Dr. Gay Rawson was recently named Director of External Relations and Strategic Initiatives for Concordia Language Villages. She is also a professor at Concordia College, director of the Concordia Language Institute, and the lead instructor for the French program at Concordia’s Language Training Center. In recognition of her work promoting the French language and culture, she was named a chevalier (knight) of the Ordre des Palmes académiques by the French Ministry of Education.
An expert in teaching pedagogy with experience teaching pre-K-18 and adult learners, she received the Reuel and Alma Wije Distinguished Professorship Award at Concordia College (2022-24), the Ole and Lucy Flaat Distinguished Teaching Award at Concordia College (2021-24), and the ACTFL/Cengage Postsecondary Award for Excellence in Foreign Language Instruction Using Technology with IALLT (2020). She presents internationally on technology, foreign language pedagogy, study abroad programs, business languages, literature, cross-cultural/intercultural communicative competence, and relationships between literature/medicine. She has led numerous study abroad programs in Cambodia, Cameroon, France, Germany, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Switzerland, and Vietnam. She was the instructional lead for a STARTALK Chinese teacher-training program and served as chair of the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Concordia College for a number of years.
An Ohio native, she was drawn to the mission of Concordia Language Villages and Concordia College and has made the Fargo-Moorhead and Bemidji areas her home for nearly 25 years. She is passionate about sharing the magic that happens at CLV with more people and looks forward to serving in this new role.