Academics
Faculty
Kristin Juel
Department Chair
Associate Professor of Modern Languages: French
B.A. St. Olaf College; M.A., Ph.D. Indiana University
Courses Taught: First, Second, and Third Semester French (FR101, FR102, FR203), Grammar and Composition (FR308), Medieval French Culture (FR 315), French Theater (FR425), French Film (FR430), French Poetry (FR445), Senior Seminar (FR460).
Areas of Expertise: Her research interests focus on medieval literature, particularly the allegorical. She has published articles on the epic Floovant as well as a number of articles on the role of chess in medieval French chess moralities and romance.
Recently Scholarly Achievements: Professor Juel's recent publications include the article "Chess, Love, and the Rhetoric of Distraction in Medieval French Narrative" in Romance Philology (2010) and "Chess and Sin in a Mid-Thirteenth Century Anglo-French Poem," forthcoming in Neuphilologische Mitteilungen.
Campus Office
Durick Library 320
Box 382
E-mail: kjuel@smcvt.edu
Fall 2011 Office Hours: M 3:00-4:00 pm; W 4:00-5:00 pm; Th 9:30-11:30 am and by appt.
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Carolyn Lukens-Olson
Associate Professor of Modern Languages: Spanish
B.A. Ohio University; M.A., Ph.D. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Campus Office
Durick Library 322
Phone: 802.654.2451
Box 305
E-mail: clukens-olson@smcvt.edu
Fall 2011 Office Hours: MW 3:00-5:00 pm & by appt.
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Joseph Ferdinand
Professor of Modern Languages: French
B.A. Ecole Normale Supérieure, Haïti; Ph.D. Tufts University
Campus Office
Durick Library 317
Phone: 802.654.2457
Box 204
E-mail: jferdinand@smcvt.edu
Fall 2011 Semester: On Leave
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Adrian Languasco
Associate Profesor of Modern Languages: Italian
B.A. City College of New York; M.A. Columbia University; Ph.D. University of Venice, Italy
Courses Taught: Introduction to Italian; Grammar and Composition; Conversation Italian; Study Tour in Italy; Italian Cinema; Topics in Italian Culture; Readings in Italian Literature
Areas of Expertise: Language studies; Romance Languages; German and Russian 19th Century Literature; Italian history; Global Studies
Recent Scholarly Achievements: Dr. Languasco presented during a session on Italian Studies at the 57th annual Kentucky Foreign Languages Conference at the University of Kentucky (April 2008). His presentation was titled "Venezia e Caterina Cornaro, regina di Cipro."
On Teaching and Research: Dr. Languasco's research adds new dimensions to his teaching while his teaching provides significant questions and answers for his research. In his classes and in the other courses offered in the Department of Modern Languages & Literature, Dr. Languasco says that students can successfully learn a second language, and they are supported by expert faculty as well as by the latest technology features available in Saint Michael's Language Lab and in the classrooms.
Outside Saint Michael's: Dr. Languasco enjoys learning new languages, traveling, hiking, bicycling, and cross-country skiing. He has run 16 New York City Marathans and about another dozen between Burlington, Stowe, Montreal, Rome and Orlando.
Campus Office
Durick Library 324
Phone: 802.654.2437
Box 203
E-mail: alanguasco@smcvt.edu
Fall 2011 Office Hours: MW 11:00-1:15 pm & by appt.
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Jason Busic
Assistant Professor of Modern Languages: Spanish
B.A., M.A. Ohio University; Ph.D. The Ohio State University
Dr. Jason Busic joined Saint Michael's as an assistant professor of modern languages beginning with the Fall 2009 semester. His dissertation is titled "Saving the Lost Sheep: Religion and Culture in Pedro Guerra de Lorca's Catecheses mystagogicae pro aduenis ex Secta Mahometana: Ad Parochos, & Potestates."
Courses Taught: Beginning and Intermediate Spanish, Conversation, Advanced Grammar and Composition, The Three Cultrues of Spain (Medieval and Early-Modern Peninsular Literature), and Representations of the Indigenous in Latin American Literature (Colonial and Modern Latin America).
Areas of Expertise: Medieval and Early Modern Spain and Colonial Latin America. Professor Busic also coordinates Beginning Spanish for the Department of Modern Languages & Literature.
