Cathy Yandell, the W. I. and Hulda F. Daniell Professor of French Literature, Language, & Culture, was knighted in the French Ordre des Palmes Académiques. A national order of France, the honor is bestowed upon distinguished academics who “contribute actively to the expansion of French culture in the world.” The ceremony, held in September, was officiated by the consul general of France in Chicago following a faculty-led roundtable discussion on the Notre-Dame cathedral.
“I am humbled by this honor, but especially grateful to my friends and fellow-learners at Carleton (including students, staff, and administrators) for helping make this the best possible place to teach,” says Yandell, who earned master’s and doctorate degrees in French literature from the University of California, Berkeley.
Yandell teaches a variety of courses in Carleton’s Department of French and Francophone Studies. This year, she is teaching courses on banned books and gender and sexuality in the Francophone world before directing the Paris off-campus studies program in the spring. Her research centers on early-modern and Renaissance France and its relevance to today’s world.