Welcome to the Fall 2024 FHIS Newsletter! As I write this message, the first term of the Winter Session is well underway and we have settled into the November rain, enjoying perfect espressos from our new super automatic coffee machine.
Administrative changes
In contrast to the last few years, which brought significant changes to the faculty composition of our department, September was notably quiet this year. However, last year, we experienced several changes in our administrative team. Following Joël Castonguay-Bélanger’s transformative five-year term as Head of the department, Luisa Canuto took on the acting headship from July 1 to December 31, 2023. Her energy and dedication have continued to help our community flourish.
Additionally, we saw other important changes within the administrative positions. Last winter, we bid farewell to Sophie Rock, who, in her brief time at FHIS as acting Administrator and in other roles, became indispensable and quickly integrated into our community. We are fortunate to still work with her occasionally now that she is at Arts Advising. In the spring, we also said goodbye to our Administrator, Michael Ferrazzi, who has been a valued member of FHIS since October 2016. While we were sad to see him leave, we are grateful for the significant impact he made on our department, and we wish him the best in his new role as the Administrator of the Department of Geography.
Although it is always sad to see people go, we also had the privilege of welcoming new faces who came to complete our team, and we saw some staff members take on new responsibilities. Min Ji Kang, our previous Student Programs Coordinator, stepped in to replace Michael in what has been the smoothest of transitions: no one knows our community, our programs and our needs better than she. Shay Xiayinuer is not a completely new face either; she has stepped into the position of Student Programs Coordinator for a longer period to replace Min Ji, helping us keep some continuity through all of the changes the last year brought, with the implementation of the new Arts breadth requirements and the new Workday Student.
We also welcomed Manaal Yasir as the new Student Programs Assistant and, as expected from one of our former students, she is already up to speed! It also didn’t take long for Fonteyn Li to become our go-to person for everyday problems. Our latest addition this fall is Luisa Alvarado Guerrero, a Work Learn student who will support the Student Programs team. Emanuela Guerra, as Assistant to the Head, and Celine Diaz, our Communications Coordinator, continue to be pillars of our team. Finally, the Centre de la Francophonie has welcomed a new Coordinator, Arnaud Dufournel, to support UBC’s Francophone community.
Needless to say, these numerous and consecutive changes have taken a toll on everyone’s workload, and we are extremely grateful for our staff members’ tireless dedication to the department.
Research and educational leadership
Our Research and Education Leadership Digest is becoming so full that it is impossible to acknowledge everyone’s accomplishments in this newsletter. There is not enough space for me to list all the educational leadership and research projects of an entire year—which include numerous publications, from poetry to translations, articles, to conference proceedings, as well as diverse collaborations that resulted in conferences, edited volumes and projects—each one of which has made a significant impact in our field.
However, I will highlight a few recently published monographs and awarded prizes. Isabelle Delage-Béland published her first monograph, Les Fabliaux. Fiction, vraisemblance et genre littéraire (Classiques Garnier 2024). María Soledad Fernández Utrera’s new book, Las fiestas del intelecto: banquetes e ideología en la vanguardia española (The University of North Carolina Press, 2024), will be out in December, as well as Farid Laroussi’s new book, Francophone Literature After the Postcolonial Age (Rowman & Littlefield, 2024).
Several faculty members received recognition for books published last year: Sima Godfrey, Associate Professor Emerita, won the 2024 Emeritus College Award for Excellence in Innovative and Creative Endeavours for her book The Crimean War and Cultural Memory; The War France Won and Forgot (University of Toronto Press, 2023). Anna Casas Aguilar received the 2024 Honorable Mention for outstanding work in the field of Catalan Studies from the North American Catalan Society (NACS), for her 2022 book Bilingual Legacies: Father Figures in Self-Writing from Barcelona (University of Toronto Press). Our most recently hired assistant professor, Isabella Huberman, received two distinctions this year for her book Histoires souveraines: Poétiques du personnel dans les littératures autochtones au Québec. She was awarded the 2023 Gabrielle Roy Prize, and she was a finalist for the Victor-Barbeau Prize of the Académie des Lettres du Québec.
We congratulate Tamara Mitchell on receiving a SSHRC Insight Grant for her project “Sounds of the Capitalocene: Extraction and Aurality in Mexican Literature.” And finally, we must congratulate Kim Beauchesne, who is this year’s recipient of the Killam Award for Excellence in Mentoring in the senior category, in recognition of her amazing work with graduate students and postgraduate fellows over the years as supervisor and as Graduate Advisor. This is a remarkable achievement that highlights her dedication and expertise, and we couldn’t be prouder to have her as a colleague!
Program changes
This term has been quite busy for both undergraduate and graduate studies as we adapt to the changes brought about by the implementation of the new Workday Student system and the Faculty of Arts’ new “Ways of Knowing Breadth Requirements.”
The renewal of the Spanish program is progressing exceptionally well. It has been the subject of numerous discussions, involving students more than ever, making it an inspiring endeavor. We eagerly anticipate the launch of our updated program.
The Romance Studies program, now in its second year since the introduction of the Major and Minor, is experiencing rapid growth with many new courses. This year, we are proud to welcome new Honours students in both French and Romance Studies. It is rewarding to see these students, whom we have known for some time, flourish and mature in their studies.
The French program is currently developing a Translation Certificate, with the aim of incorporating professional experience into our courses.
Marco Schaumloeffel, who joined our team last year, has revamped our Portuguese courses, and we are excited for students to experience them!
All programs are also creating unique opportunities for students to study abroad through Go Global Seminars. Next summer, students will have the opportunity to travel to France and the Galapagos, and an additional opportunity in Italy is on the horizon.
Concluding words
As I approach the end of my first year as Head of the department, I find myself reflecting on what an extraordinary journey it has been so far. There is truly never a dull moment at FHIS! This year has been both challenging and deeply rewarding, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of our FHIS community. Despite the unexpected challenges we often face—and our collective enthusiasm for tackling new projects—the resilience and creativity of our staff, the dedication and expertise of our faculty, and the energy and passion of our students have been nothing short of inspiring. It is a humbling experience to witness and be part of it all.
As this term comes to a close, I wish you all the best in these final weeks and success with your upcoming exams. And while it might still be a bit early to break out the season’s greetings, consider this a warm “pre-holiday” cheer to carry you through the finish line!
Anne Salamon
Department Head
French, Hispanic and Italian Studies
