Academic jobs in the Humanities in general, and in German Studies in particular, are not easy to find these days. We're immensely proud that all four of our graduating PhDs received offers from excellent colleges and universities across the country this year! We asked how they were doing in their new digs; you can read their replies below.
- Aaron Carpenter: Allegheny College
- Matthew Childs: Wake Forest University
- Jeff Jarzomb: University of Nebraska
- Detlev Weber: University of Kansas
Detlev Weber
Kansas—the Sunflower State—provides a beautiful backdrop for my new position as a lecturer. I am thrilled to continue teaching and engaging with students, now at the University of Kansas in the Department of Slavic, German, and Eurasian Studies. I teach beginner and intermediate German, a subject that has always been a passion and a joy for me, and I’m excited to expand into a literature course creatively titled “Magic, Murder, Monsters.” In this course, students not only explore fantastical and macabre themes but also develop skills to engage with critical questions and representations of German culture and history. I am very grateful to the Department of German Studies at the University of Washington for preparing and mentoring me so well as I take on this significant step in my life.
--- Detlev Weber
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Hello UW German Studies—and greetings from Winston-Salem, North Carolina!
Matthew Childs
After graduating this past June, I made the transcontinental move to the birthplace of Krispy Kreme to take up the position of visiting assistant professor in Wake Forest University's Department of German and Russian. My students are brilliant and curious, and my colleagues are supportive and collaborative. I have been given a great deal of freedom to design my own courses, implement new methodologies in the classroom (e.g., artificial intelligence), and pursue research. At present, I am teaching a language course centered on the DDR and English-language courses about "Catastrophe and Critique" and environmental literature. Next semester I will be teaching German-language courses on contemporary Germany and the city of Berlin, as well as an English-language class centered on German concepts of race and their intersections with German imperialism and colonialism. Research is underway, too, with a forthcoming publication and multiple works in progress that will be completed in the coming months and years. Though I often find myself missing old haunts and dear friends and mentors back in Seattle, I can't deny that every day seems to promise something new and exciting—like a good ol' fashioned football game with my beloved sister, Kayla. My best to everyone back at UW. I hope to see you all again soon!
--- Matthew Childs
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Jeff Jarzomb
After graduating from UW German Studies, I began a position as an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Modern Languages Literatures at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
UNL is a great fit for me, as it is a research institute that retains a strong focus on accessible instruction. As such, I have been able to merge some of my research and teaching interests into courses of my own design.
This semester I am teaching a 400/800 course (undergrads and MA students) titled “Randidentitäten: Gender- Race- und Diversitätsdiskurs um 1800” and a 300-level course on East German film.
Outside of my own classes, UNL has a supportive scholarly community, and I am very happy to be here in Lincoln for the foreseeable future!
--- Jeff Jarzomb
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Aaron Carpenter
After graduating from UW in June, I moved to Meadville, Pennsylvania, a small town south of Lake Erie. I am currently working as a Visiting Assistant Professor of German in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Allegheny College. I’m so grateful for the supportive faculty and staff, who have helped me transition to a new home and develop my courses. I’m teaching beginner and intermediate German, as well as a creative writing class with writer-in-residence Sascha Reh, where we read and discuss modern authors and explore how they tell stories. I’ve also organized an Oktoberfest celebration and a reading with Sascha, both of which required a lot of work. I am continuing my research and writing and have several articles that I plan to submit in the next few months. Moving from Seattle to Meadville has been a big change, but I couldn’t be more grateful to teach a subject I love with interested and engaged students!
Warm wishes to everyone in Seattle!
--- Aaron Carpenter