Michele Gerring
Langs., Lits. & Cultures
Education
- PHD, Ohio State University
- MA, Bowling Green State University
- BA, Westminster College Pennsylvania
Visiting Assistant Professor of French
Contact Information
-
Email Addressgerring@susqu.edu
-
Phone Number570-372-4715
-
Office LocationBogar Hall - Rm 109
From the moment when I chose to study French, based largely on my family history, as the granddaughter of a Canadian hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, a province that is still home to some French-speakers, and my interest in Charles Dickens’ depiction of the French Revolution in A Tale of Two Cities, I have felt driven to learn as much as possible about the French language and the countries where it is spoken. A semester spent at l’Université de la Sorbonne in Paris in the fall of 2001, and an academic year spent at l’Université François-Rabelais in Tours, France, gave me the opportunity to experience life in French, to see a new aspect of French culture every day, and to meet people who taught me a great deal about other cultures.
Since that time, I have had the chance to experience the cultures of Quebec and Belgium. These opportunities to visit French-speaking areas outside of France have given me a stronger appreciation for the diversity of the Francophone world, both culturally and linguistically.
My research interests include French Cultural Studies, Maghrebi-French Studies, Quebec Studies, Franco-American relations, 19th-century French literature, World Cinema in French, Francophone music in its political contexts, representations of contemporary migration to Europe, Flaubertian Studies, and bilingual education.
At Susquehanna University, I look forward to exploring the richness of the French language, and that of the literatures, cultures, and cinemas of the French-speaking world, with my students, as they have opportunities to use the language in ways that are meaningful to them, and that allow them to engage in constructive ways with the world around them.
Education:
Ph.D., French and Francophone Studies, The Ohio State University, 2014
Dissertation Title: Conflicting Representations of Maghrebi-French Integration: A Spectrum of Hospitality from Derrida to Foucault, as Seen in Contemporary Literature, Cinema, and the Magazine Paris-Match
M.A. in French, Bowling Green State University, 2005
1st Year of M.A. studies in France: l’Université François-Rabelais, Tours, France, Sept., 2003 – June, 2004
Thesis: Franco-American Frictions: their Roots & Contemporary Manifestations
Diplôme de français des affaires, 1er degré, Mention bien, July 2005
Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris, France
B.A. in French, Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA, May 2003
Minor: Secondary Education
Central College Abroad in Paris, France: Fall, 2001
Study at Le Cours de Civilisation française de la Sorbonne, Paris, France, Oct., 2001 – Feb., 2002
L’Université de la Sorbonne, Diplôme semestriel de langue et de civilisation françaises, Feb., 2002
Study at L’Alliance française, Nice, France, Sept., 2001
Undergraduate Capstone Paper: “Integration and Identity: Islam in France”
Teaching experience:
Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA: Visiting Assistant Professor of French Studies, Aug., 2024-present
Fredonia Central School District, Fredonia, NY: French Teacher, Nov., 2023- June, 2024
Sister Sophie Language Education, Ltd.: Remote Instructor of French, English Language Gateway (English as a Second Language), and English Language Arts, March, 2023-Oct., 2023
Allegheny College, Meadville, PA: Visiting Assistant Professor of French, Jan.-Aug., 2022
The State University of New York, Fredonia, NY, Lecturer of French, 2018-2019
Grove City College, Grove City, PA, Instructor of French, 2017-2018
Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua, NY, The Special Studies Program: Instructor, “Around the French-Speaking World in Five Days: the Cultures of the Francophone World,” June 23rd-27th, 2014
Jamestown Community College, Jamestown, NY, Continuing Education Dept.: Instructor, “France, French, & Frog Legs,” Oct.-Nov., 2013
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH: Graduate Teaching Associate, French, 2008-2012
Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH: Graduate Teaching Assistant, French Cultural Readings, 2004-2005
Research Interests:
French Cultural Studies, Maghrebi-French Studies, Quebec Studies, Franco-American relations, 19th-century French literature, World Cinema in French, Francophone music in its political contexts, representations of contemporary migration to Europe, Flaubertian Studies, bilingual education
Selected publications:
Gerring, Michele. “All of France is Not Charlie (Hebdo): Changes in French Attitudes towards the Satire of Islam, Post-January, 2015.” Forthcoming chapter in Refracted Visions: Heterodox Global Reactions to 9/11 and the War on Terror in Media, Film, Literature and Popular Culture. Ed. Khani Begum and Jacob Hall. Palgrave-Macmillan, 2024.
