UE Professor Presents Keynote at National Conference

Posted: March 2, 2024

University of Evansville professor Dr. Cindy Crowe was selected to present the keynote speech along with Emory University professor Dr. Yun Kim at the 2024 Phi Sigma Iota Conference in February.

Phi Sigma Iota, founded in 1922, is the International Foreign Language Honor Society and the highest academic honor in the field of foreign languages. UE's Epsilon Beta Chapter was installed on April 8, 2000.

Dr. Kim, Associate Professor of Linguistics at Emory, presented her research on the neurological and cognitive benefits of multilingualism. Dr. Crowe, Assistant Professor of Spanish, presented from her research on the individual and societal advantages of foreign language learning, factors that influence students’ choice of major, and initiatives to strengthen world language programs.

“It was a privilege to speak on the importance of language study to an audience comprised of university foreign language professors and students," said Dr. Crowe. "I am hopeful that some of the research I shared might be useful as we collectively strive to enhance our world language programs at a time when the challenges of our contemporary global society necessitate an understanding of languages and cultures.”

“To meet these global challenges, we strongly encourage our UE students to continue their foreign language studies past the required level so they may obtain all the benefits of language study and connect with cultures other than their own in order to build bridges and intercultural harmony."

Changemaker Highlight of the Week: Latino Community Outreach

Posted: March 23, 2023

The University of Evansville's (UE) Latino Community Outreach ChangeLab functions to assist the local Latino community with their needs. From translation of materials and documents, to helping during vaccination clinics, the members of this ChangeLab work diligently to ensure the local Latino community have readily available resources.

Members of the ChangeLab have assisted with various forms of education. The group has incorporated "Latino Healthcare," a workshop presented by these ChangeLab students to medical providers in the Ascension southern region of Indiana. This encompasses all representatives and managers of primary care and essentially all specialty practices, urgent cares, and Tri State Community Clinics.

They have also held events spotlighting breast cancer awareness and included screening and free mammograms for Latinas in conjunction with Ascension St. Vincent.

The Latino Community Outreach ChangeLab works extensively in the community. Members have hosted meetings with middle school Latino students and parents to promote bilingualism, and to explain the need for bilingual healthcare professionals. The goal of these meetings is to acquaint Latinos with the Medical Professions Academy at Central High School and walk them through the application process. The group has also visited with elementary students who speak little English to encourage them to continue speaking Spanish and be proud of their culture.

The work continues to evolve and has included afterschool programs teaching diverse students in K-8 grades basic Spanish vocab and Hispanic culture. At Carver Community Organization's Afterschool Program and Washington Middle School Afterschool Program, the ChangeLab created a Club de Espanol.

Every Sunday, English as a Second Language Classes are held at Holy Rosary Catholic Church to help Latinos develop greater proficiency in English to benefit their work in society as a whole.

ChangeLab students who have taken Spanish throughout high school or who have taken classes in college (as well as native speakers) enjoy these educational initiatives and serve as interpreters and translators for these projects.

UE ChangeLab Brings Vaccine Awareness to Latino Community

Posted: September 22, 2021

Holy Rosary Catholic Church, located on south Green River Road in Evansville, will host a COVID-19 vaccine clinic this Sunday, September 26, 2021, from 1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. The clinic is targeted toward the youth of the local Latino community.  

The first dose of the Pfizer vaccine will be administered on that Sunday, and the second dose will be administered at another clinic on Sunday, October 17, 2021, from 1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Anyone age 12 and older can receive the vaccine for free. No identification cards or insurance will be required, and registration will be walk-in only. Individuals must wear a mask while at the clinic. 

Any Latino high school student who receives both doses of the vaccine will be entered to win a four-year, full-tuition scholarship from the University of Evansville. If the student is already fully vaccinated but would still like to be entered for the scholarship, they must bring proof of full vaccination and a friend, family member, or neighbor to the clinic. This individual must receive both doses of the vaccine for the student to be eligible for the scholarship. The drawing will be held after the second vaccine clinic.  

In partnership with Holy Rosary and Ascension St. Vincent, a professor and group of students from UE have worked diligently to increase COVID-19 vaccine awareness in the local Latino community. The idea arose from a ChangeLab – a semester-long UE course in which student teams develop innovative solutions to challenges either locally, nationally, or globally. The ChangeLab was held throughout the Spring 2021 semester and titled “Latinx Community Health.” 

Although vaccination awareness and encouragement has been strong in Evansville, the majority of information has been in English – whether it be online or printed in schools, healthcare facilities, or stores. Coached by Cindy Crowe, assistant professor emeritus of Spanish, the students used medical Spanish knowledge to transcribe English materials to Spanish. In particular, they created a pamphlet completely in Spanish that shared CDC guidelines as well as vaccination locations in Evansville.  

After producing the materials, Crowe and her students looked for a way to provide a comfortable, easily accessible vaccination site for Latinos where no ID was required. This was accomplished by forming a partnership with Ascension St. Vincent and Holy Rosary. Holy Rosary offers Catholic mass services in Spanish on Wednesdays and Sundays, so they knew it would be an ideal location for reaching the community and hosting the clinic. The team of students also translated the registration forms for the clinic, which led to more than 100 full vaccinations.  

