Sarah L. Townsend, Associate Professor of English and co-founder of Irish Studies, has been elected Vice President and President-Elect of the American Conference for Irish Studies (ACIS), a multidisciplinary scholarly organization with approximately 800 members in the United States, Ireland, the UK, Canada, and other countries around the world. The first scholar of color to lead the ACIS Executive since its founding in 1960, Professor Townsend will serve consecutive two-year term as Vice President (2025-27) and President (2027-29).
Professor Townsend has held previous leadership and service roles in the field of Irish Studies that prepare her to lead ACIS. She completed a five-year term on the Modern Language Association’s Irish Literature, Language, and Culture Forum (2020-25), served on the inaugural ACIS committee tasked with establishing the organization’s Code of Conduct and grievance policy, helped draft the ACIS diversity statement, and served as both President (2017-19) and Treasurer (2015-17) of the western regional ACIS.
