Lorie A. Vanchena, Ph.D.
Humanities - German Studies, Germanic Languages/LiteraturesTeaching
Dr. Vanchena teaches courses on the German-American experience, German-language literature, and contemporary German-speaking Europe. She regularly teaches courses for the online BGS Degree-Completion Program.
Teaching Interests
- German-language literature, German-American experience, contemporary German-speaking Europe, online courses
Research
Dr. Vanchena's current research focuses on German immigrant culture in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She is creating a digital scholarly archive of poems written by German Americans during the First World War and uses this poetry to explore how German immigrants and their descendants defined their national identity during the war. She is also engaged with local German American history such as the Lawrence Turnverein.
Research Interests
- World War I
- Immigrants
- Poetry
- 19th-century German culture in America
- Cultural transfer
- Cultural identity
- Immigrant identity
- Reinhold Solger
- 19th-century
- Political literature
- Nationalism: national identity
Service
Dr. Vanchena directs the Max Kade Center for German-American Studies and currently serves as Director of Undergraduate Studies and Associate Chair.