classroom Visits of Performing Artists from Muslim Majority Countries and or the United States:

  • International and Multiethnic Global experiences: Student exposure to and participation in creative processes and performing arts from different Muslim cultures.

  • I changed parts of the class activities and lessons to tailor to the visits by these performing artists.

    • Visiting Artists to Non-Western and African American Literature classes

      • The Reminders – interactive lecture led by performing artists Aja Black and Samir who explained the continued connections between African and African American cultures and the significance of call and response.

      • Innov Gnawa – music group from Morrocco – students danced and played music with the musicians and learned about the style of music.

      • Amirah Sackett – One older Muslim student expressed her pride in this “Muslim woman who has embraced Hip Hop culture.”

      • Omar Offendum lectured on the creative poetry writing process along with performing some of his poetry.

      • Members of Niyaz gave lectures on the creative process and encouraged students’ own creativity.

      • Willow Wison, author of Ms. Marvel comics

  •  MOSAICS Project: Oral Interpretation Project

    • Multifaith and multiethnic group of students performed selections from poetry and prose from Muslim majority nations and Muslim American backgrounds.

  • Presentation about MOSAICS project at Community Colleges for International Development

  • “Collaborative Global Education: Building Bridges of Understanding Between Muslim and Other Communities”

Black History Month presenter and facilitator

With deep appreciation for Tianna Richards (Manager, Multicultural Student Affairs) who has invited me to present and or facilitate student presentations during Black History Month.

  • Presenter – “The Movements: A Celebration of African Americans in the Arts”

  • Facilitator – “Uncover 1919: A Discussion of Eve Ewing’s 1919”

  • Facilitator (of student presentations) – “Monologues from African-American History”

  • Presenter – “Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom”

  • Facilitator – “Live Museum and Monologues Project: A Black History Month Event”

  • Presenter – “Black Excellence in Literature: A Black History Month Event”

Professional Development and Award

  • National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute, Montgomery College & Howard University: “Concepts of Black Diaspora in the United States: Identity and Connections among African, Afro-Caribbean, and African American Communities”

Library Panelist

I wish to thank Troy Swanson and Tish Hayes for inviting me to be part of the panel discussions.

Selected List

  • “Stitched & Staged: Faculty Members Share their Favorite Versions of Frankenstein”

  •  “I, Robot, Frankenstein, and the 2019-2020 One Book, One College”

  • “American Individualism: Disciplinary Perspectives Drawn from Kristen Radtke’s Seek You”

  • “Radically Unchanged: Reading Eve Ewing’s 1919”

  • “Poetry as the Voice of Experience: A Discussion of Eve Ewing’s 1919”

  • “The Hero’s Journey & the Power of Myth”

Collaboration with Colleagues at MVCC

Thank you all!

With Mike Renehan

  • Recommended Books to add to the Arabic library collection

  • Presenter during International Education Week

  • “Student Research: The Quest to Make Sense of Different Cultures’ Responses to the Pandemic”

  • “NonWestern Authors”

With Chris Matusek

  • Communications and Art Paired Learning MOSAICS Activity (two year activity)

With Lisa Couch

  • Encouraging my students to submit articles and creative work to Velocity

Learning College Day presenter & Staff Development Day presenter

I have been presenting for close to twenty years. Below is a selected list.

  • Film and Discussion of International and or Multiethnic Movies: Parasite, Orphanage, US, Le Grande Voyage, District 9, Colors of Paradise

  • Indian Movie Recommendations

  • Representations of disability in film with a film viewing of Forrest Gump.

  • Critiquing the Image of the Physically Disabled in Movies

  • Reading Powerful Speeches: Frederick Douglass “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” and John Brown’s Last Speech

  • Reading Important Literature: Selections from Toni Morrison’s Beloved

  • African American Book Recommendations: The Street

  • African American Book Recommendations: Octavia Butler’s Kindred

  • Frederick Douglass Succeeding (my own performance)

  • End of the Day Gratitude Meditation (several sessions for many years)

  • Learning to Crochet and other crochet sessions

  • Tatreez

  • The Arabic Alphabet

  • Arabic Poetry

  • Using Metaphor to Enhance Student Learning

NFO Presenter

  • Various presentations on issues in Disability Studies, Arabic culture and engaging class activities

Literary Competition Judge

  • 20 years of encouraging students to submit to the writing contest

  • 19 years of judging contest entries

Former Member of Honor’s Committee

  • Taught two Honor’s Learning Community Classes

Former Anime Club Advisor (two to three years)

Former Member of Faculty Development Committee (Two years)

Conference Presentations

  • Pre-recorded presentation on “Teaching Counternarratives at Moraine Valley Community College: Authenticating Practices.” This presentation was displayed at the 2024 CCID (Community Colleges for International Development).

  • Midwest Popular Culture Association Conference: Teaching Ideas for Popular Culture Studies. “Teaching Naguib Mahfouz’s Midaq Alley through the Novel and Film Versions”

  • Midwest Popular Culture Association Conference: “Poisonous Plants, Mysterious Wallpapers and Mind Control: Silvia-Moreno Garcia’s Mexican Gothic and its American Literary Influences.”    

  • Midwest Popular Culture Association Conference, “Reclaiming the Images of Enslavement and the Body in Pain: David Walker, Damon Smyth and Marissa Louise’s Graphic Novel, The Life of Frederick Douglass: A Graphic Narrative of a Slave’s Journey from Bondage to Freedom.” 

  • Midwest Popular Culture Association Conference, “The Subaltern Speaks: Roberta Fernandez’s ”

Community Service

  • Westmont Public Library Presenter on Islamic Golden Age scholars

    • Presented to community women interested in history of astronomy and science

  • MOSAICS: Muslim Voices in America: Building Bridges of Understanding between Muslim and non-Muslim communities – Two visits to Washington DC

    • In dialogue with faculty and staff from other colleges participating in Building Bridges programs across the nation

    • Recommended two students to visit Washington DC and talk about their experiences with MOSAICS program with other students from different colleges and universities in similar Building Bridges programs

  • Participated in MOSAICS: Muslim Voices in America Community Night at MVCC.

  • Virtual Presentation at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIUE) to English Education Students in ENG Seminar: Giving an Account of the Body: How to Teach Race, Class and Gender

    • “Female Entrapment in Contemporary Mexican-Canadian writer Silvia-Moreno Garcia’s Mexican Gothic”