Faculty Spotlight: Sarah Osborn, Ph.D

A large hoop draped with a multitude of vibrantly colored scarves hangs on the wall across from Dr. Osborn’s meeting table. During our interview, she told me that the scarves are souvenirs from the many trips she has taken around the world, the diversity of scarves hinting at the diversity of student backgrounds she interacts with semester after semester. Dr. Osborn previously worked with International Studies at UNO and was formerly the Director of ILUNO: https://www.unomaha.edu/international-studies-and-programs/iluno/index.php and IPD but has since moved to the English Department. She still plays an administrative role in her current position, but she changed departments to return to teaching.

In her administration role as the China Coordinator, Dr. Osborn is working with universities in China to ensure student preparedness for studying at UNO. In the weeks following spring break, Dr. Osborn will be traveling to Guangzhou College of Commerce (GCC) in China to direct the first official English Proficiency Placement Exam outside the United States. The exam is designed to see which composition courses students will be ready for when they come to UNO. The GCC students are participating in what is known as a dual-degree program where the first two years will be completed in Guangzhou, and their degree will be completed here at UNO. Dr. Osborn articulated that since writing is so important in college course work, both universities need to be sure that the students are ready to participate in 3000-4000 level Business classes that will be conducted in English.

The primary motivator for Dr. Osborn’s return to the English Department is her “love [of] teaching.” This semester she is teaching ESL II, a class that prepares students who aren’t native English speakers for collegiate courses administered in English. The ESL courses form a track that leads into Composition and hopefully student success. For some students, these courses are the gateway to both the college experience and a foreign culture. Dr. Osborn shared that “instructors are the first point of contact,” and students approach her with both language and culture issues. Currently she is working on a hybrid course that combines ESL I and II into a single 6-credit hour course. Her goal for the hybrid class is to give students more exposure to course work while also being conscious of the time constraints of international students. Her other future projects center around a single idea: “I want to be a resource.” Whether that means helping professors with students who speak English as a second language or organizing a lab that focuses on English issues outside the Writing Center’s purpose. When asked why she decided to move to the English Department, the enthusiastic professor replied that it “gives me everything I want!”