And last but certainly not least is Silja Weber (Ph.D.,’18) with exciting news:
“After detours and topic switches, I defended my dissertation (“The role of performance for student agency: A Discourse Perspective on Whole-group Interaction in Intermediate German Classes”) in June. In case anyone doubts it, I am evidence that it is possible to enjoy the process. To a large extent, this was due to my very helpful (and eclectic) committee, and most of all my dissertation director, Dr. Susanne Even, who introduced me to drama pedagogy, saw me through, and taught me by example how to stay a whole person while doing highly theoretical work. I was also fortunate enough to encounter a job search committee looking for someone with experience in weaving different fields together, which I had done in my dissertation, and so as of this fall I have a renewable lecturer position at Columbia University with the expectation that I will actively engage in shaping their teacher training. When German faculty ask me where I got my Ph.D., the Indiana University Deparment of Germanic Studies gets approving smiles. I miss Bloomington, especially our graduate student community, but New York City is an enlivening place to be!”
The College of Arts