Lorely French, PhD

Course Information

At Pacific University, all faculty teach a variety of different courses. Typically, we do not use graduate teaching assistants, which means that your classes will be taught by professors and that you will have plenty of opportunities to get to know the faculty in your discipline.
Below I have listed some of the courses that I teach. We are always developing and trying out new classes, so the list may change now and then. You can use the links to the left to read descriptions of the courses listed below.

GER 101 and GER 102 | Introduction to German Language and Culture
GER 201 and 202 | Intermediate German
GER 302 | Contemporary Short Stories & Narration
GER 400 | German Film
GER 485 | Seminar in German Studies
GER 494/495 | Senior Thesis in German Studies
HUM 207 |  German Film in English
GSS 201 | Introduction to Gender and Sexuality Studies (co-taught with another professor)

Areas of Research & Specialization

I teach all levels of German language, literature and culture from the 18th century to the present, film, women’s literature, gender studies,  and Roma writers of the German-speaking countries. I also periodically offer short-term travel courses in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.

Education

PhD at University of California, Los Angeles 1986
Master of arts at University of California, Los Angeles 1981
Bachelor of arts at McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 1979

About Professor French

I love my job!  Where else could I follow my career passions to help people learn, to learn something new everyday myself, to travel, to write, to read, to research, and to collaborate with colleagues and students on exciting projects.  The minute I stepped foot on the campus of Pacific University for my job interview in 1986, I knew I was going to like this place. I really enjoy teaching here because the university is so intimate, the students are so eager to learn, my colleagues are so engaged and intelligent, and the small-town atmosphere is so friendly. When in Forest Grove, you can find me in the classroom, or in my office overstuffed with books, DVDs, CDs, videos, toys, and magazines, or at the German conversation table in the cafeteria, or at Maggie’s Buns meeting with students. When I’m not in Forest Grove, you can find me in a German-speaking country, or in Vermont, where I grew up and still have family, or at a conference in some part of the country or the world. I really consider myself lucky to belong to many worlds, large and small. I have been able to travel to a German-speaking country almost every year that I have worked at Pacific. Six times I have taken groups of students on classes to Austria, Germany and Switzerland. In summers and while on sabbaticals, I have received grants to do research for my first book on German women letter-writers and for my second book on Roma writers, whose publication is forthcoming.  With the help of grants, I also co-organized, with my colleague Professor Michaela Grobbel at Sonoma State University, an exhibit on the artwork of Austrian Romani artist Ceija Stojka   As a result, Professor Grobbel and I are co-editing a book on Ceija Stojka’s artwork.  Several students at Pacific University have been involved in these “Ceija Stojka” and “Romani Studies” projects.   I am active in professional organizations such as the Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association, the Confederation in Oregon for Language Teaching, German Studies Association, Austrian Studies Association, and Women in German, presenting papers, organizing conferences, and serving as an officer.

In my personal life, I have traveled just for fun to hike the Alps in Switzerland and Austria with my family. Along with my duties as professor, I also delight in promoting Pacific’s wonderful study abroad programs to many sites in Germany.

Language Assistant: Marina Haimboeck

Other Interests or Hobbies

Jogging, skiing, biking, backpacking and hiking, gardening, knitting, traveling, cooking and canning, sewing, and spending time with my family, which includes my eight brothers and sisters, their families, and my husband, James Draznin, and son, Leif Draznin-French.