Danny Tetteh-Richter is Senior Instructional Designer in the Office of Learning & Technology at Rose-Hulman, where he has worked since 2015. In his role, he helps Rose-Hulman faculty design, develop and implement interactive, engaging and effective courses through various modalities, including in-class, online, and hybrid, whether synchronous or asynchronous.
CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND WHAT LED YOU TO ROSE-HULMAN?
I grew up in a mountainous town in Ghana called Akosombo, meaning “the place of boulders/rocks.”
It is a small town where everyone knew everyone. Luckily, the first town I lived in when I first came to the U.S. for my graduate studies was Morgantown, West Virginia, which was also green and mountainous just like my hometown.
What led me to Rose-Hulman? I loved that it was in a small, family friendly town. It didn't hurt that it was one of the best small private universities for science and engineering. Also, my wife, who studied French, said Terre Haute meant “high ground,” so we assumed it was going to be as mountainous as Morgantown. It's been almost six years and we are still looking for those mountains!
Lack of mountains aside, I enjoy working at Rose-Hulman. It truly has that family oriented environment that everyone talked about. There is such an innovative culture that inspires creativity, especially amongst my colleagues. Rose offers a supportive work environment. I have made lifelong friends here.
HOW HAVE YOU BROUGHT YOUR UNIQUE CULTURE TO ROSE-HULMAN?
As a foreigner, I enjoy learning about other cultures, just as much as I like sharing mine. I don’t require a lot of nudging to share stories about my home, Ghana, our unique way of giving names, tonal languages, etc. Similarly, I am just as eager to learn about cultures and Rose has a variety of them!
ARE THERE SPECIFIC WAYS YOU’VE SEEN ROSE-HULMAN SUPPORT YOU AS A BLACK STAFF MEMBER?
I have been a part of a reading club where we reviewed subjects directly relating to race. While the topic is sensitive. I enjoyed the open and honest discussions. The institution’s acknowledgement of MLK Day and Kwanzaa also help reinforce the supportive environment. I enjoy the multicultural activities that are organized on campus for faculty, staff and students and look forward to returning to such events on campus in person.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE ABOUT BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?
Personally, while it is a time to reflect on the courage and sacrifices of giants like Martin Luther King Jr., it is also a time to appreciate multiculturalism, as it makes our lives richer and fuller.
