University Communications and Marketing

April 20, 2009

Contacts:

Associated Students of Montana State University Billings, 657-2365
Dan Carter, University Relations, 657-2269

Free talk set for Thursday, April 23

MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES — A special lecture this week sponsored by Montana State University Billings students focuses on issues relating to self esteem and Muslim women.

The next ASMSUB Faculty Lecture features Dr. Tasneem Khaleel, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Her lecture is on “Self Esteem and Rights of Muslim Women” and will be Thursday, April 23 at 12:30 p.m. in LA 205 on the MSU Billings main campus, 1500 University Drive.

The event is free and open to students, faculty, staff and the community.

Student leaders in the Associated Students of Montana State University Billings are sponsoring a series of lectures this spring designed to give faculty and deans an opportunity to give a single lecture that best illustrates their zeal for teaching, learning or research.

Born and educated in India, Khaleel bonded with science early in her post-secondary career. She did not want to explore medical school (which was in high demand for she and her siblings when she was growing up) but instead wanted to study botany.

She obtained her master’s degree by the time she was 19, but found her options were limited. So she was able to convince the leaders of Bangalore University to establish a Ph.D. program. In 1970, she was the first female graduate of that program.

She and her husband, S.A. Khaleel, a noted veterinarian, moved to Montana in 1976 from Pennsylvania and she joined the faculty of what was at that time Eastern Montana College. She worked as a popular professor of biology and was an accomplished researcher. From 1993-96, she served as director of graduate studies and research, and chair of the Department of Modern Languages at the University.

She received the Distinguished Professor Award for Scholarly Research from the EMC Foundation in 1980, and the Faculty Achievement Award that same year.  In 1992, Khaleel was portrayed as a “role model” in the Northwest College & University Association for Sciences’ publication “NORCUS.” 

In 1993, she received her second Faculty Achievement Award for Scholarly Research. 

In 1995, she received the prestigious Mershon Award for Outstanding Montana Researcher from the Montana Academy of Sciences.  In 1997, she received the Outstanding Faculty Award from the Associated Students of MSU Billings; and, in 2002, received the Faculty Achievement Award for the third time. She was appointed dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 2005.

For more information on the ASMUSB Faculty Lectures, contact the student government office at 657-2365.