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Modern Languages & Literatures

Heidi Shaker, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Heidi Shaker smiling standing outside with a stone building in the backgrouns

Associate Professor of French 
Director, Office of Peace and Justice

Education

  • The Ohio State University, MA, PhD
  • Bucknell University, BA

Courses Taught

  • FR 380 Special Topics: The Algerian War 1954-1962
  • FR 380 Special Topics: Caribbean Identities in Movement
  • FR 332 Trauma and Testimony: Representations of the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda
  • FR 331 Savoring Francophone Literature
  • FR 216 Introduction to French and Francophone Studies
  • FR 201 French Conversation and Composition
  • FR 162 Comprehensive Intermediate French
  • FR 161 Comprehensive Beginning French
  • FR 104 Intermediate French II
  • FR 103 Intermediate French I
  • FR 102 Introductory French II

Publications

Articles

  • Shaker, Heidi. “Meanings of Mass Rape During the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda: Understanding Intersectionality Through Survivor Testimonies.” Women in French vol. 31, 2023, pp. 64-80.
  • Brown, Heidi. “‘Mort vivant’: Physical, Psychological, Social, and Spiritual Death in Génocidé by Révérien Rurangwa.” French Studies, vol. 76, no. 1, January 2022, pp. 88-102.  
  • Brown, Heidi. "Trauma, Language, and Literature: Psycholinguistic Dynamics in Georges-Arthur Goldschmidt's Autobiographical Writing in Response to World War II." French Forum 44.3 (2019): 389-403.
  • Brown, Heidi. “From Sensation to Representation: The Torture of Djamila Boupacha during the Algerian War.” Women in French 26 (2018): 83-95.
  • Brown, Heidi. “From a Death of Self to a Rebirth of Community: Yolande Mukagasana’s ‘Connective’ Testimonies in Response to the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda.” International Journal of Francophone Studies 21.1-2 (2018): 31-52.
  • Brown, Heidi and Angèle Kingué. “Teaching War, Genocide, and Trauma in Francophone African Literature.” French Review 91.1 (2017): 133-146.
  • Brown, Heidi. “Negotiating Identity: Codeswitching in Hélène Berr’s Journal.” French Review 90.2 (2016): 130-142.

Book Reviews

  • Brown, Heidi. Review of Traces of War: Interpreting Ethics and Trauma in Twentieth-Century French Writing by Colin Davis. H-France Review 18 (2018): 1-4.
  • Brown, Heidi. Review of Le Regard étranger: L’image du Burundi dans les littératures belge et française by Juvénal Ngorwanubusa. H-France Review 15 (2015): 1-4. 

Areas of Specialization

  • 20th century Francophone Literatures and Cultures
  • Trauma Studies
  • Postcolonial Studies
  • Second Language Acquisition: French Language (all levels)

Presentations

  • “Environmental Activism in Tropiques Toxiques: le scandale du chlordécone by Jessica Oublié“ at the Caribbean Studies Association Conference (June 5-9, 2023)
  • “Postcolonial Gastronomy in Francophone Literature” at the 20th Century French and Francophone Studies International Colloquium (April 13-15, 2023)
  • “Using French Intermediaries to Recount Militant Algerian Women’s Stories” at the Women in French International Conference (May 12-14, 2022)
  • “Genres of Testimony: Representations of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda” at the 20th Century French and Francophone Studies International Colloquium (March 24-26, 2022)
  • “Rape as Genocide: Survivor Testimonies from the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda” at the NeMLA conference (March 10-13, 2022).
  • “The Tutsi-Christ: Processing Death in Génocidé by Révérien Rurangwa.” International Colloquium on Twentieth and Twenty-First Century French and Francophone Studies (March 2019). 
  • “Savoring Francophone Literature: Léonora Miano’s Soulfood Equatoriale” (Pacific Modern Languages Association Conference, November 2018)
  • “From Sensation to Representation: Torture in the Algerian War” (International Colloquium on Twentieth and Twenty-First Century French and Francophone Studies, April 2017)
  • “Georges-Arthur Goldschmidt’s Linguistic Positioning and Identity Formation in World War II” (Forging Linguistic Identities, Towson University, March 2017)
  • “Teaching War, Genocide, and Trauma in the Francophone world” co-presented with Dr. Angèle Kingué (Bucknell University), American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (2015)
  • “Invasions of Self: Psychological Trauma in Journal by Hélène Berr,” Chimères Conference, University of Kansas (2013)

Service Activities, Memberships in Academic Societies

Service

  • Departmental Representative, Academic Senate (2015-2016, 2020-2021) 
  • Peace and Justice Committee (2017-present)
  • National Fellowships Committee (2016-present)
  • Moderator, French Club (Spring 2015-Autumn 2017)
  • Co-moderator, Rendez-vous Haiti (Autumn 2015-Autumn 2017)

Memberships

  • Modern Language Association 
  • American Association of Teachers of French 
  • Women in French