“Since our clinic in the spring, the vaccine is now available for high school students, so we wanted the next clinic to focus on supporting them,” said Crowe. “As the coach of this class, it has been extremely rewarding to see these students take their ideas and goals and create a real difference in the community.” 

International Education Week 2019

Posted: November 15, 2019

The Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures organized and hosted the University of Evansville’s International Education Week programming on November 15-22, 2019.

Events included International Bazaar, study abroad photo contest, educational booths and more.

International Education Week (IEW) is a joint initiative of the US Department of State and US Department of Education, and is an annual event that UE has been supporting for more than 30 years.

Take a look below at the 2019 schedule, and make plans to attend in 2020.

November 15-22, 2019

Happy International Education Week at the University of Evansville! We are excited to celebrate all the amazing opportunities our students have to engage with the world around us. Here’s what is happening this year to celebrate IEW on campus:

Friday, November 15, 2019

5:00-8:00 p.m. | International Bazaar in Ridgway University Center. Hosted by International Club.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Study Abroad photo contest voting begins! Check out our social media to cast your ballot for the best photos taken abroad by UE students!

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | Study abroad/Harlaxton table in Ridgway: Xome learn more about study abroad opportunities at UE, or if you’ve gone already, write a postcard to a future student!

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

7:00-8:00 p.m. | I-House in the Ridgway University Center Class of '59 Gallery and Lounge. I-House is a weekly presentation and event series where international students talk about their home countries and other cultural topics are explored.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

7:00-8:00 p.m. | Mosaic Speaker Series in the Smythe Lecture Hall in Schroeder Family School of Business Administration featuring Native American Heritage Month guest lecturer, Lynn Long.

Friday, November 22, 2019

End of study abroad photo contest—winners announced today!

Andiron Lecture Series - Hunting my Grandfather’s Antlers and other Hibernacula

Posted: November 6, 2019

On Wednesday, November 6, Lesley C. Pleasant presented: Hunting my Grandfather’s Antlers and other Hibernacula.

Lesley C. Pleasant received her AB in German Studies from Dartmouth College and her PhD in German Literature from the University of Virginia. She teaches all levels of German language, literature, and culture, as well as International Film, First Year Seminar, and the senior capstone course for language majors. Her research interests include German theater/drama, the divided Germany, film, migration and national identity, as well as Animal Studies and Environmental Humanities.

Dr. Pleasant gives paper at Women in German Annual Conference

Posted: October 22, 2019

Associate Professor of German, Dr. Lesley C. Pleasant, presented her paper "Raging against Proscriptive Pigeonholes by Playing Paragons: Hartmann von Aue's Mädchen and Kleist's Kunigunde (and Kätchen)" at the Coalition of Women in German's annual conference in Sewanee, TN.

Faculty Honored at Celebration of Teaching Excellence

Posted: May 8, 2019

The First Annual Celebration of Teaching Excellence was held on Monday, May 6, and honored faculty teaching accomplishments and activities in pedagogical development during the academic year. This was the first year that the Eykamp Center for Teaching Excellence offered two certificates for faculty members who met requirements of engagement and participation in ECTE sponsored events.

Faculty members earning the 2018-2019 New Faculty Engagement Certificate were:
Alison Jones, Lecturer/Transition to Teaching Coordinator, School of Education
Julie Merkle, Assistant Professor of Biology, Department of Biology
Sara Petrosillo, Assistant Professor of English, Department of English

Faculty members earning the 2018-2019 Teaching Development Certificate were:
Heather Fenton, Assistant Professor of Management, Schroeder School of Business Administration
Lisa Marie Hale, Assistant Professor of Education, School of Education
Jessie Lofton, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering
Mary Lombardo-Graves, Assistant Professor of Special Education, School of Education
Diana Rodríguez Quevedo, Associate Professor of Spanish, Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures

Finally, the inaugural Leadership in Teaching Excellence Award was presented to Diana Rodríguez Quevedo, Associate Professor of Spanish, for her commitment to her personal teaching development, supporting the growth of others, and strengthening teaching excellence across the campus community.

Congratulations and thank you to all of our faculty colleagues for their commitment to teaching excellence at the University of Evansville!

The Celebration of Teaching Excellence was hosted by the Eykamp Center for Teaching Excellence and made possible with the generous support of Rita and Richard Eykamp.

Congratulations 2019-20 Global Scholars

Posted: May 8, 2019

The Center for Innovation & Change is pleased to announce the Global Scholars for the 2019-20 academic year. Congratulations to Dr. Amanda Kerr, Assistant Professor of Economics; Dr. David Murphy, Assistant Professor of Economics; Ms. Johnna Denning-Smith, Assistant Visiting Professor and Faculty Director of the MS in Leadership Program; and Dr. Lorena Andueza, Associate Professor, Spanish and TESL.

Amanda Kerr
Assistant Professor, Economics
Dr. Kerr will be studying the impact of time-saving appliances on gender equality, education, and health outcomes in China and India.

David Murphy
Assistant Professor, Economics
Dr. Murphy will study whether accurate plot size information and fertilizer optimization can increase crop yields among small-scale farmers in Kenya.

