Each year, Duke Service-Learning recognizes students, faculty and community partners with the Betsy Alden Outstanding Service-Learning Awards. Betsy Alden was a pioneer in service-learning, beginning her work at Duke during the 1980s. Read more about the legacy of Betsy Alden HERE. Recipients are chosen because they represent an exceptional commitment to the ideals of service‐learning. Each winner receives $150 to further develop his/her community-building and leadership skills. They are also recognized at the… read more about 2023 Alden Award Winners Represent Exceptional Commitment to Service-Learning »
Translanguaging, the practice of leveraging all of one's linguistic knowledge to create meaning, is a pedagogical practice that meets students where they are in the process of learning a new language by validating students' individual experiences and allowing for mistakes. “Translanguaging Fridays” is the brainchild of two faculty from the Department of Romance Studies who created a classroom community that celebrates the use of multiple languages instead of limiting the… read more about Innovative Learning: Translanguaging Fridays at Duke »
On March 24, the Department of Romance Studies hosted its 13th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. The event celebrates original research from undergraduate students, completed as part of Romance Studies coursework. Six graduating seniors, each nominated by department faculty to present at the symposium, reflect on the research process and the experience of presenting to an audience of faculty and peers during their final term as Duke undergraduate students. Daniel Sutton '23. (… read more about Six Graduating Seniors Reflect on their Experience as Undergraduate Researchers »
Last fall, Duke’s announcement of the Duke Climate Commitment included a call to center climate and sustainability fluency across the undergraduate curriculum. The invitation aligned perfectly with the plans Senior Lecturers of Romance Studies Laura Florand and Sandra Valnes Quammen have for the French Language Program. Indeed, their initiative, Teaching (for) Sustainability in French, seeks to expand existing engagement within the French Language Program with sustainability themes through topics related to the… read more about Sustainability Through Language: Reimagining the French Curriculum Through an Environmental Lens »
As part of a series of graduate student spotlights, we posed some questions to Isabel Bradley, a Ph.D. candidate on the French and Francophone track in the Department of Romance Studies, to learn about her pursuits and her time at Duke. Tell us a bit about yourself. I am a PhD candidate on the French and Francophone track in the Department of Romance Studies. My work is broadly framed by currents of decolonial thought and their intersections with environmental studies in the Francophone Caribbean. I study the… read more about Graduate Student Spotlight: Isabel Bradley »
On February 16, the Department of Romance Studies hosted a celebration of recently published faculty books, listed below. Many of the works were published just before or during the COVID-19 pandemic, which prohibited the opportunity to honor the research achievements that each represents. Martin Eisner, a featured faculty author and department chair, shared remarks with colleagues at the celebration: “Although each of these books deserves its own individual celebration, the… read more about Department Celebrates Recently Published Faculty Books »
Romance Studies is a multilingual, interdisciplinary and global department that explores the culture, thought and practices of communities where romance languages are, or were once, spoken. The department’s breadth of research, scholarship and teaching on the linguistic, social and cultural histories of the Romance world are vast and nuanced. This February, the Department of Romance Studies, in collaboration with its faculty—Annette Joseph-Gabriel, Saskai Ziolkowski and Sarah Quesada—and partner units, will sponsor three… read more about February Symposia Explore Abolition, World Literature and Atlantic Studies »
One could spend a lifetime exploring the literary works of Dante, the Italian poet, writer and philosopher — and some nearly have. Martin Eisner, professor of Italian in the department of Romance Studies, is a Dante scholar and expert in medieval Italian literature. His 2021 book, “Dante’s New Life of the Book: A Philology of World Literature,” investigates Dante’s “La Vita Nuova,” published in 1294, by examining literary and nonliterary materials such as manuscripts, translations, adaptations,… read more about Martin Eisner’s Award-Winning Book Offers New Perspective on Dante »
Romance Studies Senior Lecturer, Bethzaida Fernández was awarded a Fellowship as part of the Community-Engaged Scholarship Collaborative from the Duke Office of Durham and Community Affairs. Community-engaged scholarship involves partnerships between the community and university addressing issues of shared importance and demonstrating mutual benefit. Fernández applied for the program to support the Raíces, Rutas y Ritmos project in collaboration with her Service-Learning course Spanish 313 “Latino Lives and Experiences… read more about Bethzaida Fernández awarded Community-Engaged Scholarship Collaborative Fellows Program »
Long winter nights make for good reads. Duke publications from the fall and winter include attractions for readers of many interests. For history buffs, there's new history of the American West and a timely assessment of economic sanctions. For politicos, there's a blueprint for protecting democracy and a study of the contributions of migrants to various cultures. Movie fans can read about the history of Asians in theater and cinema and a surprising look at the politics of Marvel movies. Many of the books,… read more about Warm Up With Winter Books From Duke Authors »
Deborah Reisinger, associate professor of the practice of Romance Studies, has been selected as a member of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques, an honor that recognizes excellence in teaching and promotion of the French language and culture. The honor of chevalier, or knight, is bestowed by the French government. French Consul Anne-Laure Desjonquères presented the award to Reisinger in an official pinning ceremony held in Rubenstein Library on November 16. The… read more about Deborah Reisinger Receives Official Knighthood from French Government »
On election day, a group of 30 Durham Public School teachers gathered in a ground floor conference room in the Brodhead Center to participate in a Duke faculty-led workshop about language justice in educational settings. The event, which qualified as a professional development continuing education credit for the teachers, had three goals: exploring ideas about language attitudes, examining the origins and effects of monolingualism, and discussing how to reconcile teaching obligations while advocating for just… read more about Duke Faculty and Durham Public School Teachers Partner for Language Justice »
For the first time in 16 years, Duke Service-Learning will be led by a new director. Joan Clifford, an associate professor of the practice of Romance Studies, began her tenure as faculty director of the Trinity program this semester after taking over for long-time leader David Malone. As Clifford settled into her new role by announcing the 2022-2023 Service-Learning theme, which will take faculty and students “beyond the discourse,” we sat down with her to talk about her history with Service-Learning, what comes… read more about New Service-Learning Director Looks Beyond the Discourse »
Friday, October 28, 2022 will mark 39 years since International Creole Day began to be celebrated worldwide and 10 years since the day began to be commemorated here at Duke University. In the last decade, what first began as a spotlight on the works of scholars whose focus was on Haitian Creole has since shifted to a space that is open to all scholars working on any French-based Creole. By educating the audience on the particular Kreyòl of these scholars, a linguistic bond may be forged… read more about October 28 is International Creole Day and a Call pou n viv an Kreyòl »
