Biography
Commonly Taught Courses
French/Italian 317 French & Italian Cinema
French 340 Intro to Literary Analysis
French 361 French Civilization to 1715
French 452R Women Writers, 12–17c
French 453R Lyric Poetry/Great Novels
French 454R Prose in Renaissance France
Biography
A proud Kentuckian and humanistic bon vivant, aside from his academic pursuits (below), Bob enjoys stand-up comedy, country music, Mediterranean cooking, genealogy and various forms of football (American/NFL, rugby union, association), a sport he played collegiately. He served a church mission in Paris, France (1998-2000), before marrying Maria Cabrera (2006); they’re the parents of three children, whose youth sports teams they often coach. Bob serves on the 16th-century French forum executive committee for MLA and is also the current director of MARS (BYU Medieval & Renaissance Studies) and editor-in-chief of Lingua Romana.
Degrees
PhD, French & Francophone Studies, UCLA, 2008
~ Dissertation: “The Petrarchan Lyrical Imperative: An Anthropology of the Sonnet in Renaissance France, 1536-1552”
MA, French Studies, BYU, 2005
BA, French, BYU, 2004
Academic Interests
Poetry: French Lyric, Pastoral & Epistolary verse traditions
~ Clément Marot & Gallic Regional Identity
~ Pontus de Tyard & Renaissance Neoplatonism
François I & Valois France (esp. 16c Lyon & Lorraine)
Imitation Theory & Pléïade Poetics
French & Italian Cinema
Research Interests
Poetry: French Lyric Tradition~ Clément Marot & Gallic Regional Identity
Valois France in the Italian Wars (esp. 16c Lyon & Lorraine)
Imitation Theory, Pléiade Petrarchism, Rhetoric/Poetics, Anthropology
French & Italian Cinema Studies
Quebec Studies, Celtic Studies (Literary Brittany)
Teaching Interests
My approach to teaching is multimedia-driven, interactive and learning-centered. Since equipping students with the tools to analyze cultural realia (films, texts, historical artifacts) and write about them meaningfully constitutes the core objective of my instruction, I model such in lecture and craft writing assignments to encourage the application of these skills. My grading aims provide thorough, encouraging feedback in a conversational, human tone.Education
- PhD; CPhil, French and Francophone Studies , University of California, Los Angeles (2008)
- MA, French Studies , Brigham Young University (2005)
- BA (Summa Cum Laude), French , Brigham Young University (2004)
Honors and Awards
- GE Professorship, BYU General Education (2022 - Present)
Memberships
- Renaissance Society of America (2009 - Present)
- Modern Language Association (2008 - Present)
- Sixteenth Century Society and Conference (2008 - Present)
Professional Citizenship
- Other, Sixteenth Century Society and Conference (2022 - Present)
- Committee/Council Chair, Modern Language Association (MLA) (2017 - 2023)
- Conference-Related Role, Sixteenth Century Society and Conference (2011 - 2018)