Johnna Denning-Smith
Assistant Visiting Professor and Faculty Director of the MS in Leadership Program
Ms. Denning-Smith will expand her knowledge of Design Thinking, discover ways to promote that process throughout campus, and make UE the go-to place for Design-Thinking and innovation training in our community and beyond.

P. Lorena Andueza
Associate Professor, Spanish and TESL
Dr. Andueza will study real conversations between doctors and patients in different Spanish speaking countries, compare their socio-pragmatic strategies, and apply the results of this research to the teaching of Medical Spanish in the U.S.

As Global Scholars, the recipients of this award will engage in scholarship, curriculum development, and activities related to preparing our students and community for global leadership, citizenry, and success. The Global Scholars program is supported by the John H. Schroeder Global Scholar Endowed Fund and the Lilly Endowment.

Foreign Languages and Cultures Outstanding Students of the Year

Posted: May 1, 2019

The Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures would like to congratulate the following students for their excellent work in German, Russian, French, and Spanish courses this year.

They are: 

Emily Vasquez wins the Outstanding German Student of the Year award.

Meagan Scheib wins the Outstanding Russian Student of the Year award.

Tyla Rasche wins the Outstanding French Student of the Year award.

Megan Smith wins the Outstanding Spanish Student of the Year award.

Andiron Lecture Series - War Victim to Gay Hero: Commemorating Lorca in the Absence of his Body

Posted: April 3, 2019

Assistant Professor of Spanish Edward Current presented the Andiron Lecture "War Victim to Gay Hero: Commemorating Lorca in the Absence of his Body" was presented on April 3.

Edward Curran is an assistant professor of Spanish in the Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures at the University of Evansville. He holds a PhD in hispanic literature from Cornell University, an MA in Spanish (language, literature, and culture) from UNC Charlotte, as well as a BA in modern languages from Winthrop University. His teaching and research interests include: twentieth-century Spanish literature, photography, film, monuments, material culture, in addition to photography theory and visual studies. Curran’s Andiron lecture is derived from the first chapter of his dissertation, Mourning the Image: The Afterlife of Bodies in Contemporary Spain, which examines categories of human remains germane to the Peninsula’s mass grave exhumation phenomenon and their representation in photography, monuments, and the plastic arts.

At the onset of the Spanish Civil War in August 1936, the poet-dramaturge Federico García Lorca was executed and rumored to be buried somewhere between the towns of Víznar and Alfacar on the outskirts of Granada. Similar to Republican soldiers and civilian victims of Franco’s dictatorship, his body was never recovered and some eighty years after his assassination, the community has yet to reconcile his loss. In the context of Lorca’s ongoing immaterial presence and the public’s longing to locate his remains, this lecture will explore how his inability to be mourned has enlivened his spirit and perpetuated his cultural legacy in the spaces he inhabited. 

French Sociologist Gérôme Truc to Speak at UE about 2015 Paris Terrorist Attacks

Posted: October 16, 2018

French sociologist and author Gérôme Truc will speak at the University of Evansville on Thursday, October 25. His topic will be “Paris in Shock: The Social Response to the 2015 Terrorist Attacks." The lecture begins at 7:00 p.m. in Eykamp Hall, Room 251, in Ridgway University Center. This event is free and open to the public.

Truc is a tenured research fellow at the CNRS and member of the Institut des Sciences sociales du Politique (ISP) in Paris. His work focuses primarily on social reactions to terrorist attacks (9/11, Madrid in 2004, Paris in 2015).

While Truc pays particular attention to moral and political sociology, he notes that he is generally interested in "what a society goes through when it is subjected to the ordeal of terrorist attacks."

His most recent book on that topic is titled Shell Shocked: The Social Response to Terrorist Attacks.

This lecture is made possible with the generous support of and contribution by the University’s Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures; the French Embassy in the United States; and UE’s Department of Law, Politics and Society; Department of History; and Office of Diversity Initiatives.

For more information about the lecture and speaker, please email sb413@evansville.edu.

Outstanding Foreign Languages and Cultures Student Awards

Posted: April 25, 2018

The Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures at the University of Evansville has announced its student awards..

Michaela Kunkler won the Outstanding Student Award in German.
Olivia Goldstein won the Outstanding Student Award in Spanish.
Emily Schuster won the Outstanding Student Award in French.
Haley Patterson won the Outstanding Student Award in Russian.

UEDFLC at North Eastern Modern Languages Association Convention

Posted: April 23, 2018

Associate professor of German Lesley C. Pleasant chaired a German and Media Studies panel "Wozu Presse?" and presented her paper “Pushed to Act: Conversations with The New York Times in Uwe Johnson’s Jahrestage.”