—–. “Dual-Language Programs in Southern Florida: A Model for Potential Reforms to Instruction for English Language Learners in Arizona, with Implications for Students’ Professional Success”. Forthcoming, in Multilingualism and Cultural Fluency in the Professional World. Ed. Fabrice Jaumont and Medhi Lazar. The Center for the Advancement of Languages, Education, and Communities, 2024.
—–. «L’Intégration des personnes d’origine asiatique en France : Le progrès et les défis ». La France contemporaine: unité et diversités, polarisations et solidarités. Ed. Michel Gueldry and Armelle Crouzières-Ingenthron. 217-46. Marion, IL: The American Association of Teachers of French, 2020.
—–. Rev. of Le Sahel, épicentre géopolitique: Des solutions endogènes face à l’enjeu sécuritaire, by Thierno S.D. Niang, the French Review. (Forthcoming: December, 2024, Vol. 98, Issue 2)
—–. Rev. of Non-Sovereign Futures: French Caribbean Politics in the Wake of Disenchantment, by Yarimar Bonilla, the French Review. (October, 2017, Vol. 91, Issue 1)
—–. Rev. of Notre mal vient de plus loin: Penser les tueries du 13 novembre, by Alain Badiou, the French Review. (May, 2017, Vol. 90, Issue 4)
—–. Rev. of Qui est Charlie? Sociologie d’une crise religieuse, by Emmanuel Todd, Contemporary French Civilization. (July, 2016, Vol. 41, Issue 2)
—–. Rev. of Regeneration through Empire. French Pronatalists and Colonial Settlement in the Third Republic, by Margaret Cook Andersen, French Forum. (Winter, 2017, Vol. 42, Issue 1)
—–. Rev. of Vietnam and the Colonial Condition of French Literature, by Leslie Barnes, Studies in 20th and 21st Century Literature. (Summer, 2017, Vol. 41, Issue 2: “Writing 1914-1918: National Responses to the Great War.”
Selected Presentations:
-“Should the “Non” of the 1995 Referendum on Québécois Sovereignty Been a “Oui”?: The Efforts of le Parti québécois to Correct History, Against the Backdrop of Globalization-Induced Apathy for Independence”, Kentucky Foreign Language Conference, Virtual Presentation, Thurs., April 18th, 2024
-“Social Change in Three Key Representations of la Révolution tranquille in Quebec, with Pedagogical Implications”, Virtual Presentation: Kentucky Foreign Language Conference, Thurs., April 20th, 2023
-“Transatlantic Approaches to Deconstructing Islamophobia”, The Midwest Modern Language Association Convention, Cincinnati, OH, Sat., November 11th, 2017
-“Cinematic Interpretations of the Outcomes of Civil Rights Marches in France and the US, from Ben Yadir’s 2013 La Marche, to DuVernay’s 2014 Selma”
Contemporary French & Francophone Studies International Colloquium, Bloomington, IN, April 6th-8th, 2017
-“Perilous Passages in Mediterranea (2015) and Ceuta, douce prison (2013): Representations of Recent Migration from Africa to Europe, with Implications for the Response to the Refugee Crisis in Europe”, Contemporary French & Francophone Studies International Colloquium, St. Louis, MO, March 17th-19th, 2016
-“The Future of the Art of Satire in Western Societies, Post-January 7th, 2015: the Effects on the Terrorist Attacks on Charlie Hebdo on Perceptions of Satire in France, with Considerations of Implications for Publishing in the New Media Age”
Midwest Modern Language Association Convention: “Arts and Sciences”, Columbus, OH, Nov. 12th-15th, 2015
-“Flaubert’s Ambiguous Portrait of the 19th-Century Middle-Class Woman: Marie Arnoux and Emma Bovary”
Cincinnati Conference on Romance Languages and Literatures
