Note from the Department Chair
The Department of German at the University of California, Davis, has entered a new era in its history now that a generation of young scholars has joined our ranks. Professor Carlee Arnett, our linguist, was appointed to the faculty in 2000 and served for several years as Director of the Second Language Acquisition Institute. Professors Elisabeth Krimmer and Jaimey Fisher joined the Department in 2004 and have enriched its offerings with their courses in areas such as gender studies and film studies. In 2005 Professor Gerhard Richter, a specialist in philosophy and cultural theory, notably that of the Frankfurt School, became the newest member of the faculty. Consequently, five of the seven current faculty members in German have been hired since 2000. The high caliber of the faculty is reflected in the fact that in 2007 the Chronicle of Higher Education ranked the Department fifth in the nation in terms of faculty productivity.
We continue to value the contributions of Professor Clifford Bernd, an expert on nineteenth-century German literature and a world-renowned authority on Theodor Storm. Professor Winder McConnell's research focuses on Medieval German Literature with particular emphasis on the Nibelungenlied and its reception in modern times. Dr. Harriett Jernigan, a specialist in turn-of-the-century decadence, enjoyed great success last year as a lecturer in the Department and will remain in this position for 2009-2010. As a comparatist, I continue to work in the area of German and European drama while pursuing the study of family trauma in contemporary American film.
We take pride in the fact that we are able to offer, on both the undergraduate and graduate levels, a broad spectrum of courses ranging from the Middle Ages to contemporary German literature and culture. At the same time, our faculty are actively engaged in teaching for the Humanities Institute, Film Studies, Comparative Literature, Critical Theory, Medieval Studies, Integrated Studies (a freshman honors program), and the Freshman Seminar program. Our graduate students not only receive excellent training in literary studies but are also afforded the opportunity to specialize simultaneously in one of four Designated Emphases. The first-rate teacher training program that has been in place at Davis for more than twenty years has insured that most of our doctoral students have been able to attain positions within the profession, a number of them at top-notch institutions.
It is an exciting time for the Department of German and the future appears bright indeed. We look forward to an expansion of our course offerings in the years ahead and to insuring that the study of German literature and culture continues unabated on the Davis campus for generations to come.
Gail Finney, Chair