To whom it may concern:

I’m Eli, an art major who was enrolled at SUNY Cortland during the fall 2022 semester.

During this past semester, I had the pleasure of unofficially auditing Professor Tillotson's

Africana Studies course. I first happened upon this class as a student wandering the halls of

Dowd between art classes. Passing the open classroom door, my attention was immediately

captured, and I found myself sitting in the hallway listening to his lecture, unable to pass it by.

My presence was not unnoticed, and following that encounter I was welcomed to sit in on the

class. The subject interested me, but furthermore I was thoroughly impressed by Professor

Tillotson’s teaching style. His presentation of materials truly allows one to engage with the

information, and I frequently found myself retaining a much more significant portion of what

had been taught than is typical for me. He is a brilliant speaker, and knows how to effectively

emphasize important points. He encourages participation, and expects accountability from

students, while also treating students with respect and compassion. Professor Tillotson always

appeared well prepared and well organized, and is undeniably knowledgeable in his field.

Everything I observed in his class reinforced my belief that he cares deeply about his students

and his role as an educator. I always looked forward to his class, and despite being far outside of

my major, it was easily one of my favorite classes that I experienced at Cortland. Professor

Tillotson is both professional and personable, and I can’t commend him enough.

Elisabeth Mitchell