The University of Cincinnati Department of Romance Languages and Literatures
Cincinnati, OH, May 5th-7th, 2011
-“Investigating Violence: A Study of the Causes of the Riots of 2005”
International Society of African Philosophy and Studies (ISAPS) Conference: “Violence and Representation in Africa & the African Diaspora”, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, April 17th-20th, 2011
-“The Eternal Struggle of Minorities in France: Resistance in La Seine était rouge et Les Raisins de la galère”, 63rd Annual Kentucky Foreign Language Conference, Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, April 15th-17th, 2010
-“Long Live the Québécois Difference” 15th Annual French & Italian Graduate Students Assoc. Conference: “Crossing Borders/Breaking Boundaries”, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, April 4th, 2009
Awards:
—Northeast National Resource Center on Canada: Certificate of Achievement, June 23rd-28th, 2024: “Quebec Dimensions: Historical, Cultural and Geographic Explorations” Summer Institute for Teachers of French (K-12), Quebec City, Canada
—Grove City College, Professional Development Request for Travel to the Midwest MLA Convention, Cincinnati, OH, November 11th-12th, 2017
—Freedom House, Detroit, Michigan (Refugee Resettlement Organization), Volunteer Appreciation Award for French-English Translation, Spring 2013
—The Ohio State University, Richard Bjornson Travel Grant, 2011
—The Ohio State University, Bulatkin Travel Grant, 2010
—Bowling Green State University Comptes-Couvert Scholarship, Academic Year in Tours, France, 2003-2004
- FRNC-101: Beginning French I
- FRNC-205: French Culture and Language
- FRNC-303: Oral Expression and Public Speaking
About Me
From the moment when I chose to study French, based largely on my family history, as the granddaughter of a Canadian hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, a province that is still home to some French-speakers, and my interest in Charles Dickens’ depiction of the French Revolution in A Tale of Two Cities, I have felt driven to learn as much as possible about the French language and the countries where it is spoken. A semester spent at l’Université de la Sorbonne in Paris in the fall of 2001, and an academic year spent at l’Université François-Rabelais in Tours, France, gave me the opportunity to experience life in French, to see a new aspect of French culture every day, and to meet people who taught me a great deal about other cultures.
Since that time, I have had the chance to experience the cultures of Quebec and Belgium. These opportunities to visit French-speaking areas outside of France have given me a stronger appreciation for the diversity of the Francophone world, both culturally and linguistically.
My research interests include French Cultural Studies, Maghrebi-French Studies, Quebec Studies, Franco-American relations, 19th-century French literature, World Cinema in French, Francophone music in its political contexts, representations of contemporary migration to Europe, Flaubertian Studies, and bilingual education.
At Susquehanna University, I look forward to exploring the richness of the French language, and that of the literatures, cultures, and cinemas of the French-speaking world, with my students, as they have opportunities to use the language in ways that are meaningful to them, and that allow them to engage in constructive ways with the world around them.
