Meet the Faculty ● 2
“I brew my own beer!” I bet you'd never guess that a member of the faculty would admit to that. But, YES according to Professor Tessa le Roux she brews her own beer, and admits she is a micro-brew connoisseur. However, the question she is most often asked is "where are you from?"
Dr. le Roux is originally from South Africa. "During that time, South Africa was in transition," states Tessa. She continues, "Nelson Mandela had been released from prison, the country held its first democratic elections, and had written a constitution. Living in South Africa during such a time of transition helped shape my academic interests and conviction to social justice."
In addition to teaching Sociology at Lasell College, Professor le Roux serves as Director of Lasell's Donahue Institute for Values and Public Life and Director of International Programs at the College.
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Lasell College's Donahue Institute for Values and Public Life was established in 1997 through a donation by Mrs. Nancy Donahue. "The Donahue Institute's mission is right up my alley," says Tessa. As it sponsors and facilitates activities that challenge students inside and outside the classroom to active citizenship, civic engagement, and civility.
While the Center for International Programs facilitates Lasell students pursuing International studies. According to Tessa, “Lasell students have such an advantage, as they can spend one or two semesters abroad studying at American Intercontinental University in London, Bond University in Australia, Semester at Sea, University College in England, Lancaster University in England, and Accademia Italiana and AIFS programs in Italy - just to name a few. “
"Living abroad and experiencing the culture of another country is an invaluable educational experience. It allows you to see how you fit into the rest of world," reports Professor le Roux.
Tessa's office is located in Plummer House and when she is not multi-tasking on-campus, Tessa can be found outdoors. "I enjoy rock-climbing, hiking, and camping," she exclaimed.
Her main scholarly work is in the field of gender and family studies. She has published articles in the area of gender role socialization, teenage pregnancy and single parenthood, domestic work and migration, and family ideology.
Tessa's current work focuses on immigration and family separation, with particular interest on women and migration. She is an active member of the Committee on Family Research of the International Sociological Association, and is an invited member of the Groves Conference on Marriage and Families.
Before joining Lasell College, Tessa was a Research Coordinator for PXE International, a patient advocacy group for genetic disorders. Prior to her relocation to the United States in 1997 - she was a professor, first in the sociology department at the University of South Africa and later at the University of Pretoria, where she was also a founding member of the Women’s Center.
Until recently, Tessa was on the executive board of PXE International, and was designated “Volunteer of the Year” at Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary. She is fully bilingual in Afrikaans and English, and speaks Dutch, German and some Spanish.
Tessa has taught a range of courses on both the graduate and the undergraduate level, and has supervised masters' and doctoral students on topics such as the effect of military service on families, and the role of teachers in political change in South Africa. She is passionate about teaching. In her own words: “The great poet Yeats said: ‘Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.’ From my very first working days training fieldworkers in a family planning program, through my experiences as a substitute teacher, professor at various universities and volunteering as a teacher naturalist for the Audubon society, I have always been most fulfilled when I was teaching - interacting, being instrumental in "lighting the fire." My position as Sociology Professor and Director of the Donahue Institute and of International Programs at Lasell, allows me to light the fire of social justice in the classroom and beyond - what more can anyone ask?"