The talk analyzed the significance of the frequent inclusions of news stories and pictures from the newspaper as a means to supplement the personal memory project of the protagonist. While on the face of it, it seems that her daily engagement with The New York Times (a) simply keeps her informed about the status quo and its repetition of violence, racism, and failed realizations of potential alternative government structures, and (b) simply replicates on a broader—local, regional, national, and international—scale the blindness of individual memory and perception, the novel posits that the press can provide the impetus to social action precisely by “proving” also that what appears as repetition is “noch nicht das Gleiche.”(JT 914)

Assistant professor of French Severine Bates, delivered her talk “Europe or Africa? Finding the new Promised Land in Fatou Diome’s Le ventre de l’Atlantique” as part of the "Contemporary Francophone African Women Writers Making Their World” Panel. Her paper focused on Diome’s portrayal of the relationship between soccer and the mass media as one of the causes of emigration to Europe (seen as the El Dorado) from her home country, Senegal, another victim of the “muscle drain” (Andreff, 2001). In her novel, Diome denounces the Senegalese youths' obsession with France—an obsession fed by television and fueled by the lies of former migrants and the dream of making it big internationally as a soccer player. This paper showed how, by shifting the Senegalese gaze from the global to the local and by suggesting a more modest and realistic community-based vision of economic success, Diome is able to voice an entire generation’s dreams for social and economic change in an Africa presented as the (not so) new Promised Land for the world.

Lesley Pleasant presents at the German Literature Panel

Posted: November 15, 2017

Lesley Pleasant, associate professor of German, presented "Mariengabe: Reflections of a New York Times Reader" at the German Literature Panel on Friday, November 10, at the Midwest Modern Language Association's Annual Convention in Cincinnati.

Her talk analyzed how the frame of The New York Times helps the protagonist of Uwe Johnson's Jahrestage (1971), a German immigrant to New York city in the 1960s, to shape the narrative of her own past for herself and her ten year old daughter.

Krista Williams publishes article in Lexikos

Posted: November 10, 2017

Krista Williams, University of Evansville assistant professor of French, has published an article in the journal Lexikos. Based in South Africa, Lexikos is one of the premier international lexicography journals.

Williams's article compares the definitions of color terms in French, American, and British dictionaries.

Pleasant publishes article in Animal Narratology

Posted: November 3, 2017

Lesley Pleasant, associate professor of German, has had an article published in Animal Narratology, a special issue of the Humanities journal. Her article is titled 'Seeing Beings: “Dog” Looks Back at “God”: Unfixing Canis familiaris in Kornél Mundruczó’s Film Fehér isten/White God (2014)'.

The article discusses how White God models the empathetic gaze between species as a potential way out of the dead end of indifference and the impasse of anthropocentric sympathy toward less hierarchical, co-created urban animal publics.

Williams publishes article on color defining

Posted: December 13, 2016

Krista Williams, assistant professor of French, has had an article published in Dictionaries: Journal of the Dictionary Society of North America 37 (2016), 1-35. Her article, entitled “A New Typology of Color Term Defining Strategies,” treats defining methods used for color terms in dictionaries of French and English.

In addition to its descriptive nature, this typology serves as a model for other semantic domains. As the words in one domain are typically assigned to a single editor (or group of editors), this method of cataloging strategies can be useful to lexicographers working in many areas.

Professor Pap Ndiaye to present The French Minority Paradox: Blackness in France

Posted: October 25, 2016

The Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures, the Office of Diversity and Equity, and the French Embassy invite the UE and Evansville communities to hear renowned French historian, Pap Ndiaye's lecture "The Minority Paradox: Blackness in France" on November 8, from 4:00-5:00 p.m. in Room 162, Schroeder School of Business Building.

His presentation discusses the notion of French blacks and the tension within the classic French Republican understanding of citizenship. How and why is it intellectually and politically legitimate to use this notion?

Ndiaye will discuss the reasons why French scholars have been reluctant to focus on racial minorities. He will also elaborate on the notion of blackness, that is the subjectification of racial identities in France in the 20th century, and show why a new blackness has emerged in France in the past few years.

Ndiaye is a historian, specializing in the social history of the United States with a focus on its minorities. He holds a doctorate from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) where he was a lecturer before being selected in 2012 as professor at the Institut d' Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po Paris), a highly selective French university. He is considered as one of the pioneers of black studies in France. He is the author of several books and articles including La Condition noire. Essai sur une minorité française (2008).

UE Annual Linguapalooza planned for October 4

Posted: October 3, 2016

The twelfth annual Linguapalooza at the University of Evansville is planned for Tuesday, October 4. The event, which is hosted by UE’s Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures, is an opportunity for area high school students to hone their foreign language skills through interactive cultural and conversational sessions.

The day will begin with breakfast and a campus tour in French, German, and Spanish. Planned activities include mini-lessons in many languages, including Arabic, German, French, Gaelic, Portuguese, Russian, Hausa, and West African Creole.

Students will also participate in a Quiz Bowl in German and a game of Jeopardy in Spanish, and learn about reggaeton, a genre of music that originated in Puerto Rico. They will explore several cultures, including that of Argentina, El Salvador, Germany, and France.

For more information on the event, contact UE’s Department of Foreign Languages at 812-488-2165.

María Belén Mansilla assists Spanish Faculty

Posted: August 19, 2016

The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures welcomes Fulbright Teaching Assistant María Belén Mansilla from Argentina. Belén is assisting the Spanish Faculty for the academic year 2016-2017.

The Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures welcomes Severine Bates

Posted: August 1, 2016

Séverine Bates, a native of Martinique, specializes in contemporary French and Francophone literature. She received her MA and Ph.D. in French from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

Krista Williams Publishes Guest Post for Munsell Color

Posted: July 12, 2016

Krista Williams, assistant professor of French, has been invited by the Munsell Color Company to write a guest blog post about some of her research. She studies color defining and translating, and her blog post shows one way this is done in dictionaries. It also offers the opportunity to test one's knowledge of color names. The blog can be found here.

Lorena Andueza and Jamelyn Wheeler to Present Research Paper

Posted: May 24, 2016

Lorena Andueza and Jamelyn Wheeler will present their research on how to express refusals in American English and three varieties of Spanish (Peninsular, Argentinian, and Venezuelan) at the third International Conference of the American Pragmatics Association (AMPRA) in November.

Andueza is a UE assistant professor of Spanish, and Wheeler is a UE English education graduate who will start working on her master’s degree in linguistics at Indiana University this fall. Their research project was funded by the UExplore committee and UE’s dean of the William L. Ridgway College of Arts and Sciences.

Lesley Pleasant Publishes Article

Posted: April 18, 2016

"Dogeared Hate: Yilmaz Arslan’s Brudermord/Fratricide (2005), a new type of Heimatfilm,” an article by Lesley Pleasant, associate professor of German, has been published in the April/May 2016 volume of the German Studies journal, Pandaemonium Germanicum.

This paper focuses on the Heimat (home) metaphor of the Pit Bull in Yilmaz Arslan’s Brudermord/Fratricide (2005), a film about Turkish migrants in Germany. Updating the genre for a world of fluid boundaries, Arslan’s film self-reflexively posits transnational Heimatfilm as a possible bridge between “Others," as a means to facilitate conversations that might decrease the violence of the present dog-eat-dog world of the margin the film portrays.

UE Annual Linguapalooza Planned for October 6

Posted: September 28, 2015

The University of Evansville’s Department of Foreign Languages will host its annual Linguapalooza on Tuesday, October 6, in Eykamp Hall in Ridgway University Center on UE’s campus. The event begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 2:00 p.m.

This is the eleventh year for this all-day event, during which students from 13 local high schools will attend conversational and interactive sessions in the language and culture of their choice. During the final session, students will be initiated into a language that they are not currently studying, such as Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Portuguese, or Russian. The students will also take a tour of campus conducted in the language they are studying at their respective schools.

Schools represented this year include Boonville, Bosse, Castle, Evansville Day School, Forest Park, Harrison, Heritage Hills, Loogootee, Mater Dei, North, Princeton, Tecumseh and Tell City high schools.

For more information on the event, please contact UE’s Department of Foreign Languages at 812-488-2165

Associate Professor of German Lesley C. Pleasant Publishes Chapter

Posted: September 1, 2014

Associate Professor of German Lesley C. Pleasant has published a chapter "The Post-War Anxiety of the American Pin-Up: William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)" in the anthology Heroism and Gender in War Films (Palgrave, August 2014).

For more information, go here:

http://www.palgrave.com/page/detail/heroism-and-gender-in-war-films-karen-a-ritzenhoff/?k=9781137364531

Spanish Club Game Night on Thursday

Posted: November 20, 2013

The Spanish Club will have Game Night on Thursday, November 21, at 8:00 p.m. in Room 250, Schroeder Family School of Business Building. We will be playing cards and board games in Spanish. Tell your friends to attend!

IEW 30 Minute Language Lesson-Ridgway University Center

Posted: November 20, 2013

On Wednesday, Nov. 20 from 11:00 a.m. -3:00 p.m., all are invited for 30 minutes of immersion in language and culture including: Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Persian, Portuguese. For schedule and full list of IEW events visit evansville.edu/iew or contact studyabroad@evansville.edu.

International Education Week Nov. 18-22

Posted: November 14, 2013

International Education Week begins Monday, November 18 with a Study Abroad Fair from from 11 a.m. -1 p.m. in Ridgway University Center.  For the full week schedule, see http://www.evansville.edu/iew/schedule.cfm.

Spanish Club Music Night

Posted: November 4, 2013

Spanish Club will be hosting a music night Tuesday, November 5, in Room 133, Koch Center. We will be listening to music from different Spanish artists. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome to attend!

FREE Tango Lesson on Campus

Posted: October 24, 2013

FREE Tango lessons offered by María Sol Velásquez. Ms. Velásquez was born in Cervantes, a small city in Patagonia, Argentina. She studied Teaching English at the Universidad del Comahue, and she completed two years of Fine Arts at IUPA. She was a teacher at the elementary and secondary levels in Argentina without ever setting aside her passion, Tango, a dance she practices since 2007. She is currently a Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant in the Department of Foreign Languages, where she teaches Spanish.

The lesson will be offered Friday, October 25 from 6:00 pm until 7:30 pm in the Aerobics Room in the Fitness Center. Class is limited to 20 students. Please RSVP at ext. 2413.

French Club Presents: Spotlight on Travel

Posted: October 22, 2013

The French Club will present "Spotlight on Travel Two Days in Montreal" with Visiting Assistant Professor of French Erica Cefalo on Tuesday, October 22 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in Room 172, Schroeder Family School of Business Building. Tea and cookies provided.

