Three professors from the School of Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics are among the six from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences that have been named 2020 Conrad Humanities Scholars.
George Gasyna, Associate Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures, and Comparative and World Literature, is being recognized for his research in modern Polish literature and culture. He is an internationally recognized scholar on the works of Joseph Conrad, author of Heart of Darkness. Gasyna’s first book, Polish Hybrid and Otherwise: Exilic Discourse in Joseph Conrad and Witold Gombrowicz, examines the triple compact made by displaced authors with language, their host country and the homeland left behind.
Jill Jegerski, Associate Professor of Spanish and Portuguese, is being recognized for her research in Spanish linguistics, with emphasis on second language acquisition, bilingualism, psycholinguistics and research methodologies. Her research addresses how adult second language learners differ from native speakers. Jegerski has published several articles in the top 10 ranked journals in linguistics, including the International Journal of Bilingual Education. Jegerski joined the department in August 2012.
François Proulx, Associate Professor of French and Italian, is being recognized for his research in 19th and 20th century French literature. Proulx’s monograph “Victims of the Book: Reading and Masculinity in Fin-de-Siècle” shows how, in a cultural context of perceived national decline and contentious educational reforms, the adolescent male reader became a subject of grave social concern in 19th century France. A chapter from Proulx’s book was awarded the 2020 Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities Prize for Research in the Humanities. Proulx joined the department in 2013.
The Conrad Humanities Scholars Award is funded by a gift from the late Arlys Conrad, whose estate gift recognizes mid-career scholars with potential for continued achievement in humanities.
The recipients are using the awards to pursue a variety of research topics. The designation is for five years, with recipients receiving $5,000 per year in discretionary funding.