Position:
Professor of Comparative Literature (French and German), Director of Gender and Women's Studies
Location:
Henkel Hall, 213
Email:
pschweit@su.edu
Educational History:
Ph.D. Emory University
M.A. University of Georgia
B.A. Maximilian U, Munich, Germany
Fields of Expertise:
Comparative Literature, French and German, with a specialization in Holocaust studies, memory, testimony, and trauma studies.
Professional Highlights:
Dr. Petra Schweitzer is an Associate Professor of Comparative Literature in the Department of World Languages and Cultures, and director for the Women Studies program. Dr. Schweitzer’s scholarly work and teaching integrate a number of fields within the discipline of Comparative Literature, especially French and German Holocaust literature. She teaches French and German language courses, and her research focuses on the Holocaust, particularly women in the Holocaust. Additionally, she teaches First Year Seminar courses with a concentration on Global Genocide studies.
She is a recipient of the Wilkins Award, FYS Teaching Excellence Award, Shenandoah University’s Board of Trustees Resolution of Appreciation, and Four Years FYS Service Award. An active member of Shenandoah’s community, she engages in collective projects co-organized with Shenandoah colleagues or other institutions.
In 2010, Dr. Schweitzer co-organized the international conference “Bearing Witness: Memory, Representation and Pedagogy in the post-Holocaust Age,” hosted by Shenandoah University and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum at Shenandoah University. She is an active member of Winchester’s film community and has co-organized global film festivals on campus with Gina Daddario, Professor of Mass Communication, and Andrea Smith, Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies, including SU’s annual Tournées Festival.
“Niemand zeugt für den Zeugen.” ——- “La poésie ne simpose plus, elle sexpose.” Paul Celan
Personal Quote:I am a committed and passionate educator interested in helping students to achieve academic excellence and participate in the global community.
Personal Highlights:
Her monographic, Writing Life: Gendered Testimonies of the Holocaust, is available from Lexington Books (an imprint of Rowman & Littlefield).