Faculty Profile
Hanna Roman
Associate Professor of French (2018)
Contact Information
Bosler Hall
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Bio
Hanna Roman came to Dickinson College in 2018. She received her doctorate in French Literature from the Johns Hopkins University in 2013 and has held faculty positions at Vanderbilt University and the University of Hawai’i, Mānoa, in Honolulu. Her recent book, "The Language of Nature in Buffon’s Histoire naturelle" (Oxford University Studies in the Enlightenment/Voltaire Foundation, October 2018) examines the relationship between language and the natural sciences during the French Enlightenment. Professor Roman's current research focuses on the influences of religious and mythological discourses on the scientific disciplines of geology, geography, and natural history in the French Enlightenment. Her teaching and research ask how the past and present of the Earth —and the impact of human activity upon it— were studied in the eighteenth century and how these ways of thinking continue to influence environmental thought today.
Education
- B.A., Grinnell College, 2006
- Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University, 2013
2026-2027 Academic Year
Fall 2026
FYSM 100 First-Year Seminar
The First-Year Seminar (FYS) introduces students to Dickinson as a "community of inquiry" by developing habits of mind essential to liberal learning. Through the study of a compelling issue or broad topic chosen by their faculty member, students will:
- Critically analyze information and ideas
- Examine issues from multiple perspectives
- Discuss, debate and defend ideas, including one's own views, with clarity and reason
- Develop discernment, facility and ethical responsibility in using information, and
- Create clear academic writing
The small group seminar format of this course promotes discussion and interaction among students and their professor. In addition, the professor serves as students' initial academic advisor. This course does not duplicate in content any other course in the curriculum and may not be used to fulfill any other graduation requirement.
FREN 202 Living in Francophone World
This course explores the contemporary Francophone world using regional case studies. Students will learn about life in diverse francophone locations through the study of language, culture, geography, history, art and politics. The regions under study reflect faculty strengths and experience as well as Dickinson’s global partners (Toulouse, Rabat, Yaoundé). Students will continue to develop all five communicative competencies (speaking, reading, writing, listening, and intercultural). Assignments and activities harness current technology including social media and audiovisual tools to learn about the lived experiences of francophones across the globe. Experiential learning components will introduce students to local and global francophone communities and study away opportunities. This is the gateway course to the major and minor in French and Francophone Studies. Students who complete FREN 202 or equivalent are eligible to study in Toulouse, France.Prerquisite: FREN 201 or equivalent.
Spring 2027
FREN 202 Living in Francophone World
This course explores the contemporary Francophone world using regional case studies. Students will learn about life in diverse francophone locations through the study of language, culture, geography, history, art and politics. The regions under study reflect faculty strengths and experience as well as Dickinson’s global partners (Toulouse, Rabat, Yaoundé). Students will continue to develop all five communicative competencies (speaking, reading, writing, listening, and intercultural). Assignments and activities harness current technology including social media and audiovisual tools to learn about the lived experiences of francophones across the globe. Experiential learning components will introduce students to local and global francophone communities and study away opportunities. This is the gateway course to the major and minor in French and Francophone Studies. Students who complete FREN 202 or equivalent are eligible to study in Toulouse, France.Prerquisite: FREN 201 or equivalent.