GREENVILLE, Pa.—Thiel College Professor of Biology Fatimata Palé, Ph.D., was recently selected as an outstanding runner-up for the Professor of the Year competition in Talk Magazine, a Pennsylvania magazine covering diversity and inclusion issues in higher education.
Palé was one of three professors in Pennsylvania recognized by the 57-year-old African-American publication.
“These are not only outstanding professors but outstanding universities (and colleges). They don’t only give lip service about their inclusion and diversity, they practice it daily,” said Talk Magazine publisher Luther J. Sewell Jr. “In the academic environment, there are institutions and employers that welcome black and other minority people with positive learning and growing experiences and economically successful careers. Talk Magazine congratulates Dr. Fatimata Palé of Thiel College as part of Talk Magazine’s Outstanding Professors for her outstanding work teaching sustainable agriculture, conservation and the importance of plant science as an essential part of a well-rounded education.”
Palé has been a professor at Thiel College, a leading liberal arts college in northwest Pennsylvania, since 1998 and connects with students in a variety of ways. She sits on an administration board for sending students on study abroad programs and develops new curriculum initiatives. Palé is working on a sustainable agriculture program for the College. She has special interests in conservation, foreign languages and ethnobotany.
“Dr. Palé is a distinguished academic. Her passion for students and her science makes her a lifelong mentor for the Thiel community,” said Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College Liz Frombgen, Ph.D. “Her efforts are an important part of helping all Thiel College students develop a foundation as well-rounded scientists, scholars and community members, who appreciate and strive for environmental conservation.”
Palé is involved in an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America supported project to empower faculty in science. She is investigating propagules of wetland plants in northwestern Pennsylvania. She also contributes to the survey of wild fruits of Africa with an emphasis on wild fruits of Burkina Faso and is investigating bioenergies in Burkina Faso with a focus on non-food crops.
Palé was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in 2011–2012. She received an M.S. in ecology and geography from the University of Knoxville in 1994 and a Ph.D. in ecology and resource management from the University of Bordeaux III in 1986. She earned an M.S. in botany from the University of Paris VI in 1979 and an M.S. in botany from University of Orléans, France in 1979. She studied chemistry biology and general biology at the University of Dakar, Sénégal in 1974. Palé received her B. S. in 1972 from College de La Salle Ouagadougou; Upper Volta/ Burkina Faso.
About Thiel College
Thiel College is an independent college founded in the Lutheran tradition. Located in Greenville, Pa., the College offers 60 majors and minors, 24 varsity sports, and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio. The College is also home to a new Master of Science in speech-language pathology and 2Master of Business Administration. Both master’s degree programs offer innovative and accelerated five-year paths which allow students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The speech-language pathology program also has an accelerated 15-month graduate-level program. The M.B.A. program also has a 12-month post-graduate program.A dedicated faculty paired with dynamic research and internship opportunities produce numerous graduate school and job placements. Coeducational from its beginnings, the College remains committed to combining tradition with innovation as it celebrates 150 years.