The Modern Languages and Literatures department is diverse, yet united in its mission to inspire you in your discovery of foreign language and culture at Furman. Our instructors’ interests include the use of Spanish in the Upstate, representations of migration in the French-speaking world, post-war German literature and film, Mexican poetry, Latinos in the US, and historical memory in Spain. Among our faculty are 22 tenure-track professors who have proven their long-term commitment to teaching language. Many faculty members have earned special recognition, and all have an in-depth understanding of their subject and a passion for helping students gain fluency in a non-native language and culture.
French Faculty
Marianne Bessy
Lois Aileen Coggins Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures; French Language Coordinator
Nathan Brown
Associate Professor of French
Carole Salmon
Professor of French
Daniel J. Worden
Assistant Professor of French
German Studies Faculty
Matthew Anderson
Assistant Professor of German
Anne Culberson
Lecturer German & French, German language Coordinator
Emily Krauter
Assistant Professor
Ilka Rasch
Associate Professor of German
Spanish Faculty
Linda Bartlett
Carey Shepard Crantford Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures; Chair, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
Jeremy Cass
Dean of Faculty; Professor of Spanish
Mahan Ellison
Associate Professor of Spanish
Ronald Friis
Professor of Spanish; Chair, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
Sofia Kearns
Professor of Spanish
Stephanie Knouse
Professor, Spanish; Chair, Linguistics Interdisciplinary Minor
Angeli Leal
LECTURER, SPANISH
Angélica Lozano-Alonso
Professor of Spanish; Spanish Language Coordinator
Lourdes Manyé
Professor of Spanish
Jeff Michno
Associate Professor
Juan J. Garrido Pozú
Assistant Professor of Spanish
Santiago Quintero
Assistant Professor of Spanish
Maria Rippon
Associate Professor of Spanish
Eunice Rojas
Herman N. Hipp Professor of Spanish Chair, Latin American and Latinx Studies Minor
List of faculty awards and recognition:
Alester G. Furman, Jr. and Janie Earle Furman Award for Meritorious Teaching recipients:
- Marianne Bessy and Stephanie Knouse, 2023
- Alvin L. “Bill” Prince, 2000
- David Herbert Bost, 1999
- David Wells Morgan, 1998
- Jane Scofield Chew, 1997
- Carey S. Crantford, 1973
Alester G. Furman, Jr. and Janie Earle Furman Meritorious Advising Award recipients:
- Ilka Rasch, 2019
- Lourdes Manyé, 2016
- Sofía Kearns, 1999
Furman Standard Grant recipients:
- Sofía Kearns, 2019
- Ron Friis, 2017
South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities Excellence in Teaching Award:
- Marianne Bessy, 2017
Furman Standard Honored Professor:
- Ron Friis, 2011
SC Department of Higher Education Service-Learning Award
- Sofía Kearns, 2010
Endowed Professorships
- Linda Bartlett, Carey Shepard Crantford Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures (Spanish)
- Marianne Bessy, Lois Aileen Coggins Professor of French
- Eunice Rojas, Herman N. Hipp University Professorship, 2021-2024
Maiden Invitational Award (In recognition of providing a welcoming environment for all students at Furman University)
- Established in honor of Cherie Maiden, 1993
- Presented to Linda Bartlett, 2007