University Bulletin (2025-2026)

• French and Francophone Studies (major/minor)
• Hispanic Studies (major/minor)
• Italian Studies (IIM/minor)

Students in the Department of Romance Studies (ROMS) examine the languages, literatures, and cultures of countries and people who speak Spanish, French, and Italian with the aim of developing cultural and linguistic proficiency, while advancing their knowledge of and respect for diverse traditions, strengthening their critical thinking skills, and becoming responsible and well-informed global citizens. Our faculty is particularly diverse, and we pride ourselves on working closely with students. Our courses offer students an interdisciplinary perspective on the world and count toward studies in a number of University programs, such as Medieval and Renaissance Studies; History of Ideas; European Cultural Studies; Film, Television, and Interactive Media; Latin American and Latino Studies; Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; Religious Studies; Education Studies; International and Global Studies; Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation; Theater Arts; Comparative Literature and Culture; and African and Afro-American Studies.

French and Francophone Studies

Clémentine Fauré-Bellaïche
Modern and contemporary French and Francophone literature and culture. History and theory of the novel. History of the body and the emotions. Vision and visual culture in nineteenth- and twentieth-century France. Religion and literary modernism.

Hollie Harder, Director of French and Italian Language Programs
French language and culture. Language pedagogy. Nineteenth- and twentieth-century French literature. Women's, gender and sexuality studies.

Sophia Niehaus, Undergraduate Advising Head for French and Francophone Studies
French and Francophone Studies lecturer. Twentieth- and twenty-first century French and Francophone culture, literature, and cinema. Performance studies. Literary correspondence.

Michael Randall
Late medieval and Renaissance poetry, prose, and philosophy. Comparative literature. Modern politics and literature in the Francophone world.

Catherine Theobald, Chair of the Department of Romance Studies
Early modern French literature and culture. Word and image studies. Seventeenth- and eighteenth century prose forms: maxims, portraits, novels. Book illustration. Québec literature and film.

Hispanic Studies

Zoila Castro
Spanish language and culture. Language proficiency. Curriculum design and pedagogy.

María Durán, UDR Coordinator
Latinx Studies. 20th- and 21st-century Latinx literatures and cultures. Latinx theater and performance. Latina/x Feminisms. Literary criticism and theory.

Elena González Ros, Director of Spanish Language Program
Spanish language and culture. Language pedagogy, curriculum design and assessment.

James Mandrell
Modern and contemporary Hispanic literature. Comparative literature. Women's, gender, and sexuality studies. Film. 

Raysa Mederos
Spanish language. Pedagogy of foreign language teaching. Hispanic/Latino cultures. Contemporary Cuban culture, literature and cinema.

Lucía Reyes de Deu
Latin American studies. Nineteenth century Argentine literature. Women's, gender, and sexuality studies. Spanish language and language pedagogy.

Fernando J. Rosenberg,  Undergraduate Advising Head
Latin American modernity 19th and 20th century. Contemporary literature, film and performance. Law and literature.

Kristen Turpin
Spanish language and language pedagogy. L2 teaching and learning. Latin American studies.

Italian Studies

Paola Servino, Co-Chair and Undergraduate Advising Head, Interdepartmental Program in Italian Studies
Italian language and culture. Italian Jewish culture. Migrations from and to Italy. Italian proficiency tester, curriculum design and pedagogy.

Silvia Monteleone
Italian language and culture, language acquisition methodology, modern literature and women’s studies.

For course offerings and requirements for the major and minor, refer to the sections found elsewhere in this Bulletin for French and Francophone Studies, Hispanic Studies, and Italian Studies.