JORDAN PATTERSON
Assistant News Editor
Late Thursday afternoon, the campus was emptying. Most professors and student had left, but Ivani Vassoler-Froelich was still there, busy as usual.
Vassoler, a professor in the Politics and International Affairs Department, received the 2016 President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching last spring. She will be giving a speech titled “Americans in Brazil, Brazilians in the U.S: A Two-Century Long Relationship,” on Oct. 18th.
Sitting in her small office in Thompson Hall, she spoke about her upbringing.
“As you can see, I have an accent,” she said.
Vassoler was born and raised in San Pablo, Brazil, where she grew up with three sisters.
Before becoming a professor, Vassoler was a journalist in San Pablo and reported for the Eldorado News.
Upon coming to the U.S., she pursued a career in education and attended schools such as the University of San Diego and the University of Maryland.
“I changed my career from journalism to political science,” she explained. She referred to her time as a journalist as her “other life.”
While she was studying political science, she remained in the journalism field, and was the American correspondent for the Eldorado News. During this time, she covered the 1996 Olympics, presidential elections and the fallout of 9/11 when she was living in Washington, D.C.
Vassoler, being a political science professor, weighed in on the current state of the election.
“I think it’s an election that, unfortunately, for many people in the U.S. … they are not, I think, able so far, to reach the public interest about the issues that are important to Americans. Most of the campaign itself has been about personal issues,” Vassoler said.
Vassoler contrasted this election with the 2008 elections, and she noticed the declining interest with her students. She recalled that some politically savvy students were involved so much that they would take busses to participate in the presidential campaign. According to her, Barack Obama’s slogan “Yes We Can” was something younger people to could relate to.
“At least there was a candidate that motivated people to act. There was enthusiasm, which I don’t see now. Perhaps I am wrong,” Vassoler said optimistically.
Vassoler admitted that Bernie Sanders sparked similar emotion in students and young people, but the enthusiasm is missing since his departure.“The message is not there,” Vassoler added.
Vassoler has been with Fredonia since 2003. She has maintained her enthusiasm and passion for teaching through her long tenure at Fredonia, even through tough times. Vassoler’s husband, Lazlo Froelich, who she was married to for 20 years, passed away five years ago due to heart complications. The two of them met in Mexico City when a mutual friend set them up. She referred to it as being “very romantic.”
One of her biggest contributions to Fredonia is her coordination of the interdisciplinary major in International Studies, until she stepped down before the Fall semester and passed it down to Associate Professor Alex Caviedes.
Caviedes was more than pleased that Vassoler had been awarded the President’s Award for Excellence.
“Oh, I think it’s absolutely merited,” Caviedes said.
Before the interview, Vassoler rushed back to her office, where she was met by two students. The students were seeking a signature for a release form, but she didn’t sign the paper immediately. Instead, she made sure she knew everything about the club they were representing before she signed it. She wasn’t being difficult; she simply cared about the two students.
According to Caviedes, who has worked with Vassoler since he was hired in 2005, this is one of her most admirable aspects.
“I think one of the difficult things for me to, probably, follow in her footsteps is I get a really strong sense of care,” Caviedes said. “Students always feel that she cares passionately about the subject that she teaches, but that she also cares passionately that students are learning important issues, but then moving on and being able to apply these.”
Caviedes mentioned one other thing that he admires of Vassoler is her commitment to the students. According to Caviedes, Vassoler frequently encourages her students to present their research at academic conferences, which includes applying and traveling to the conference. During this time, she mentors the students through the process.
“I envy her in this regard, and she is unique in our department in this respect, and probably only one of a few professors on campus for whom this is a regular practice,” Caviedes said.