Recent Scholarly Achievements: Forthcoming in Journal of Early Modern Cultural Studies, "Polemic and Hybridity in Early Modern Spain: Juan Andrés' Confusión o confutación de la secta Mahomética y del Alcorán." Conference presentations have been on medieval and early modern Christian perceptions of Islam and problems of orientalism and cultural hybridity. Professor Busic has presented at the Kentucky Foreign Language Conference (2010), Convivencia at Texas Tech (2010), and the International Congress of Medieval Studies (2011), and others.
On Teaching and Research: Dr. Busic reads so that he can teach, and loves to share his love of culture and literature with his students. Through research, publications, and conferences, Professor Busic stays intellectually engaged with his field and hopes to bring this engagement to the classroom. In addition to literature and culture, Professor Busic stays current on language pedagogy and believes that language courses are the most important base for a strong formation for students, both linguistically and culturally.
Campus Office
Durick Library 316
Phone: 802.654.2932
Box 143
E-mail: jbusic@smcvt.edu
Fall 2011 Office Hours: MW 1:30-2:30 pm & by appt.
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Diego Mattos Vazualdo
Assistant Professor of Modern Languages: Spanish
PhD in Latin American Cultures and Literatures, The Ohio State University; Licenciatura in Latin American Literature, UMSA, La Paz, Bolivia
Prof. Diego Mattos Vazualdo is from La Paz, Bolivia. He joined Saint Michael's College in the fall of 2010 after having spent five years in Columbus, Ohio studying and teaching at The Ohio State University.
Courses Taught: Beginning and Intermediate Spanish; Grammar and Composition; Latin American Culture
Areas of Specialization/Interest: Latin American Literatures and Cultures; Latin American Cultural Studies, Indigenous and Colonial Cultures of Latin America, Globalization Studies, Theater and Film
Recent Scholarly Work: "La necesidad de afirmar la existencia: nación y descolonización en el cine boliviano en la época neoliberal." (The Necessity to Affirm Existence: Nation and Decolonization in the Bolivian Cinema during the Neoliberal Era). Bolivian Studies Journal, 2010; "The Biggest Loser, An Act of Sacrifice on a Surrealist and Melodramatic Stage". Americana. The American Popular Culture Magazine, 2008.
Campus Office
Durick Library 315
Phone: 802.654.2453
Box 351
E-mail: dmattosvazua@smcvt.edu
Fall 2011 Office Hours: MWF 8:30-9:30 am & by appt.
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Nicole Mombell
Assistant Professor of Modern Languages: Spanish
BA, MA University of Oregon; MA, M.Phil., Ph.D. Yale University
Courses Taught: Beginning Spanish; Advanced Conversation; Peninsular Culture
Areas of Interest and Expertise: Contemporary Peninsular Literature and Culture, 19th-21st centuries: the Spanish Realist novel, the Generation of 1898, the Spanish Civil War, Spain during WWII, the testimonial novel and the novel of memory, Peninsular Spanish film; Comparative Literature and Film: literature and cinema of war, film studies, interdisciplinary approaches to literature, fiction, and historiography; History: aftermath of war, experience of war in 20th century, oral history and memory studies.
Recent Scholarly Achievements: Dr. Mombell presented at the Kentucky Foreign Language Conference (2009) and has given invited lectures on the Spanish Civil War at Yale University.
On Teaching and Research: Teaching Spanish is central to Dr. Mombell's experience as a Hispanist and scholar. Interaction with students challenges her to keep lessons innovative, motivating, and effective. Teaching also invigorates her research as she presents and discusses topics in different ways to new audiences with board perspectives. In all of her classes, Dr. Mombell's goal is to foster improved communication through language, promote cross-cultural awareness and respect, and prepare students for their lives as global citizens. She works to enrich a student's ability to read, think about, and discuss literature with a new critical awareness of their aesthetic, cultural, and historical significance.
Campus Office
Durick Library 318
Phone: 802.654.2988
Box: 366
E-mail: nmombell@smcvt.edu
Fall 2011 Office Hours: MW 9:30 - 10:30 am; T 10:00 - 12:00 pm and by appt.
