Student Profiles

Sample student profiles

 "I took a great course in Francophone Identity"
 What can I do with my Latin at IFE?
 A specialist in getting off the beaten track (alternative tourism)
 Restoration and preservation in the city of lights
 Behind the scenes at a major Paris art museum

(See overview page for important information on profiles and lists.)

I took a great course recently in Francophone Identity

Name: Matt B. Undergraduate major field(s): Romance Languages, European Studies Goals for his Paris Field Study semester: Find a way to combine language/culture with strong interest in political science. Placement: International Organization of Francophone Countries (OIF) Responsibilities as intern:  Contribute to the OIF’s campaign towards a multilingual International Youth Olympics (Singapore, 2010), in the framework of the UN Year of Youth.  Participate in meetings, logistic planning, communication efforts, liaison with the Organizing Committee of the Games, research.  Translate English-language documents into French, to aid in decision-making on OIF strategy for the Games. Subject of research: Questioning Francophone Identity: Case study of the Francophone Games. And... Matt was able to put his Spanish to good use as well.

What can I do with my Latin at IFE?

Name: Marceline M. Undergraduate major field(s): Classics and Classical Archeology Goals for her Paris Field Study semester: To be immersed in the archeology of the ancient world, in French, in France. Placement: Cabinet des Monnaies, Médailles et Antiques, a renowned research and archives center of the National Library of France Responsibilities as intern:  Lead role in inventory and classification of the archives of one of France’s chief archeologists of the 19th Century (Ernest Babelon).  Develop a specialized knowledge of the holdings of the National Library in Gallo-Roman coins. Subject of research: The Romanization of Nîmes during the Augustan Period. And... Marceline was able to participate in seminars on Gallo-Roman history and archeology at the Sorbonne and at the National Institute for Art History.

A specialist in getting off the beaten track

Name: Allegra B. Undergraduate major field(s): French Studies, focus on anthropology Goals for her IFE Field Study semester: Study not only French people but also the many foreign visitors to Paris; analyze the touristic interface from an economic, social and aesthetic point of view. Placement: Ca se Visite!, a cultural organization devoted to alternative forms of tourism Responsibilities as intern:  Observation and critique of existing tours.  Assist in development of new tours, and a children’s workshop.  Prepare a press book in English, establish English-version of website, help guides improve their English. Subject of research: Paris, Victim of its Own Renown? And... Allegra became expert in the functioning of Paris and its neighborhoods especially when she was given the job of developing a new tour in an off-the-path, unknown district in the Paris area. Back at school, her senior thesis explored Paris’ homeless population.

Restoration and preservation in the city of lights

Name: Lia D. Undergraduate major field(s): Medieval and Renaissance studies, French Goals for her IFE Field Study semester: To learn about the conservation and restoration of historic architecture in France Placement: Higher institute of training in cultural conservation and preservation Responsibilities as intern:  Translate official communications  Format and publish a series of educational dossiers on the institute’s website  Summarize evaluations by previous interns in the professional training program  Attend lectures given as part of the professional training program  Contact foreign speakers for the following year’s program Subject of research: What are the Limits of Restoration? : Comparing theory and practice from the 19th century to the present And... Lia loved Paris so much she moved back after graduation and writes about it in a culture blog.

Behind the scenes at a major Paris art museum

Name: Allison P. Undergraduate major field(s): Art History Goals for her Field Study semester: To work in a major Parisian museum, learning first hand how the business is run and how museum administration differs between France and the US Placement: Administration of a major French art museum Responsibilities as intern:  Assist in the creation of the museum’s new multimedia audio guide, archiving contracts, verifying scripts, planning multimedia materials/campaigns  Conduct a study comparing the Louvre to multi-media offerings at other major world museums  Participate in training sessions for volunteers Subject of research: An Evaluation of the New Audio-Guides of the Louvre Museum And... After returning form Paris, Allison was accepted to the Smith College summer institute on museum studies, where she completed research on the Nabi group of painters.