Suzuko Knott, Associate Professor of German, Director of the Toor Cummings Center for International Studies & the Liberal Arts (CISLA)
Suzuko Knott

Associate Professor of German, Director of the Toor Cummings Center for International Studies & the Liberal Arts (CISLA)

Suzuko Knott's research interests include Japanese-born German-language writer Yoko Tawada, intersections of German literary and cultural production with Japan and the United States, and sport and body culture of the 19th century. She teaches Beginning German, Imagining Amerika, Sexology and Sex Activism in the Weimar Republic and Stories from the Road.

Faculty Profile
, CISLA Director of Operations
Angelique Mahal

CISLA Director of Operations

Angelique Mahal is a career foreign affairs professional and a Commissioned and Tenured Officer in the U.S. Foreign Service. Prior to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Foreign Service, she worked at Columbia University’s Center for Sustainable Development, a private philanthropic initiative, an international NGO, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Angelique has professional language fluency in French and holds both a Master of Science and a Master of Arts from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts from City University of New York, Hunter College. She joined Connecticut College in 2025.

Countries where Angelique has worked include Benin, Gabon, Malawi, Jordan, Burkina Faso, Guinea, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Liberia, Burma, Haiti, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Mali, and Germany working on the Arabian Peninsula. Additionally, her portfolio has included Mozambique, Turkmenistan, and Zimbabwe.

Mary Devins, Associate Director of CISLA

Mary Devins

CISLA Staff Director Emeritus

Mary was with the CISLA program since its inception in 1990 and served as the inaugural staff director. Her role evolved as the program grew from the original 13 graduates in 1992 to over 800 alumni today. Mary’s work involved advising CISLA scholars from all classes. She worked closely with alumni and donors, and was responsible for managing the CISLA budget, as well as numerous other areas of responsibility including the Student Travel Grant, the Proctor Scholarship, ACTFL certification, Core Course, etc. Mary holds a Master’s Degree in Italian and was previously a certified teacher of French and Italian.