UA French Scholar Awarded Knighthood in France’s Ordre des Palmes Académiques

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Dr. Metka Zupancic, associate professor of French/modern languages at The University of Alabama, has been inducted as a knight, or chevalier, in France’s Ordre des Palmes Académiques (Order of Academic Palms).

The Ordre des Palmes Académiques is an international honor society reserved for those who have made substantial contributions to French culture. Zupancic was nominated by the French Consulate in Atlanta, and UA French and linguistics professor Dr. Michael Picone provided a letter of support and other material.

Zupancic recently has published a collection of her essays, in French, titled “Helene Cixous: texture mythique et alchimique” (SUMMA, 2007). Originally from Slovenia, Zupancic holds a doctorate in romance philology from the University of Zagreb (Croatia; 1988) and a doctorat de 3e cycle from the University of Strasbourg (France; 1977).

At the department of modern languages and classics, Zupancic teaches a variety of courses. At the undergraduate level, she teaches courses in French studies, French phonetics and English-French translation, commercial French and French civilization, as well as courses in contemporary French and Francophone literature.

Her graduate courses include the 20th and 21st century French and Francophone novel, critical theory, feminism, myth and literature and film and literature. She also teaches a seminar titled “Yoga: East and West” for the Blount Undergraduate Initiative.

The department of modern languages and classics is part of the College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the USA Today Academic All American Team.