Title: Assistant Professor and Writer
Company: Purdue University
Location: West Lafayette, Indiana, United States
Maurice Tetne, PhD, Assistant Professor at Purdue University, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements and leadership in French and Francophone Studies.
Dr. Tetne is recognized for his passion for education and authorship, currently holding a joint appointment in French studies and African American studies at Purdue University, where he has been an assistant professor since 2025. In this capacity, he teaches Advanced French Literature and Cinema, Introduction to African American Literature, and graduate-level courses on Francophone literature and cinema. Dr. Tetne’s responsibilities include preparing lesson plans, grading, providing feedback to students, and developing lectures for both undergraduate and doctoral candidates. He is also an active member of the Black Caucus of Faculty and Staff at Purdue University, reflecting his commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion within academia.
Before joining Purdue University, Dr. Tetne served as an interpreter and translator with the Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project from 2023 to 2025. In this role, he provided critical language support services to immigrant communities, helping bridge communication gaps for individuals navigating complex legal and social systems.
Dr. Tetne also excelled as a freelance columnist for OPINION ACTU in Cameroon between 2022 and 2024. He wrote extensively about politics, education and culture in his home country, drawing attention to pressing national issues but also incurring significant risks. After the journal’s owner received several threats from the government, Dr. Tetne made the difficult decision to cease contributions out of concern for the owner’s safety.
From 2020 to 2025, Dr. Tetne served as a teaching assistant at Washington University in St. Louis while pursuing his doctorate. He supported faculty in delivering coursework, mentored students, and played a key role in academic instruction within the French and Francophone studies department. Dr. Tetne also had the opportunity to serve as an ASL sign collection intern with We Hear You Inc. in 2024, where he contributed to projects supporting accessibility for the deaf community.
Among other significant roles, Dr. Tetne was an interpreter and translator at the WashU Immigration Law Clinic between 2022 and 2023, assisting clients with legal documentation and interpretation needs. He also held his first academic appointment as an adjunct faculty instructor at Santa Fe Community College from 2019 to 2020, where he taught French language courses and supported student learning initiatives.
Dr. Tetne’s academic background is marked by significant achievements that have propelled his career forward. He holds a bachelor’s degree in literature and Black African civilizations from the University of Douala, awarded in 2012. He soon after earned a master’s degree in African literature and civilizations from the University of Yaoundé 1 in Cameroon in 2015, a master’s degree in French from The University of New Mexico in Albuquerque in 2019, and a Doctor of Philosophy in French and Francophone Studies from Washington University in St. Louis in 2025.
As a leading scholar, Dr. Tetne’s creative output includes several notable publications, including “Forest of Mystery,” published through Kindle Independent Publisher in 2020, and “The 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis: Between Ethnographic Display and Racist Exclusion of the Other,” via the Tropos Journal at Michigan State University in 2024. In addition to his academic pursuits, he enjoys script writing, a passion that informs his current creative projects focused on social advocacy. Dr. Tetne is working on completing a poetry book while having finished writing a screenplay for a short film addressing sexual abuse against children. With both script and budget prepared, he is currently seeking funding for this project as part of his broader goal to raise awareness about child abuse through filmmaking.
Throughout his professional journey, Dr. Tetne has demonstrated expertise as both a professor of French studies and African American studies and as a writer. As a first-generation college student from Bameka, Cameroon, he attributes his success to resilience and perseverance despite facing economic hardship and cultural challenges upon arriving in the U.S.
Dr. Tetne’s professional excellence has been recognized through numerous accolades, including several writing awards, a First Prize from the American Journal of French Studies Creative Writing contest in 2021, and a Teaching Excellence Award and a Service Award from Washington University in St. Louis in 2023 and 2024, respectively, while serving as a teaching assistant. Additionally, Dr. Tetne was inducted into the Boucher Graduate Honor Society as a lifetime member in 2023.
Looking ahead, Dr. Tetne remains dedicated to advancing his career at Purdue University while expanding his impact as a writer and filmmaker committed to social change through creative expression and education.
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