UE Libraries Wheeler Fund Awarded

Posted: October 21, 2013

This year the Wheeler Award funds proposals received from Wendy Thomas, director, Major Discovery Program and Dr. Diana Rodriguez Quevedo, Foreign Language Department.

Professor Thomas proposed the purchase of DVDs to supplement resources used in the FYS class September 11, 2001 and Its Many Meanings. The DVDs document the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in New York City.

Dr. Rodriguez Quevedo requested funds to strengthen the Libraries' collection of resources dealing with Latin America, especially focusing on the class Social Issues of Hispanic Society--Latin America. The English language books and DVDs purchased will focus on social and cultural aspects of Latin America. Some of the areas of study include gender and women, race, identity, sexuality and LGBT movements, domestic violence, and human rights.

Classical Guitarist at UE Today for Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration Event

Posted: October 10, 2013

It's Hispanic Heritage Month! As part of UE's celebration, classical guitarist Eduardo Mendoza-Santiago will be performing today - Thursday, October 10 - at Rademacher Café in Ridgway University Center from 6:30 pm-8:00 p.m. Snacks will be provided. For more Information, contact: LaNeeca Williams at ext. 2413 or lw161@evansville.edu

UE’s Linguapalooza to Welcome 140 High School Students

Posted: October 9, 2013

A tango dancing lesson, a game of Jeopardy in Japanese, and an introduction to German science fiction writing are just a few of the activities planned for the ninth annual Linguapalooza, hosted by the University of Evansville’s Department of Foreign Languages.

On Thursday, October 10, approximately 140 foreign language students from 11 area high schools will attend Linguapalooza, where they will hone their foreign language skills by participating in interactive cultural and conversational sessions throughout the day.

“Linguapalooza is a unique opportunity for high school foreign language students to spend a day immersed in their language of choice and learn about the culture they have chosen to study,” said Roger Pieroni, chair of UE’s Department of Foreign Languages. “Not only will the day enhance their current foreign language studies, but by working with UE’s outstanding faculty and foreign language majors, they will get a taste of what it’s like to be a student here at UE.”   

After a welcome in UE’s Ridgway University Center, students will begin the day by taking a campus tour in their studied language (French, German, Japanese, or Spanish). They will spend the rest of the morning in sessions led by UE foreign language faculty members, who will engage students in activities and discussions on topics ranging from Latin music to Japanese manners and customs. The day’s final session will provide a “mini-lesson” in an additional foreign language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Japanese, Portuguese, or Russian). 

While students are in class, high school teachers will take part in a program of their own: a presentation by Pieroni and T. Scott Henne, UE’s dean of admission, about the opportunities available to UE foreign language students.

French Club Culture Meeting Set for Tuesday

Posted: October 7, 2013

French Club will meet in Room 173 in the Schroeder Family School of Business Building on Tuesday, October 8, 4:30-5:30 p.m., for fun and friendship. Members and UE students interested in the French culture and language are invited.

Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration Events at UE

Posted: October 7, 2013

It's Hispanic Heritage Month - help celebrate it with these events:

Tuesday, October 8
Documentary and Discussion
The Chicano Wave: Latin Music USA
Room 126 - Hyde Hall
6:30 pm-8:00 p.m.
Snacks provided.

Thursday, October 10
Classical Guitarist: Eduardo Mendoza-Santiago
Rademacher Café - Ridgway University Center
6:30 pm-8:00 p.m.
Snacks provided.

For More Information, contact: LaNeeca Williams at ext. 2413 or lw161@evansville.edu

Foreign Languages invites local schools to campus

Posted: October 1, 2013

The Department of Foreign Languages will host their 9th Annual Linguapalooza event on Thursday, October 10. Area high school students have been invited to campus to sharpen their foreign language skills by participating in culture, conversation and interactive sessions throughout the day. The last session will be an initiation to an additional foreign language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Japanese, Portuguese and Russian. Students will also take a tour of campus in their studied language. Eleven area high schools are participating this year with a total of 138 students. The schools are: Boonville, Bosse, Castle, Evansville Day, Mater Dei, Harrison, Heritage Hills, Jasper, North, Tecumseh, and Wood Memorial.

Outstanding Student Awards for 2012-13

Posted: April 24, 2013

Foreign Language Department Photo Contest 2012

Posted: April 12, 2013

Congratulations to Brittany Triggs, the winner for Best Overall Photo and for Best Art Photo in the Foreign Languages Department Photo Contest.

She submitted a photo taken while studying abroad in the Dominican Republic in Spring 2012. The winner for Best Landscape Photo taken in Austria in Summer 2012 was submitted by Melanie Bacaling; and, the winner for Best Cultural Interaction Photo taken in Morocco in Spring 2012 was submitted by Jessica Foster. All contest photos will be displayed on the Foreign Language Department bulletin boards in Hyde Hall and Olmsted Hall and the winning photos posted on our webpage. The Best Overall photo will be framed and displayed in the Foreign Language Office at OH 350.

