M. D. Crackower
EDUCATION
Present- 2025 Graduate certificate in Archival Studies, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
2021 Post baccalaureate Certificate in Fundraising Leadership, Penn State University
2019 DELF/DALF Exam Monitoring Certification– levels A1-B2
2015 PhD in Francophone Studies, University of Louisiana at Lafayette: « Modalités sociales et structurales de l’erreur judicaire dans le roman policier français (1866-1939) »
2010 M.A. in French, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
2007 Elementary Teaching Certification (State of Louisiana)
2006 3-week pedagogy workshop « How to Teach a Foreign Language at the Elementary Level » at the University of Edinburg (Scotland- UK)
2001-2003 IUFM in Bordeaux and Périgueux (France)
Elementary Teaching Certification (France)
2000 Bachelor (Maîtrise) in History, University of Bordeaux III (France)
English school in London (England)- 2 weeks
1999-2000 ERASMUS student at the school of Archeology of Athens (Greece)- 6 months
1999 Licence in History, Minor in Geography, University of Bordeaux III
TEACHING INTERESTS
French Language: All levels
Conversation and Advanced Grammar
Business French
French Culture and Civilization
Francophone Literature: Belgian Literature, Comics, Detective Novels, Cajun Culture, African Francophone Literature
French Literature: XIXth, XXth and XXIst Centuries
French and European History: Middle Age, Modern Era, Contemporary
Applied Linguistics and Curriculum development
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Belgian and Swiss Literature
Louisiana Culture and Literature
African Literature
19th– 20th Century Literature
Art and Literature
History and Literature
Popular Culture and Folklore
Para Literature and Comics
Oral Culture
19th– 20th Century History
European History
Second Language Acquisition
PUBLICATIONS
French and Francophone Studies
« Mémoires de l’image, images de la mémoire : l’enfance de Tardi comme source d’inspiration » Colloque culture de la mémoire et poétique de l’oubli dans la littérature contemporaine et extrême-contemporaine : entre héritage et transmission, Cambridge University Press, forthcoming in 2024.
“Vin, vignobles et château dans Châteaux Bordeaux de Corbeyran et Espé”. Actes de la journée d’études “Nature et paysage dans la bande dessinée polar”. Hellégouarc’h, Pascale and Fatima Seddaouyi dirs. Belphégor. Forthcoming December 2024.
« Animaux ordinaires, fantastiques, extraordinaires et inattendus : comment participent-ils à la construction du merveilleux dans les romans de Chrétien de Troyes ? » Actes du colloque de célébration du quatrième centenaire de la naissance de Jean de La Fontaine (1621-2021) : L’animal en littérature, entre fantaisie et fantastique. Popa, Marius and Andreea Bugiac dirs. Université Babes-Bolya : 2022, 261-76.
« De la réalité au rêve : Perception et poétique de l’espace dans Ville cruelle d’Eza Boto ». African Journal of Literature and Humanities 1.3 (2020).
“Roman policier et erreur judiciaire en France de 1866 à 1939: Continuité et rupture de l’évolution d’un genre” Revue Non-plus 6/12 (2018): 90-109.
“Molière sur les planches: Le médecin malgré lui en bande dessinée”. Annales de l’Université de Craiova. Série Langues et Littératures Romanes: Hybridation, incongruité, croisement, métissage, synergie 21/1 (2018) : 140-148.
“Spectacularisation de la violence et résistance dans le monde post-apocalyptique du Transperceneige de Lob et Rochette”. Revue de philologie et de communication interculturale II.1 (2018) : 72-78.
« Rire au pays du Soleil Levant : Poétique du rire dans Stupeur et tremblements d’Amélie Nothomb ». Inter-Lignes 18 (2018).
« Corto Maltese entre rêve et réalité: La construction du réalisme magique dans l’œuvre d’Hugo Pratt à travers l’exemple de « Songe d’un matin d’hiver ». Les ailleurs de Corto Maltese. Lanni, Dominique et Nicolas Pien dirs. Caen: Passages, 2016. 269-78.
« Les cartes et la représentation spatiale dans la Fantasy épique: Continuité ou rupture de l’héritage de Tolkien? ». Fantasy Art and Studies 1 (2016).
« La barbiolette ». Bestiaire fantastique des voyageurs. Paris: Artaud, 2014.