Professional Experience
Education:
Ph.D., French and Francophone Studies, The Ohio State University, 2014
Dissertation Title: Conflicting Representations of Maghrebi-French Integration: A Spectrum of Hospitality from Derrida to Foucault, as Seen in Contemporary Literature, Cinema, and the Magazine Paris-Match
M.A. in French, Bowling Green State University, 2005
1st Year of M.A. studies in France: l’Université François-Rabelais, Tours, France, Sept., 2003 – June, 2004
Thesis: Franco-American Frictions: their Roots & Contemporary Manifestations
Diplôme de français des affaires, 1er degré, Mention bien, July 2005
Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris, France
B.A. in French, Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA, May 2003
Minor: Secondary Education
Central College Abroad in Paris, France: Fall, 2001
Study at Le Cours de Civilisation française de la Sorbonne, Paris, France, Oct., 2001 – Feb., 2002
L’Université de la Sorbonne, Diplôme semestriel de langue et de civilisation françaises, Feb., 2002
Study at L’Alliance française, Nice, France, Sept., 2001
Undergraduate Capstone Paper: “Integration and Identity: Islam in France”
Teaching experience:
Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA: Visiting Assistant Professor of French Studies, Aug., 2024-present
Fredonia Central School District, Fredonia, NY: French Teacher, Nov., 2023- June, 2024
Sister Sophie Language Education, Ltd.: Remote Instructor of French, English Language Gateway (English as a Second Language), and English Language Arts, March, 2023-Oct., 2023
Allegheny College, Meadville, PA: Visiting Assistant Professor of French, Jan.-Aug., 2022
The State University of New York, Fredonia, NY, Lecturer of French, 2018-2019
Grove City College, Grove City, PA, Instructor of French, 2017-2018
Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua, NY, The Special Studies Program: Instructor, “Around the French-Speaking World in Five Days: the Cultures of the Francophone World,” June 23rd-27th, 2014
Jamestown Community College, Jamestown, NY, Continuing Education Dept.: Instructor, “France, French, & Frog Legs,” Oct.-Nov., 2013
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH: Graduate Teaching Associate, French, 2008-2012
Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH: Graduate Teaching Assistant, French Cultural Readings, 2004-2005
Scholarly & Creative Works
Research Interests:
French Cultural Studies, Maghrebi-French Studies, Quebec Studies, Franco-American relations, 19th-century French literature, World Cinema in French, Francophone music in its political contexts, representations of contemporary migration to Europe, Flaubertian Studies, bilingual education
Selected publications:
Gerring, Michele. “All of France is Not Charlie (Hebdo): Changes in French Attitudes towards the Satire of Islam, Post-January, 2015.” Forthcoming chapter in Refracted Visions: Heterodox Global Reactions to 9/11 and the War on Terror in Media, Film, Literature and Popular Culture. Ed. Khani Begum and Jacob Hall. Palgrave-Macmillan, 2024.
—–. “Dual-Language Programs in Southern Florida: A Model for Potential Reforms to Instruction for English Language Learners in Arizona, with Implications for Students’ Professional Success”. Forthcoming, in Multilingualism and Cultural Fluency in the Professional World. Ed. Fabrice Jaumont and Medhi Lazar. The Center for the Advancement of Languages, Education, and Communities, 2024.
—–. «L’Intégration des personnes d’origine asiatique en France : Le progrès et les défis ». La France contemporaine: unité et diversités, polarisations et solidarités. Ed. Michel Gueldry and Armelle Crouzières-Ingenthron. 217-46. Marion, IL: The American Association of Teachers of French, 2020.
—–. Rev. of Le Sahel, épicentre géopolitique: Des solutions endogènes face à l’enjeu sécuritaire, by Thierno S.D. Niang, the French Review. (Forthcoming: December, 2024, Vol. 98, Issue 2)
—–. Rev. of Non-Sovereign Futures: French Caribbean Politics in the Wake of Disenchantment, by Yarimar Bonilla, the French Review. (October, 2017, Vol. 91, Issue 1)
—–. Rev. of Notre mal vient de plus loin: Penser les tueries du 13 novembre, by Alain Badiou, the French Review. (May, 2017, Vol. 90, Issue 4)
—–. Rev. of Qui est Charlie? Sociologie d’une crise religieuse, by Emmanuel Todd, Contemporary French Civilization. (July, 2016, Vol. 41, Issue 2)
—–. Rev. of Regeneration through Empire. French Pronatalists and Colonial Settlement in the Third Republic, by Margaret Cook Andersen, French Forum. (Winter, 2017, Vol. 42, Issue 1)
—–. Rev. of Vietnam and the Colonial Condition of French Literature, by Leslie Barnes, Studies in 20th and 21st Century Literature. (Summer, 2017, Vol. 41, Issue 2: “Writing 1914-1918: National Responses to the Great War.”