Phi Sigma Iota initiation ceremony held April 7th

Posted: April 12, 2013

French Instructor Cathy Fraley Wins Statewide Teaching Award

Posted: November 5, 2012

Linguapalooza 2012

Posted: October 19, 2012

The Department of Foreign Languages hosted its 8th Annual “Linguapalooza” event on Thursday, October 4th.

Over one hundred area high school students from Tecumseh, Bosse, Castle, Mater Dei, Jasper, Mt. Vernon, Harrison, North, Loogootee, Boonville, and Evansville Day School came to campus to sharpen their foreign language skills by participating in culture, conversation and interactive sessions throughout the day.

Read the full Evansville Courier & Press article.

Lesley Pleasant Presents Paper at Boston Conference

Posted: October 10, 2012

Assistant Professor of German Lesley Pleasant recently presented a paper at the annual Society of Film and Media Studies Conference in Boston. The paper, on Helke Misselwitz' film Herzsprung, was titled "The Wizard of Ossi." This presentation was part of one of the two East German Film (DEFA) panels at this year's conference.

Diana Rodríguez Quevedo interviewed by WNIN

Posted: September 19, 2012

Assistant Professor of Spanish Diana Rodríguez Quevedo was recently interviewed by Micah Schweizer for the WNIN Radio program, The Trend. The subject was her recent Andiron Lecture on campus titled, “Skipping Beats:  The Impact of the Illegal Drug Trade on Colombian Music.”

In her lecture, Rodríguez Quevedo discussed how Colombia’s music has undergone transformations due to the influence of the illegal drug trade over the past four decades. Cumbia, once known as the emblematic rhythm of the nation, was replaced by vallenato, which itself faced competition from the production and commercialization of narcocorridos or prohibited corridos.

The radio interview focused on narcocorridos but also tied in the connection between music (vallenato) and the phenomenon of forced internal displacement in Colombia.  Listen to the recorded interview.

Diana Rodríguez Quevedo to Present Andiron Lecture on Colombian Music

Posted: August 31, 2012

As part of the University of Evansville’s Andiron Lecture Series in the liberal arts and sciences, Diana Rodríguez Quevedo, assistant professor of Spanish, will present “Skipping Beats: The Impact of the Illegal Drug Trade on Colombian Music.”

Rodríguez Quevedo will speak at 4 p.m. Wednesday, September 5 in Eykamp 252, Ridgway University Center. Her lecture is free and open to the public.

“Colombia’s music has undergone some transformations due to the influence of the illegal drug trade over the past four decades,” said Rodríguez Quevedo. “Cumbia, once known as the emblematic rhythm of the nation, was replaced by vallenato, which itself faced competition from the production and commercialization of narcocorridos or prohibited corridos. This lecture will offer an overview of the main impacts the illicit drug trade has had on Colombian music.”

Rodríguez Quevedo holds a PhD from the University of Toronto. At UE, she teaches a wide variety of courses such as Spanish language, Spanish conversation, business Spanish, Latin American culture and civilization, and Latin American literature. Her research focuses on non-canonical texts of Latin America, such as testimonio narratives and songs.

Established in 1982, the Andiron Lectures offer stimulating research, commentary, and reflection from many fields of study. Presenters are primarily drawn from the faculty of UE’s College of Arts and Sciences but also include faculty members and administrators from across the University campus and occasional contributions from the regional community. The Andiron Lectures are sponsored by the University of Evansville College of Arts and Sciences and supported by a generous gift from Donald B. and Jean Korb.

For more information, please contact series coordinator M. Christine Mohn at 812-488-2585 or the College of Arts and Sciences at 812-488-2589.

Berger Award Winner Chris Mohn

Posted: August 15, 2012

Congratulations to Chris Mohn, Associate Professor of Spanish, winner of the 2012 Sydney and Sadelle Berger Award for service.

The award is presented each year to a member of the University of Evansville faculty who demonstrates exceptional scholarly service.  Charlie Berger, a 1969 UE graduate and local attorney with the law firm Berger & Berger, presented the award August 14th at the University’s annual Fall Faculty and Administrators Conference.

Read the full article about Chris Mohn on the Evansville Courier & Press website.

Stevenson, Mohn Named 2012 Berger Award Winners

Posted: August 14, 2012

Margaret C. Stevenson and Mary C. Mohn have been named the winners of the 2012 Sydney and Sadelle Berger Awards, presented each year to members of the University of Evansville faculty who demonstrate exceptional scholarly activity and service.

Stevenson, an assistant professor of psychology, received the award for scholarship, and Mohn, an associate professor of Spanish, earned the award for service. Charlie Berger, a 1969 UE graduate and local attorney with the law firm Berger & Berger, presented both awards today at the University’s annual Fall Faculty and Administrators Conference.

Stevenson, the winner of the award for scholarship, is early in her academic career, but has already proven herself a prolific author of journal articles, chapters, and other publications. She has also completed nearly 50 conference presentations, many of them with UE students.

Her research focuses on the intersection of children, psychology, and the law, and she has won awards from several organizations in her field. Most recently, she received the Association for Psychological Science’s RISE UP Award for a study on anti-Arab prejudice and stereotypes. The award recognizes outstanding research on socially and economically underrepresented populations.

