Irina Kogan

My background: “My area of expertise lies at the intersection of poetics and the representation of the political in German-language literature from the Weimar Classicism, through the Weimar Republic, to postwar Germany.” 

This fall I’m teaching: “I will be teaching Elementary German I (GMAN 101), Advanced German (GMAN 211), and “Exploring German America: The Image of America in German-Language Literature and Film” (GMAN 312).  

What students can expect from me: “In my Elementary German course, students can expect an immersive environment that pushes them to dive into the new language with lots of energy and an open mind. In my Advanced German course, students can expect to enhance their composition and conversation skills by discussing complex social and political questions around diversity and identity that are of crucial importance in today’s Germany. In my German America course, students can expect to explore the various projections and myths that have characterized the persistently intriguing image of “Amerika” in the German-language cultural tradition.

I’m excited to be here because: “Lafayette places equal value on teaching and research excellence. By encouraging intellectual experimentation from the instructors and the students, this combination creates a productive environment, where innovative approaches to teaching as well as research have space to develop and inform each other.

Read about other new faculty members.