A Nigerian student at Oklahoma State University (OSU), Victor Adedayo, has received wide recognition for his exceptional accomplishments in research, scholarship, and service.

Adedayo, a doctoral student in Applied Linguistics, earned seven prestigious awards during the current academic year for his work in corpus-assisted discourse analysis.

His research focuses on applying corpus-assisted discourse analysis (CADS) to uncover patterns in language use across fields such as higher education, digital communication, and technology.

In recognition of his research excellence, Adedayo received the Dr Carol L. Moder Award for Outstanding Student Researcher, presented to a graduate student in the TESOL and Linguistics programme whose work demonstrates intellectual rigour and scholarly promise.

His research paper, titled “A corpus-assisted critical metaphor analysis of university presidents’ responses to anti-Black violence,” won the TESOL/Linguistics Scholarship, a competitive award judged by a faculty committee for originality, analytical strength, and clarity of expression.

Adedayo also received the Sally Hinrich PhD Scholarship, which recognises PhD students who demonstrate high-quality scholarship, leadership, and service to the graduate student community.

Additionally, his presentation, “Metaphors and Wonder: Unpacking the Rhetoric of University Presidents’ Responses to Anti-Black Violence,” earned him the Most Theme-Relevant Presentation Award at the Southern Plains Arts, Humanities, and Languages Conference, recognising his ability to address timely issues with scholarly depth and public relevance.

To support his conference presentations, he was awarded two competitive travel grants: the Houston-Truax-Wentz Travel Award, given to students engaged in literary or linguistic scholarship; and the Ravi Sheorey Travel Award, which provides financial support for TESOL-related conference presentations.

Adedayo’s contributions extend beyond research. He was honoured with the TESLing Excellence in Leadership Award, acknowledging his initiatives in teaching, research, and service within the TESOL and Linguistics community. He currently serves as Assistant Director of the OSU Writing Center and Vice President of the TESOL & Linguistics Club. He is also a member of the American Association of Applied Linguistics Graduate Student Council (AAAL GSC) Newsletter Subcommittee for the 2025–2026 academic year.

Reflecting on his achievements, Adedayo said: “While I am incredibly grateful for these recognitions, this year also came with its share of rejections, self-doubt, and difficult moments. There were applications that didn’t get selected. Manuscripts that didn’t get published. Days when balancing teaching, research, parenting, and navigating a different country felt like a chore. However, I’ve learned to celebrate progress, not just perfection.”