By FRANK ASAELI
Dr Steven Winduo, a senior lecturer with the University of PNG's Literature department was recently appointed to teach at a University in the United States of America (USA).
In August this year he took up a position of Visiting Professor in English at the University of Minnesota for ten months.
The Department of English and College of Liberal Arts at University of Minnesota awarded him the Visiting Professorship up until May 2008.
As Visiting Professor, he will teach Analysis of English and Literacy and American Cultural Diversity, Analysis of English and Pacific Literary and Cultural Diversity.
To be recruited as Professor in USA is difficult but Dr Winduo said he was fortunate that his Alma Mata recognized his qualifications and experience by awarding him the position.
Dr Winduo was grateful to his former supervisor in his PhD studies, Professor Genevieve Escure, who is on Sabbatical Leave while he is sitting in for her.
Professor Genevieve and Professor Paula Rabinowitz, the Head of the English Department were instrumental in his appointment.
Through this engagement Winduo said he hoped to gain the experience of academic respectability and renewed interest in his field.
He kind of felt he was losing it while at UPNG, so going there gives him breathing space to commit himself fully to what he had been trained to do.
Dr Winduo will use the opportunity as a writer also to develop his creative talents and perhaps have some of his work published in the USA.
"I will be in a better position to evaluate my teaching experience in two different institutions in two different countries and improve on the delivery of lessons to students (at UPNG)," Dr Winduo said.
He said: "What is important is the opportunity to develop friendship and networks that can be used in future to develop educational exchange and research opportunities between USA and PNG."
Born on January 28 1964 at Ulighembi village, East Sepik province. Steven grew up in a very poor family wearing one short and shirt to school every year.
He is the eldest in a family of eight born to Gregory Huiniayek, a subsistent farmer and Anna Hafiye who passed away in 1990.
Steven was educated at Mongniol primary school in Wewak and 1978 attended St. Xaviers High School on Kairiru Island.
He achieved his higher school certificate in 1983 at Aiyura National High School, Eastern Highlands province and enrolled at UPNG in 1984 to study Literature, Philosophy and History.
Steven completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1987 and graduated the following year.
He completed his BA Honors degree in 1989 while working full time as a Library Fellow at the UPNG, Michael Somare Library.
Steven sponsored himself for the Honors degree and after a year as a Library Fellow, resigned to concentrate on his studies and graduated in absentia in 1990.
"My early plans were to learn everything in my field of study and reach the highest level, which is the doctorate degree. It means that I have to teach in the university and continue to do what I do best, which is writing," Dr Winduo said.
He went on to complete his Masters degree in English in 1991 at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch on a New Zealand government scholarship.
Steven graduated in absentia in 1992. He first started teaching Tokpisin, Translation Principles and some Literature courses after returning to PNG and joining the Language and Literature Department of UPNG.
In 1994 he won the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship and MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, which allowed him to attend the University of Minnesota where he took on PhD studies in English in 1997.
Steven returned home, worked on his dissertation until he returned to Minnesota in 1998, sat for his Final Oral Defence Examination and defended it successfully.
He graduated with his PhD in absentia in August 1998.
Steven returned as Dr Winduo to UPNG and taught Literature at UPNG. In 2002 when the Melanesian and Pacific Studies (MAPS) research centre was established, he became Foundation Director.
Last year he won the Macmillan Brown Research Scholarship and spent six months as Research Scholar with the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, University of Canterbury.
He completed a book during this time on Indigenous Knowledge of Medicinal Plants and Biolinguistic Diversity in PNG.
He was Coordinator of the Oceania Future Forum, sponsored by the Japan Foundation in Tokyo, Japan at the Waseda Hoshien Christian University.
Dr Winduo was also a guest lecturer between March and April, 2007 on board the Oceanic Discoverer, a tourist boat.
He combined teaching, writing and research in his field of expertise.
"I had set myself very clear goals in my early life and worked hard to achieve them," Dr Winduo said.
While at UPNG, he knew where he was going and what he needed to do to get what he had set out to do.
The longer he stayed in the university system; he realized that he could do many things and achieve them in his field if he had enough commitment.
Dr Winduo said: "It means I have to work hard to be the best in my field."
Steven is married to Christine from Sudest Island, Milne Bay province.
They have three children Daphne 21, Cheryl 11 and Langston Hughes Jr, nine.
Christine is the UPNG Registrar's secretary, Daphne is doing her Certificate in Tertiary Studies (CTS) at UPNG Open College and Cheryl and Langston attend the Waigani primary school.
 

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