« Une toponymie cadienne. Le français cadien à travers les noms de lieux : Survie ou Extinction? » Graduate Student Conference: The Living and the Dead. Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, March 18, 2011. Mondes Francophones. Août 2011. Web.
Education
- Curriculum Development:
“Fourth-Semester French: French Language Competency for the Global Workforce”. Digital Commons@Georgian Southern, Affordable Learning @LOUIS, and LSU Digital Commons. 421 downloads as of August 3, 2023.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
French and Francophone Studies
« Mémoires de l’image, images de la mémoire : l’enfance de Tardi comme source d’inspiration » Colloque culture de la mémoire et poétique de l’oubli dans la littérature contemporaine et extrême-contemporaine : entre héritage et transmission, Carnet Critique, Colloque, October 31, 2023.
« Animaux ordinaires, fantastiques, extraordinaires et inattendus : comment participent-ils à la construction du merveilleux dans les romans de Chrétien de Troyes ? » Colloque de célébration du quatrième centenaire de la naissance de Jean de La Fontaine (1621-2021) : L’animal en littérature, entre fantaisie et fantastique, Université Babes-Bolyai, October 30, 2021.
« Transcrire Le médecin malgré lui de Molière en bande dessinée : l’adaptation visuelle statique d’une satire énergique, rythmée et mordante. Pari réussi ou hérésie ? » French Literature Conference: L’hybridité des genres, Columbia, SC, April 21, 2016.
« Des animaux et des hommes : la personnification des animaux dans Les contes d’Amadou Koumba par Birago Diop ». South East Coastal Conference on Languages and Literature, Savannah, GA, April 8, 2016.
« Ville, village et société dans Ville Cruelle d’Eza Boto ». South East Coastal Conference on Languages and Literature, Savannah, GA, April 7, 2016.
« Survivre dans un monde post apocalyptique : une étude des représentations de la survie et de la violence qu’elle entraine dans Transperceneige de Lob et Rochette ». Graduate Student Conference: Violence et résistance. Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, March 11, 2016.
« Une toponymie cadienne. Le français cadien à travers les noms de lieux : Survie ou Extinction ? » Graduate Student Conference: The Living and the Dead. Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, March 18, 2011.
Education and Language Teaching
« The Devising of a New Curriculum To Better Answer the Needs of Our Student Population ». South East Coastal Conference on Languages and Literature, Georgia Southern University, September 24, 2021.
« Fourth-Semester French : French Language Competency for the Global Workforce. » 2021 Foreign Language OER Conference, University of Kansas, March 6, 2021.
« Ecrire en immersion française ». Lecture given at the Louisiana Department of Education, on September 16 2011. (1h30)
« Ecrire en immersion française : Outils et ouvertures ». Louisiana Foreign Language Teacher’s Association Conference in Lafayette, LA, March 2, 2012. (45mn)
Guest Lecturer
“Acadian Museum: Archives of Cajun History for the Past, Present and Future”. Acadian Museum annual fundraiser event. Erath. November 15, 2024.
« How Can We Teach Languages Outside the Classroom ? ». The Pedagogical Best Practices Roundtable. Louisiana State University, March 28, 2023.
« Cajun Place Names in the Parishes of Lafayette, Iberia, Saint Martin, and Vermilion : History and Evolution ». LSU Ag Center in Abbeville, March 8, 2021.
« Cajun Place Names in the Parishes of Lafayette, Iberia, Saint Martin, and Vermilion : History and Evolution ». Le Musée de Kaplan, April 14, 2021.
