Open To Work
PETER QUELLA
Grad Coach International
Johannesburg
4
Languages
17
years of professional experience
Results-oriented leader with expertise in streamlining processes and implementing strategic initiatives that enhance productivity. Skilled in strategic planning and team management, fostering collaboration and innovation to achieve organizational goals.
Work History
Dissertation Coach
6 Years 2 Months- Guided over 600 international postgraduate candidates through structured research processes to improve writing clarity and ensure adherence to academic standards.
- Evaluated thesis and dissertation drafts to identify content gaps and inconsistencies, advising on argument coherence and scholarly rigor.
- Collaborated with clients to develop customized written strategies, increasing engagement and promoting steady progress toward completion.
- Collaborated with clients to create tailored written strategies, enhancing engagement and supporting steady progress toward completion.
- Streamlined feedback delivery methods, reducing revision cycles and accelerating client time-to-completion while maintaining quality.
Senior Research Associate
1 Year 11 Months- Collaborated with American Studies Research Group to develop post-graduate curriculum strategies to enhance student engagement and academic rigor.
- Co-wrote major grant renewal re-orienting the center's strategic objectives to address funders' aims.
- Presented strategies for US institutional partnerships at university-wide working session.
Case Study Researcher & Writer, Africa Research Center
7 Months- Conducted intense desktop research and analysis, authoring three draft case exhibits for publication and integration into Harvard Business School courses.
- Collaborated with two faculty to align these case studies with educational objectives, ensuring relevance and rigor.
Assistant Director, African Studies Center
6 Years 8 Months- Led multicultural team of eight full-time staff and nine part-time African language lecturers to fulfill the center's strategic mission, creating new interdisciplinary and international programming, increasing the number of advanced language learners, improving state-wide K-12 curriculums on African topics, and returning the Center's publishing unit to profitability.
- Directed program development and strategic initiatives to enhance the African Studies Center's academic reputation and increase stakeholder engagement.
- Led effort to establish a new summer study abroad program in Tanzania: visited locations, assessed potential partnerships, negotiated components, designed language-based program, and set expectations with partnering institution.
- Managed institutional linkages that offered advanced language training or collaborative research with partner institutions in Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda.
- Supported and shaped academic research for over one hundred faculty affiliates and visiting scholars through effective utilization of US Department of Education National Resource Centre for African Studies grant funds totaling US$6 million, fostering impactful scholarship.
- Supported and shaped academic research of one hundred plus faculty affiliates and visiting scholars utilizing quadrennially awarded US Department of Education National Resource Centre for African Studies grant funds of US$6 million.
- Managed institutional linkages for advanced language training and collaborative research with partner institutions across Africa, enhancing educational opportunities and enriching program offerings.
- Collected data for bi-annual reports on successes and expenditures and liaised with government grant officers on Department of Education policy implementation.
- Planned and executed events to increase public visibility and strengthen community connections around African cultural and academic topics, enhancing engagement and awareness.
Director of Undergraduate Studies, African Studies
6 Years 8 Months- Won approval from University Curriculum Committee to establish an African Studies major and a mid-career professional Master of Arts program in African Studies.
- Facilitated undergraduate student advising and mentoring processes, enhancing retention and academic progression within African Studies minor.
- Led collaborative efforts to establish first-ever learning outcomes assessment tools for center programs in African Languages and Literature Studies, improving program evaluation.
- Strategized the center's implementation of new University general education requirements for undergraduates aiming to improve learning and reading capacities.
- Coordinated African language faculty assignments and resource allocation to optimize course delivery and enhance student learning outcomes.
Adjunct Professor, Pardee School of Global Studies
5 Years 4 Months- Re-designed and delivered 'Africa Today', the foundational course for African Studies minor, using an interdisciplinary cultural studies approach to enhance student understanding of social sciences.
- Developed a comprehensive pedagogical framework on African political and social history from independence to the 21st century, emphasizing critical analysis and active student participation.
- Collaborated with academic peers to integrate interdisciplinary perspectives, enriching curriculum and enhancing educational outcomes for students.
- Collaborated with academic peers to integrate interdisciplinary perspectives, enriching the curriculum and fostering a comprehensive educational experience.
Director, Zanzibar Program, Boston University Study Abroad
1 Year 11 Months- Established and directed program operations in Zanzibar to ensure academic integrity and compliance with institutional standards, enhancing overall program quality.
- Coordinated cross-cultural partnerships with State University of Zanzibar, enhancing community engagement and enriching student experiential learning.
- Managed budget allocation and resource planning to optimize student experience and financial sustainability.
- Partnered with State University of Zanzibar Swahili program to co-create language offerings that met home-institution degree requirements.
- Increased number of students with advanced Swahili skills by fifty percent over three years.
Managing Director, African Languages Program
6 Years- Coordinated faculty recruitment and professional development initiatives, improving teaching quality and elevating program reputation.
- Guided development and publication of four novel teaching material projects (Ajami), significantly advancing West African languages education in key literacy aspect.
- Co-authored and secured competitive grant funding for the Profiles in Nigerien Artisans Project, managing its lifecycle to ensure successful implementation.
- Championed a transition to hybrid pedagogy among seven language faculty, advising on blended first-year language courses within the Coursera ecosystem.
Consulting Researcher and Acquisitions Specialist
1 Year 11 Months- Located and appraised grey literature across eight Southern African countries, enhancing access to rare academic resources.
- Expanded annual publication catalogue by 30% through sourcing and developing new supplier relationships.
- Energetically expanded by 30% the annual publication catalogue through aggressive sourcing and new supplier relationships.
- Managed vendor relationships and negotiated terms to secure favorable agreements, lowering acquisition costs.
Education
Ph.D. - African Languages & Literature
Master of Arts - African Languages & Literature
Bachelor of Civil Engineering - Structural Engineering
Skills
Program development
Strategic Planning
Policy analysis
Data Management
Project Leadership
Operations Management
Professional Collaboration
Client Engagement
Interests
I am an avid vegetable gardener
a curious cook with global tastes
and a walker/runner/hiker with an interest in birds and trees. I also persist in the dying art of stamp collecting.
LANGUAGES
Sesotho B2 - Upper intermediate
English Native or Bilingual
Spanish A2 - Pre-intermediate
French A2 - Pre-intermediate
LINKS
LinkedIn
Timeline
Dissertation Coach
Grad Coach International
04.2020 - 06.2026Read More
Senior Research Associate
African Centre for the Study of the United States
04.2020 - 03.2022Read More
Case Study Researcher & Writer, Africa Research Center
Harvard Business School
03.2019 - 10.2019Read More
Director, Zanzibar Program, Boston University Study Abroad
Boston University
05.2015 - 04.2017Read More
Adjunct Professor, Pardee School of Global Studies
Boston University
01.2012 - 05.2017Read More
Assistant Director, African Studies Center
Boston University
01.2011 - 09.2017Read More
Director of Undergraduate Studies, African Studies
Boston University
01.2011 - 09.2017Read More
Managing Director, African Languages Program
Boston University
01.2011 - 01.2017Read More
Consulting Researcher and Acquisitions Specialist
Clarke's Bookshop Cape Town
01.2009 - 12.2010Read More
University of Wisconsin
Ph.D. from African Languages & Literature
Read More
University of Wisconsin
Master of Arts from African Languages & Literature
Read More
University of Minnesota
Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Structural Engineering
Read More