KNOXVILLE, TN, September 17, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Leoma G. Gilley has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Dr. Gilley has established a distinguished career as a linguist and author, with her work spanning several decades and continents. Since 2019, she has served as an author and publisher at Leoma's Books, where she has written extensively across multiple genres. Her literary contributions include a Christian devotional, a book of prayers addressing global issues such as pornography, addiction, war, terrorism, leadership and illness, as well as a memoir series.

Beyond her work as an author and publisher, Dr. Gilley was appointed as the director of training for SIL Africa in 2007. In this capacity, she was tasked with developing a comprehensive training program tailored to African communities engaged in Bible translation, scripture engagement, literacy, survey and linguistics. Recognizing the educational gap for many participants who had only completed high school, she designed a curriculum that bridged the divide between secondary education and advanced degrees. This initiative led to the founding of the Institute for the Development of Languages and Translation in Africa (iDELTA) in 2010. Under Dr. Gilley's leadership, iDELTA has successfully guided multiple cohorts through a rigorous academic program culminating in a year of bachelor's degree credit recognized by accredited institutions in South Africa and Kenya. With this year of credit, students may continue their studies to complete bachelor's degrees in their chosen field of study. The program has had a transformative impact on language development and Bible translation efforts across the continent.

In 1996, Dr. Gilley joined the faculty at the University of Khartoum, where she taught English to undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts and master's level courses in linguistics at the Institute for African and Asian Studies. During this period, she continued her research on grammar, phonology, and orthography for multiple southern Sudanese languages through the Khartoum Workshop Programme. Other language communities from various regions of Sudan requested assistance in language development which led to the formation of the Thursday Language Club. This forum enabled about 30 minority languages to develop writing systems for their languages and produce basic literacy materials.

Dr. Gilley's association with SIL International began in 1979. Her early assignments took her to Dallas for training before she was sent to Sudan in 1982. There, she immersed herself in learning spoken Arabic in Khartoum before relocating to southern Sudan to work with the Shilluk people, the third-largest ethnic group in South Sudan. Despite being evacuated due to civil unrest shortly after her arrival, Dr. Gilley continued her linguistic work from Juba and, after her PhD studies, returned to Khartoum where many Shilluk people had fled. She played a pivotal role in developing a new writing system for the Shilluk language and engaging with the community to ensure it met their needs As a result, literacy rates within the community have significantly increased. Her efforts culminated in the translation of the entire Bible into Shilluk, with a dedication ceremony held in 2013, enabling thousands to access scripture in their mother tongue.

Following college, Dr. Gilley worked as a speech therapist in various school systems in Georgia. After obtaining her master's degree, she spent several years at a speech and hearing center in Macon, Georgia where she assisted children with speech and language development and adults who had lost their ability to speak due to cancer of the vocal cords. Her expertise encompasses phonetics, phonology, and grammar, fields in which she is widely recognized for her scholarly contributions and practical applications. These experiences have been instrumental in shaping the skills needed in her future work.

Dr. Gilley's academic journey began with a Bachelor of Science in speech and language pathology in 1971 and a Master of Arts in speech and language pathology in 1977 from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She later pursued doctoral studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London, earning a Doctor of Philosophy in linguistics in 1988.

Among Dr. Gilley's notable works are "The Still Small Voice of Love, a journey into a deeper relationship with Jesus" in 2012, "Praying for Big Things" in 2013, "Launching Into the Unknown: Discovering the beautiful and bewildering world of the Sudanese" in 2023, and "Life in a Tumble Dryer: Living and Working in Khartoum, the World's Hottest Capital" published in 2024. Her writing reflects her deep commitment to spiritual growth and cross-cultural understanding. In addition to her books on faith and cross-cultural experiences, Dr. Gilley authored "An Autosegmental Approach to Shilluk Phonology," published by SIL International and the University of Texas at Arlington Publications in Linguistics.

In recognition of her literary accomplishments, Dr. Gilley has been honored with several prestigious awards, including the Literary Titan Book Award, the International Impact Book Award, and the Best Book Award. Looking ahead, she plans to document the history of iDELTA and develop comprehensive guidelines for replicating its success elsewhere. She is also dedicated to mentoring younger individuals as they navigate adulthood, sharing insights drawn from her own journey to help them avoid common pitfalls.

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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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