« Cajun Place Names in the Parishes of Lafayette, Iberia, Saint Martin, and Vermilion : History and Evolution ». Le Musée de Maurice, May 14, 2022.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
University Teaching Experience
Fall 2024- present Full time Senior Instructor of French at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA
Fall 2018-Spring 2023 Full time Instructor of French at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA
2015-2016 Full time Instructor of French at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA
Elementary School Teaching experience
2014-2015 Full time elementary teacher for the French Immersion Program in New Iberia, LA, 4th grade
2012-2014 Full time Elementary Teacher for the French Immersion Program in Milton, MA, 2nd grade
2007-2012 Full time Elementary Teacher for the French Immersion Program in New Iberia, LA, 3rd and 4thgrade
2007 Louisiana Elementary and Immersion School Teacher Certification
2003 French Elementary School Teacher Certification
2002-2007 Elementary, kindergarten and special education teacher in France
RELATED EXPERIENCE
Spring 2025- Panel Chair at the Graduate Student Association Conference. Communities: From Universalism(s) and Otherness to Inclusion and Connections. March 29, 2025
Summer 2020- Summer 2022- Coordinator of Language Program
Summer 2021- Hiring Committee
Spring 2020- Fall 2020 FREN 2102- Curriculum Development Committee Chair
Spring 2020- Summer 2020 Sustainability and Continuity Committee Member- LSU Department of French Studies
Spring 2020 Founder of the “Academic Award of French”
Fall 2019- Summer 2020 Coordinator of the second year of French classes
2018- 2021 DELF/DALF Committee Chair for LSU Department of French Studies
Member of the Consortium CODOFIL des Collèges et Universités Louisianais
2015-2016 Online Teaching Cohort at LSU
2014-2015 French Awareness Committee Chair for the New Iberia French Immersion Program
September 2013- June 2014 School Site Council Member for Cunningham Elementary, Milton Public Schools
Nov 2012-2014 Technology Committee Member for the Milton Public Schools, Massachusetts
Sept 2010-May 2012 Writing Contest Committee chair, Library Committee, Yearbook Committee for the New Iberia French Immersion Program
OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE
2015- present Business, co-owner: Vice president and co-founder of Eva Naturals, a skincare company
August 1997, 1998, 1999 Seasonal employee for a national bank and post office
July 1996, 2001 Seasonal educator in summer camps: All ages from 7 years old to 17 years old
COURSES TAUGHT
University Level
Undergraduate
Elementary French- 1st semester- Asynchronous online- Communication Intensive
Intermediate French- 3rd semester
Intermediate French- 4th semester
Intermediate French- 4th semester – Communication Intensive
Intermediate French- 4th semester – Online asynchronous
Intermediate Oral Communication- French
Intermediate Oral Communication-French- Business
Advanced Oral Communication- French
Independent Study: “French for Tourism”, “Advanced Grammar”
Survey of French Literature: Moyen âge, Renaissance, 17th Century, 18th Century
Graduate seminars
Applied Linguistics
Elementary Level
USA: French Immersion- French, Reading, Writing, Math, Science, Social Studies, PE
France: French, Reading, Language arts, Math, Social Studies, Science, Music, PE, Visual Arts
HONORS
Acknowledge as an Honors MA student by the Dean of the Graduate School, April 2009
Acknowledge as an Honors PhD student by the Dean of the Graduate School, April 2011
Recognized OER Ambassador by the Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning, June 2021
Recognized OER Master Creator by the Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning, June 2021
GRANTS AND AWARDS
Grants
June 2020: “Fourth semester French: French Language Competency for the Global Work Force” Board of Regents. $5,000
November 1999: Erasmus Grant for a Study Abroad Program (5,480FF)
Bourse du Conseil général d’Aquitaine (1,500FF)
Awards
2020 Tiger Athletic Foundation Undergraduate Teaching Award ($2,000)
FUNDRAISING EVENTS
Elementary School
October 2013: DonorsChoose.org ($450)
February 2013: DonorsChoose.org ($257)
University
Spring 2020: $600 to fund the Academic Awards of French
Spring 2021: $700 to fund the Academic Awards of French
MEMBERSHIP IN SCHOLARLY ASSOCIATIONS
Modern Language Association
LANGUAGES
Native speaker of French, fluent speaker of English, intermediate speaker of Spanish, basic knowledge of Modern Greek
ADDITIONAL SKILLS
Translator and transcriber of TED Talks
Translation English to French: business, legal, fashion and commercial documents
Proofreading in French
Computer skills: Word processing, Internet, Power Point, Amara
Experience in use of technology in classroom: Moodle, Blackboard, Smart Board, Clickers, and Promethean Board
Creative Writing: short stories
Public speaking
Data assessment
Adult education
INTERESTS
Culture: Member of the Hibiscus Society of America, Orchid Society of Acadiana, Lafayette Photographic Society, Writer’s Guild of Acadiana
Music: Piano, violin, saxophone (Concerts, recitals, orchestra, and marching band)
Travelling: France, Spain, Greece, Italy, England, Scotland, Ireland, USA, Canada, Morocco, Mexico and Niger
Volunteer work: Former Red Cross volunteer