© University of Pittsburgh School of Arts and Sciences (a Department of Africana Studies Pitsburgh PA 15260, teene February 16,2016 |/am writing this letter of teaching evaluation for Michael Tillotson’s who for the last five years has served as co-instructor with me in our Africana Senior Research Seminar which is required of all majors in the discipline. One of the first instructional challenges for this course entailed deep discussions between us on how to articulate the many methodological paradigms that inform research in the social sciences. Michael contributed directly to our articulation of a continuum of research models— Preceptor, Conventional, Transactional, and Allocentric—which served as an important framework for affirming the last of these as most consistent with the disciplinary priorities and interests of Africana Studies. We noted as well that some of the most important scientific research contributions of this century came out of strategic agenda driven by the Allocentric framework. Michael played a vital role in helping identify and lay out these options as an essential aspect of our first lectures which we've shared. We also shared presentations in lectures that featured the importance of formative historical frameworks that inform Africana research. Indigenous African beliefs and values before the colonizers came or before the advent of slavery were a shared responsibility. Michael is deeply grounded in his knowledge of African cosmology which was his lead responsibility to share. His construction of African ‘worldview as allocentric along with his six epochs of oppression played pivotal roles in qualitative and quantitative research projects that were designed and implemented by students. Michael took lead responsibility for the development and completion of qualitative research projects which were required ‘each semester. Michael was also a vital player in the design and framing of quantitative projects which ‘was my primary responsibility in the seminar. It’s important that | not underestimate, here, the high level of Michael's contributions to both qualitative and quantitative research projects. For qualitative research projects which were published every year in a student journal (/mhotep) distributed at the department's graduation ceremony. It wes wonderfully received by faculty, students, and families. Moreover, this work which Michael supervised received accolades beyond the department. Students have been invited to present their papers in local as well as national and international venues. Some received cash prizes, some received ways and means of presenting their papers at national conventions and another in an international forum. The quality of Michael's teaching and mentoring | would place unconditionally in the superlative range. Ina word Africana Study students and | have learned a lot from Michael, and | eagerly look forward to continuing collaborations with him.