Education

  • Ph.D. Duke University
  • M.A., B.A. University of North Carolina, Greensboro

Background

Since coming to Davidson in the late 1980s, I have taught all levels of French language and literature. My primary research interest has been le premier 19è siècle, including the 19th century novel, the works of Balzac, Hugo, and Sand, and discourses on work and poverty. I have presented papers at the Nineteenth-Century French Studies Colloquium (NCFS) and at meetings of the Nineteenth Century Studies Association (NCSA).  My involvement with NCSA has included a stint as the editor of the association's newsletter, and a seat on the Senior Advisory Council.

Thanks to a Faculty Enrichment Grant awarded by the Canadian government in 2005, I was able to reconnect with the field of Quebec Studies, and now teach a course every other year on Quebec literature, society, and culture. I have presented at the American Council for Quebec Studies (ACQS), and in July 2013 taught a seminar on Quebec as part of Davidson's Summer Institute for French Teachers. 

My commitment to undergraduate learning abroad runs deep, and I am proud to have served as resident director of the Davidson in France program several times, most recently in Paris and Tours from 2010-2012.

Outside of our department, I served as director of Davidson's Self-Instructional Language Program, and sat on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Self-Instructional Language Programs (NASILP). Last year I become chair of the French and Francophone Studies Department. Oh, and to indulge my love of choral music, I have the good fortune of being able to sing alto with the Davidson Choral Arts Society as well as the St. Alban's adult choir. 

Teaching

  • FRE 101 & 102 Beginning Elementary French
  • FRE 225 "Rich and Poor" as part of the Introduction to Literature sequence
  • FRE 320 Husbands, Wives, and Lovers: Representing Infidelity in the 19th Century French Novel
  • FRE 363 Quebec Literature, Society, and Culture