Selected Presentations:
-“Should the “Non” of the 1995 Referendum on Québécois Sovereignty Been a “Oui”?: The Efforts of le Parti québécois to Correct History, Against the Backdrop of Globalization-Induced Apathy for Independence”, Kentucky Foreign Language Conference, Virtual Presentation, Thurs., April 18th, 2024
-“Social Change in Three Key Representations of la Révolution tranquille in Quebec, with Pedagogical Implications”, Virtual Presentation: Kentucky Foreign Language Conference, Thurs., April 20th, 2023
-“Transatlantic Approaches to Deconstructing Islamophobia”, The Midwest Modern Language Association Convention, Cincinnati, OH, Sat., November 11th, 2017
-“Cinematic Interpretations of the Outcomes of Civil Rights Marches in France and the US, from Ben Yadir’s 2013 La Marche, to DuVernay’s 2014 Selma”
Contemporary French & Francophone Studies International Colloquium, Bloomington, IN, April 6th-8th, 2017
-“Perilous Passages in Mediterranea (2015) and Ceuta, douce prison (2013): Representations of Recent Migration from Africa to Europe, with Implications for the Response to the Refugee Crisis in Europe”, Contemporary French & Francophone Studies International Colloquium, St. Louis, MO, March 17th-19th, 2016
-“The Future of the Art of Satire in Western Societies, Post-January 7th, 2015: the Effects on the Terrorist Attacks on Charlie Hebdo on Perceptions of Satire in France, with Considerations of Implications for Publishing in the New Media Age”
Midwest Modern Language Association Convention: “Arts and Sciences”, Columbus, OH, Nov. 12th-15th, 2015
-“Flaubert’s Ambiguous Portrait of the 19th-Century Middle-Class Woman: Marie Arnoux and Emma Bovary”
Cincinnati Conference on Romance Languages and Literatures
The University of Cincinnati Department of Romance Languages and Literatures
Cincinnati, OH, May 5th-7th, 2011
-“Investigating Violence: A Study of the Causes of the Riots of 2005”
International Society of African Philosophy and Studies (ISAPS) Conference: “Violence and Representation in Africa & the African Diaspora”, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, April 17th-20th, 2011
-“The Eternal Struggle of Minorities in France: Resistance in La Seine était rouge et Les Raisins de la galère”, 63rd Annual Kentucky Foreign Language Conference, Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, April 15th-17th, 2010
-“Long Live the Québécois Difference” 15th Annual French & Italian Graduate Students Assoc. Conference: “Crossing Borders/Breaking Boundaries”, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, April 4th, 2009
Awards:
—Northeast National Resource Center on Canada: Certificate of Achievement, June 23rd-28th, 2024: “Quebec Dimensions: Historical, Cultural and Geographic Explorations” Summer Institute for Teachers of French (K-12), Quebec City, Canada
—Grove City College, Professional Development Request for Travel to the Midwest MLA Convention, Cincinnati, OH, November 11th-12th, 2017
—Freedom House, Detroit, Michigan (Refugee Resettlement Organization), Volunteer Appreciation Award for French-English Translation, Spring 2013
—The Ohio State University, Richard Bjornson Travel Grant, 2011
—The Ohio State University, Bulatkin Travel Grant, 2010
—Bowling Green State University Comptes-Couvert Scholarship, Academic Year in Tours, France, 2003-2004