Stevenson serves as director of UE’s Psychology and Law laboratory, and is an academic advisor and senior thesis mentor for psychology majors. She holds a PhD in social psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and she joined the UE faculty in 2008.

Mohn, who won the award for service, has been instrumental in helping the University recruit outstanding students and faculty, and in building connections between UE and the community.

She has served on the University’s admissions and standards committee since 2007, chaired the curriculum committee for several years, and has participated in numerous search committees for tenure-track faculty positions in the Department of Foreign Languages. She also serves as a member of UE’s assessment committee and chairs the popular Andiron Lecture Series in the liberal arts and sciences.

Mohn received the Dean’s Teaching Award for UE’s College of Arts and Sciences in 2010, and this past year, she was appointed director of the new general education program. She earned her PhD in Spanish from the University of Kansas and has been with the University of Evansville since 2005. 

The Berger Awards are presented annually in memory of Sadelle and Sydney Berger. Sadelle was a UE graduate and lifelong member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences at UE, while Sydney was a well-known local attorney. Both dedicated their lives to public service. The Berger family established the endowment to give recognition to faculty at the University of Evansville.

UE Announces 2012-13 Andiron Lectures

Posted: August 9, 2012

The University of Evansville’s College of Arts and Sciences is pleased to announce the 2012-13 schedule of Andiron Lectures in the liberal arts and sciences.

Established in 1982, the Andiron Lectures offer stimulating research, commentary, and reflection from many fields of study. Presenters are primarily drawn from the faculty of UE’s College of Arts and Sciences but also include faculty members and administrators from across the University campus and contributions from the regional community.

The Andiron Lectures are free and open to the public. Each of the following lectures will begin at 4 p.m. in Eykamp Hall (Room 252) in the Ridgway University Center.

• September 5, 2012: “Skipping Beats: The Impact of the Illegal Drug Trade on Colombian Music,” presented by Diana Rodríguez Quevedo, assistant professor of Spanish

• October 3, 2012: “Communication: It Seems So Easy, So Second Nature…Think Again!,” presented by Jack Schriber, supervisor of fine arts with the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UE

• November 7, 2012: “To the Greater Glory of God: Religion and Memorialization in 1920s Scotland,” presented by James MacLeod, professor of history

• February 6, 2013: “International Struggles for Democratic Education,” presented by Matthew Knoester, assistant professor of education

• March 13, 2013: “Architectural Styles of Evansville’s Riverside Historic District,” presented by Matt Rowe, executive director of the Reitz Home Museum

• April 3, 2013: “Is Music the Universal Language?,” presented by Alfred Savia, music director and conductor of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra

The Andiron Lectures are sponsored by the University of Evansville College of Arts and Sciences and supported by a generous gift from Donald B. and Jean Korb.

For additional information, please contact program coordinator M. Christine Mohn at 812-488-2585 or the College of Arts and Sciences at 812-488-2589.

Winners of the Foreign Languages Department Outstanding Student Awards

Posted: April 11, 2012

A reception was held April 11 to honor the recipients of the annual Foreign Languages Department Outstanding Student Awards. The faculty in each language taught by the department selects the students they feel were exceptional in their language studies over the past year.

This year's winners are:

• Bianca E. Edelhoff - French
• Ashley R. Rich - German
• Kristen M. Sholander - Spanish
• Hillary J. Degenhardt - Russian
• Anna V. Whiteman - Japanese
• Cody C. Baker - Chinese

Epsilon Beta chapter of Phi Sigma Iota Initiation Ceremony

Posted: April 1, 2012

The Epsilon Beta chapter of Phi Sigma Iota, the international foreign language honor society, held its annual initiation ceremony on Sunday afternoon, April 1, in the Ridgway University Center.

Ten students were inducted into membership, representing seven languages. New members include Lynn Beaumont, Haley Campbell, Bianca Edelhoff, Gina Filo, Jessica Foster, Gretchen Kohl, Michael Koletsos, Monica Meisling, Lesley Nash and Nathan Stamps. Faculty advisor Ann Baker gave the opening remarks and welcomed the new members.

The 2011-2012 officers and members, President Sarah Williams, Vice President Erica Marburger, Treasurer Sam Stevens, Social Director Jenna Rice along with PSI members Deirdre Gillen, Kenzie George and Andrea Weber, conducted the ceremony. Xiaoyu Zhu, visiting instructor of Chinese, delivered the keynote speech for the event. A dessert reception for members, initiates, faculty and friends followed the ceremony.

Phi Sigma Iota is a national honor society whose members are elected from among outstanding advanced undergraduate students and faculty in foreign languages. The Epsilon Beta chapter has initiated 144 members since it was installed here on April 8, 2000.

Department of Foreign Languages Photo Contest 2012

Posted: March 1, 2012

Congratulations to Whitney Cohen, the grand prize winner in the Foreign Languages Department Photo Contest. Her photo was taken while studying abroad in Arusha, Tanzania in Spring 2011. All contest photos are displayed on the Foreign Language Department bulletin boards in Hyde Hall and Olmsted Hall. The winning photo is framed and displayed in the Foreign Language Office at OH 350.