Keynote Luncheon and Awards Reception Registration

Faculty Commons is excited to showcase the research endeavors of our faculty and hope you will show your support to your colleagues by registering to attend one or more of our research presentations taking place throughout the day at the 3rd Annual Faculty Research Symposium.

This year, Faculty Commons is excited to announce that our FRS Keynote Luncheon speaker will be Dr. Rashad Ahmed, Associate Professor of English and 2024 recipient of the Faculty Scholar Lecturer Award.
This year’s keynote luncheon will take place from 12:00-1:30 in B01 Merrill Hall. Faculty planning to attend the luncheon must register by October 28, 2024.

Please note that only the FRS Keynote Luncheon and the evening Awards Reception (5:00 PM) require online registration. All other event presentations will have on-site QR codes posted at session entrances.
Schedules for all presentations will be made available via Faculty Commons website after the call for submissions closes.

November 7, 2024, 12:00 Noon - 1:30 pm

  • Lunch Served from 12 - 12:30 pm
  • Keynote Address from 12:30 - 1:30 pm
  • Location B01 Merrill Hall

View FRS Keynote Flyer

Keynote Luncheon Featuring 2024 Faculty Scholar Lecturer

Rashad Ahmed Dr. Rashad Ahmed
Assistant Professor, English

Dr. Rashad Ahmed is an Associate Professor of Linguistics and TESOL at Jacksonville State University, with a multidisciplinary background in TESOL and Composition Studies. He has received several awards, fellowships, and scholarships, including a Fulbright Scholarship, the Applied Linguistics Concentration Award, a Summer Fellowship, and two community service awards. His research interests include Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL), Language Assessment, Digital Literacy, TESOL Methods, Sociolinguistics, and First-Year Composition.

Among his recent publications are an edited volume titled Enhancements and Limitations to ICT-Based Informal Language Learning: Emerging Research and Opportunities, and numerous peer-reviewed articles, including one in a top-ranked journal titled "Peer Review in Academic Writing: Different Perspectives from Instructors and Students."

In the past couple of years, he has reviewed several books, delivered around ten presentations and talks at international and regional conferences, and was elected to chair the Applied Linguistics Interest Section of TESOL International. Among his most recent projects is a translation collaboration with Dr. Carmine Di Biase, where they have worked on translating several poems. They presented this work last year and published one of the translations in a literary journal. You will get to see some of this latest work during the presentation today.

 

Keynote Lecture

"Verses and Algorithms: The Future of Literary Translation, with Guest Appearance from Dr. Carmine Di Biase"

Part I: In the first part of the presentation, Dr. Rashad Ahmed will provide a brief overview of his research, with a particular focus on the following topic: Verses and Algorithms: The Future of Literary Translation

This segment will present the findings of a comparative analysis that explores the differences between AI and human translators in the context of Arabic poetry—a genre distinguished by its intricate structure and profound cultural resonance. Traditional translation methods often struggle to preserve the artistic integrity of the original works, leading to a loss of meaning.

This study assesses AI's ability to capture essential poetic elements such as layout, rhyme, and thematic depth, highlighting both its potential and its limitations. The findings indicate that while AI can enhance the technical aspects of translation, the role of human translators remains vital in safeguarding cultural and artistic nuances.

Part II: In the second part of the presentation, Dr. Carmine Di Biase, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, English, will join Dr. Ahmed to discuss a translation project they have been collaborating on, followed by a bilingual poetry reading.

 

carmine dibiase

Guest Appearance by Dr. Carmine Di Biase
Distinguished Professor Emeritus, English