Background
AC Sieffert’s area of specialty, in addition to second language acquisition, is the long 19th century (1789-1918) and the interim war period before 1940 in France, particularly views on gender and race. Her interest is in the definition of nationhood in France and the participation of women in political discourse in the absence of political rights.
Her work taps particularly into the figure of the traveler during the long century, using varied sources such as travel journals, adventure novels, films, paintings and other visual sources to examine the representation of women and/or BIPOC populations in the Americas and Africa. Sieffert’s most recent scholarly work taps into these interests to discuss the dynamics of power within the representations of mental illness, race and gender, as well as the links between American and French psychiatry.
She has taught classes in literature and culture on her research, including The Cannibal and the Traveler, and a regular summer/winter class, Of Heroes and Monsters: Good and Evil in Pop Culture. She currently teaches French language classes.
Sieffert’s mentoring philosophy is to meet students where they are, give them holistic support, and create a safe space to find their voices.
Projects
- Podcast: The Transatlantic Notebook
- Conference and panel: “'I had a good name before’: Asylum Stories and Patients’ Rights in New York State,” Binghamton University, March 28, 2022
- Exhibition: Kodak Cameras, Central New York Living History Museum, Homer, NY (until May 2024)
Education
- PhD, Brown University
- MA in French, Syracuse University
- MA in history, Université de Strasbourg
- BA in history, Université de Strasbourg
Research Interests
- Gender studies
- The history of photography
- Views on mental health and neurodivergence
- The construction of racial categories in the 19th century
Teaching Interests
- Second language acquisition and DEI in the classroom
- Gender studies
- Views on mental health and neurodivergence
- The construction of racial categories in the 19th century
Awards
- Graduate Student Contribution to Community Life Award, 2016
- Nominated, The K Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award, 2014
- Foundation Award for Service to the LGBTQ Community, Syracuse University, 2009