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Peter Vantine
Assistant Professor of Modern Languages: French
B.A. Amherst College; DEA Université de Genève (Switzerland), M.A., Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dr. Peter Vantine joined Saint Michael's College as an assistant professor of modern languages in the Fall 2011 semester. Prior to teaching at Saint Michael's College, Professor Vantine taught at The University of Saint Thomas (MN), Macalester College (MN), and Indiana University. He has lived in Paris and Dijon, France, as well as in Geneva, Switzerland. Among other scholarly projects, he is working on a book tentatively titled Entre fantaisie et réalisme: texte, contexte et métatexte dans les premiers romans et les nouvelles des frères Goncourt (Between Fantasy and Realism: Text, Context, and Metatext in the Early Novels and Stories of the Goncourt Brothers).
Courses Taught: Beginning, intermediate, and advanced language, culture, and literature courses in French and Francophone Studies; current semester: Fourth-Semester French, Advanced Conversation, Topics in French Literature (The Nineteenth-Century French Novel).
Areas of Expertise: Nineteenth-century French literature (poetry, theater, novels) and culture, particularly print and visual culture.
Recent Scholarly Achievements: Articles: "La Fantaisie, la métatextualité et la mort de l'artiste dans En 18...." in Cahiers Edmond et Jules de Goncourt 16 (2009); "'Riez, riez, vous penserez plus tard!': le comique et le métacomique de Jean-Luc Lagarce" in Problématique d'une oeuvre I. Colloque de Strasbourg (2007). Book Reviews: Forthcoming review of La Fille Élisa by Edmond de Goncourt, Ed. David Baguley, in Nineteenth-Century French Studies; review of Correspondance générale. Tome I (1843-1862), by Edmond et Jules de Goncourt, Ed. Pierre-Jean Dufief, in Nineteenth-Century French Studies (online reviews, 2010). Conferences: Modern Language Association (2012), New England Modern Language Association (2012), Colloquium on the Goncourts' Journal (2011, Paris), Nineteenth-Century French Studies Colloquium (2011).
On Teaching and Research: Having myself chosen to attend a small liberal-arts college as an undergraduate, I believe deeply in the value of a closely-knit academic community in which professors are wholly engaged in the life of the college, and in which learning thrives within and beyond the walls of the classroom. In addition to helping students acquire concrete language skills and analytical abilities at all course levels, I strive to share my enthusiasm for and insights about French language, culture, and literature. While my research on nineteenth-century French literature always informs my courses on that particular historical period, more generally my scholarly endeavors feed my own intellectual curiosity, passion, and critical judgment, which I then hope to inspire in my students. Futhermore, I attempt to remain up to date with work on foreign language acquistion and pedagogy, while also sharing my own experiences with colleagues both informally and at conferences. I believe that excellent teaching is always a work in progress, a constant process of renewing, reworking, and refining ones practices. Students, in turn, are not only the targets of such efforts but are also sources of invaluable feedback about how to improve them.
Outside Saint Michael's College: As a native of Minneapolis, MN, I am fond of the snow and the cold, but am glad to now combine them with mountains. I enjoy hiking, biking, and traveling.
Campus Office
Durick Library 319
Phone: 802-654-2853
Box: 227
E-mail: pvantine@smcvt.edu
Fall 2011 Office Hours: MW 1:30 - 3:00 pm; TTH 3:00-4:00 pm and by appt.
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Hideko Furukawa
Language Proficiency Coordinator
Instructor of Modern Languages: Japanese
B.A. Doshisha University Kyoto; M.Sc. Pennsylvania State University
Campus Office
Durick Library 334
Phone: 802.654.2760
Box 374
E-mail: hfurukawa@smcvt.edu
Fall 2011 Office Hours: MWF 10:00-11:00 am; T 10:30-11:30 am & by appt.
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Karl E. Haloj, III
Lecturer of Modern Languages: French
B.A. Stony Brook University; M.A. University of Vermont; D.M.L. candidate Middlebury College
Courses Taught: Introductory French
Areas of Expertise: The History and Literature of French Third Republic, the literary works of Louis Pergaud, as well as l'Analyse textuelle des discours (Textual Discourse Analysis).
Campus Office:
Durick Library 321/323
Box 332
Email: khaloj@smcvt.edu
Fall 2011 Office Hours: MWF 12:00 - 1:00 pm and by appt.
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Theresia Hoeck
Lecturer of Modern Languages: German
View Ms. Hoeck's Curriculum Vitae
Courses Taught: First and Second Semester German
On Teaching and Research: What Ms. Hoeck likes most about teaching at Saint Michael's is the genuine commitment of faculty and staff to prepare students for productive, responsible, and creative lives. She finds that studying a foreign language not only helps students to achieve linguistic competence, but also to develop cultural skills that prepare them to become global citizens and thus enhance their personal and professional growth.
