05/20/2026
12 LLC faculty were recognized for their teaching this academic year via the U's Thank Your Teacher program ( www.albany.edu/teaching-and-learning/services/thank-your-teacher ). Thanks to Rana Al-Saedi, Mirna Alvarez, Nick Charnley, Caitlin Fanning, Charles Giglio, Caroline Herbelin, Ilka Kressner, Véronique Martin, Nelizbeth Muñoz, Christine Rant, Lotfi Sayahi, and Will Travers for your exceptional impression on your students! Here's what the students said:
RANA AL-SAEDI - AARA 101: Elementary Arabic I
“When I first added this class to my schedule, I didn't know what to think. My first ever semester of college was going to include an Arabic class. I was quite nervous heading in, as I had heard how tough the concepts were to grasp. My mind was immediately put at ease on the first day of class, as you gave off a confident and reassuring energy. The course material was laid out and our goals for each week were clearly defined and seemed very much possible. My initial feeling of regret for choosing such a difficult language for my degree requirement was eliminated and an educational spirit took over that motivated me to study and enjoy learning the language. Thank you for everything you did for the class that semester, I appreciated every minute. I can't wait for 102 next semester!”
MIRNA ALVAREZ - ASPN 100: Elementary Spanish I
“Thank you so much for a wonderful semester. You taught the material clearly and made every class engaging and enjoyable. I truly appreciated your kindness, patience, and understanding throughout the course. Your in person lessons helped me learn Spanish much more effectively, and I’m grateful for the support you provided.”
NICK CHARNLEY - AFRE 201: Perspectives on French World
Message shared with instructor only as per student request
CAITLIN FANNING - ASPN 201: Intermediate Spanish II
Message shared with instructor only as per student request
CHARLES GIGLIO - ACLL 101: Elementary Latin I
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Professor Giglio for his exceptional understanding throughout the semester and for consistently providing an engaging learning experience in his class.”
“Dear Professor Charlie, Thank you so much for being such a great, supportive, and understanding instructor this semester. Your patience, encouragement, and willingness to accommodate my needs made a huge difference for me. I truly appreciate the time and effort you put into helping me succeed in Latin, I truly enjoyed your class!! Thank you for everything, keeping being the great professor that you are!”
CAROLINE HERBELIN - Multiple courses
“Merci Madame for all your support since my freshman year at UAlbany and all of your extra help this semester. Je vous remercie!”
ILKA KRESSNER - Multiple courses
“Thank you for let me know in deep about other theory of Feminism that I did not know before to take your class.”
“Professor Ilka Kressner, PhD, is an amazing professor. She's super nice, respectful, always gives great advice, and is there whenever I need advice.
She's one of the best professors in the LLC department, always offering a fresh perspective and awesome feedback. I want to thank her for everything!!!!”
VERONIQUE MARTIN - Multiple courses
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to Professor Veronique Martin from the French Department, who has truly changed my life as a student. When I first started learning French, I never imagined I could reach the level of confidence and skill I have today. Her teaching style is not only effective, but incredibly inspiring. She pushed me in all the right ways, encouraged me to speak even when I was afraid, and challenged me to grow past my comfort zone. Because of her, I’ve become a better French speaker. Professor Martin creates a classroom environment where you feel supported, motivated, and valued. Every lesson, every correction, every moment she took to help me understand something made a tremendous difference. I improved because she never gave up on me. She is one of the best instructors I have ever had at UAlbany, and the impact she has made on my academic journey and my confidence will stay with me far beyond these classes. Thank you so much, Professor Martin, for your dedication, your patience, and the way you truly care about your students’ success.”
NELIZBETH MUNOZ - ASPN 100: Elementary Spanish I
Message shared with instructor only as per student request
CHRISTINE RANT - Multiple courses
“Thank you Mme. Rant for your continued support in my studies in language and culture, and for your encouragement to study abroad! Your efforts to make personal connections with your students do not go unnoticed, and it is my absolute honor to have been able to participate in your classes for two semesters. I will miss you!”
LOTFI SAYAHI - Multiple courses
“Thank you for your constant encouragement. Although I majored in Psychology during my undergraduate studies, you opened my eyes to how deeply Spanish mattered to me. You were the sole professor who not only encouraged me to pursue a master’s degree, but also who gave me the confidence and the job connection to begin my first teaching position while I was still in school. Because of your guidance, I had the unique opportunity to teach Spanish to children at 21 years old. You never beat around the bush. You gave advice with clarity and honesty and it will continue to shape me academically, professionally, and in life overall. Thank you!”
WILL TRAVERS - Multiple courses
“I am very happy that your time here at UAlbany lined up with mine, even if it was just in my senior year.
Coming into my final year at the university, in complete transparency, there was some burnout. I had been studying here for three years and started my undergrad degree right out of highschool. Of course, I love what I study. I would not be studying it if I didn't. But being a student for 16 years (since Kindergarden) has a way of making you feel like, "Man, when will this be over. " And by senior year, you're just kind of coasting. "Just one more year, and then I can move onto the next part." Which for me, was grad school to get a degree in education.
Your classes made me feel excited to come to the university every day. You did not just lecture; talk at us and expect us to answer questions. You challenged us. You made us think. And, most importantly, your classes always felt like a class-wide discussion where we could share ideas, challenge them, share experiences, and I always felt like I was learning something new and interesting every day. This is not always the case with every class.
I just want you to know that you took that burnout that I was feeling and reignited the passion that I have for the subject that I study. Even if I was having a more quiet, keep-to-myself kind of day, I was still always engaged. I was always thinking about class content outside of class. You inspired me to take on a third language, French, and even helped in the first steps for me to enroll in French classes. I cannot thank you enough for making me love what I study even more than I did from the start. And I cannot thank you enough for making me love my classes in my final year of undergrad.
So gracias, merci, obrigado, grazie, and grātiās tibi agō.”
“I really enjoyed your class Professor Travers. I gain a lot of knowledge of linguistic matters in this exquisite class.”
“Gracias, Professor, for such a fun and memorable semester! This was by far my favorite class this semester, and I am so glad I was able to take a class taught by you. You care a lot about your students and were great at teaching each chapter in depth, coming from a student who barely passed Spanish in middle/high school! You pushed me to make sure I understood what I was learning, and for that, I will forever thank you, as it made me strive for more than just memorizing; it made me actively learn to remember past college. ¡Gracias por un semestre divertido!”
Thank a UAlbany Teacher
