Damien Boutillon comes from the TRIO Student Support Services Program of Berkshire Community College, where he worked as an Academic Advisor for First-Generation, Low Income, and Students with a Disability. At BCC, Damien worked primarily towards success of First-Generation and Latinx students, and black men success initiatives. Previously, he was Strategic Planner at Williams College, and a Research Fellow at Harvard University for 4 years, working at the Harvard Initiative for Learning and Teaching. Damien received his PhD in social anthropology and Master’s degree from Durham University, England, and his Bachelor in anthropology from Cambridge University, England. Damien obtained a second Master’s degree in linguistic anthropology from the School of Advanced Social Studies, Paris, and studied History and Philosophy at the Sorbonne.
1. I grew up in France, studied in England, worked in Russia, married in Mexico, and settled in the USA. 2. This means I have no fear of rain or cold, eat frog legs and black pudding, love English and Russian teas, and chocolate brownies! 3. I love food. Any food. Any crazy food. 4. I also come from a family that loves to bake. My sister and I made each other’s wedding cakes! 5. My grandparents never went to university, but became head nurse and factory manager. My mother was a first-generation student. For my own studies, I had to leave France and learn 2 different languages and education systems. 6. I am proudly multinational, but when it comes to sports, I am 100% French. No. 200%. Especially during the Olympics! 7. I speak Spanish, French, English and some Russian. But… 8. I hate grammar with a passion, and was the worst student for languages in school. 9. In France I went to a high-school that was partly for professional rugby high-schoolers. I love the sport. If you don’t know what rugby is, it is like football, but better. 10. My wife and I are very married: we had three wedding ceremonies in two countries! 11. When I first met my family’s wife, her sister took me to the local market, and handed me a bag of grilled crickets to eat (chapulines). She wanted to know if I was really committed… 12. I wanted to be an explorer as a kid, until my father told me about people called “anthropologists”. I went all in, and still love learning about cultures. 13. I stole letterhead from my high-school to do my applications to university: they had refused to give it to me. Never let anyone hold you back! 14, I love the outdoors, as long as there are trees: biking, gardening, camping, walking. But…. 15. I always end up camping when it rains. It is a curse. 16. I spent years sailing and training crews around Europe. As a commercially certified skipper, I accumulated over 12,000 miles blue water sailing. Then I started graduate studies and became land-bound. Salem is my new hope! 17. I first crawled on a sailboat at 11 months, before I could walk. My parents got endless grief from their family over that. If something seems crazy, but it is truly YOU, always go for it! 18. On the other hand, I started driving at 37. It was a life choice that made me take a LOT of busses in a LOT of countries! 19. I love Reggae. Particularly early reggae from Studio One. Pablo Moses; The Abbyssinians; Peter Tosh over Bob Marley. 20. For my Masters’ studies, I worked with Roma (Gypsy) communities in Russia. 21. I created an entire website about the first British ethnographer who lived with studied English Gypsy communities in 1850. His pastor father disinherited him over that. Find the right community for you, even if people tell you otherwise! 22. Before I got my PhD, I was kicked out of university, due to disagreements about my dissertation topic. I came back and graduated. Never abandon your ideas and convictions! 23. My doctoral research focused on the Russian participation to the Bologna process -an intergovernmental higher education reform process, spanning 49 countries. 24. I love old style hip-hop: Guru’s Jazzmatazz; Jurassic 5; Guru; Pharcyde; IAM… 25. I love historical novels and space video games. Give me a spaceship to become a pirate or a space pirate to chase!