Outside Saint Michael's: Ms. Hoeck enjoys an expanded world view through extensive (and alternative) traveling.
Box 332
E-mail: thoeck@smcvt.edu
University of Vermont contact information:
Phone: 802.656.1470
E-mail: theresia.hoeck@uvm.edu
Fall 2011 Office Hours: MW 8:00-8:30 am & by appt.
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Siying Ma
Lecturer of Modern Languages: Chinese
Campus Office
Durick Library 338
Box 332
E-Mail: sma@smcvt.edu
Fall 2011 Office Hours: TTH 1:30-3:00 pm
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Sherry Pachman
Lecturer of Modern Languages: Spanish
B.A. Stony Brook; M.A. Middlebury College
Courses Taught: SP 101/102 (First Year Spanish), as well as a modified one-semester Spanish 101 for students with documented learning differences.
On Teaching: Profesora Pachman values experiential learning and brings her enthusiasm for communication and intercultural connection into the classroom. She nurtures a friendly, positive, and supportive community of learners in her classroom so that students feel safe about taking the linguistic and cultural risks that will allow them to participate more fully and respectfully in their regional and global communities.
Outside Saint Michael's: Profesora Pachman enjoys Latin and cooking. She is passionate about language and is proficent in French and Hebrew. She seeks opportunities to practice and expand upon her novice phrases in a multitude of languages.
Campus Office
Durick Library 337
Phone: 802.654.2947
Box 322
E-mail: spachman@smcvt.edu
Fall 2011 Office Hours: M 9:00-9:45 am & by appt.
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David Palmieri
Lecturer of Modern Languages: French
David teaches French at Saint Michael's College and at Clinton Community College in Plattsburgh, NY. He has also taught on Quebec and Canada. He has recently published a chapter on the poet Elizabeth Bishop in the book Eric Voegelin and Modern Literature.
Campus Office
Durick Library 329
Box 332
E-mail: dpalmieri@smcvt.edu
Fall 2011 Office Hours: MWF 8:00-8:30 am & 9:45-10:15 am & by appt.
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Maria Sciancalepore
Lecturer of Modern Languages: Spanish
B.A. Spanish/Education Trinity College, Burlington, VT; University of Madrid
M.A. Interdisciplinary Education University of Vermont
Graduate Studies: University of Valencia, Valencia Spain; University of Vermont
Campus Office
Durick Library 329
Phone: 802.654.2975
Box 332
E-Mail: msciancalepo@smcvt.edu
Fall 2011 Office Hours: MWF 11:00-11:45 am & by appt.
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Benjamin Wang
Lecturer of Modern Languages: Chinese
B.A. Stanford University; M.S. University of Vermont
Courses Taught: CHI 101 & 102 (First Year Mandarin Chinese)
On Teaching and Research: Mr. Wang's main academic interest is in language pedagogy, and he keeps up with developments in the growing field of Chinese Language Teaching by attending conferences and institutes, reading journals, and active communication with colleagues. He also enjoys sharing his cultural perspectives with students from a bi-cultural point of view.
Outside of Saint Michael's: Mr. Wang also teaches at the Vermont Commons School, and he enjoys playing Irish traditional music in life's quieter moments.
Campus Office
Durick Library 321/323
Phone: 802.654.2948
Box 332
E-mail: bwang@smcvt.edu
Fall 2011 Office Hours: MF 9:10-9:40 am & by appt.
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Roxana (Gastanaga) Wortman
Lecturer of Modern Languages: Spanish
B.S.c Universidad Católica de Santa Maria (Peru); M.A. Middlebury College
Roxana joined Saint Michael's College in the Fall 2009 semester
Courses Taught: Beginning and Intermediate Spanish, Grammar and Composition
On Teaching: Roxana is from Peru and a person in love with the rich and diverse culture which represents the Spanish speaking world. She believes that learning a second language is a magic door that opens your life to unthinkable paths. It also helps to understand oneself and therefore, understand and embrace cultural differences which ultimately contributes to a more peaceful world. Roxana strives to pass on her passion for such a diverse and wonderful world.
Campus Office
Durick Library 321/322
Phone: 802.654.2972
Box 332
E-mail: rwortman@smcvt.edu
Fall 2011 Office Hours: F 11:00-12:00pm & by appt.