An Augusta University French professor has been named Knight of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques, or the Order of Academic Palms, by the French government.
Dr. E. Nicole Meyer, professor of French and women’s and gender studies, received the title of Chevalier, a national honor bestowed by the French Republic as a declaration of recognition and admiration for those who have dedicated their life, their energy and their talent to the French culture and language.
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“The honor of Academic Palms was instituted by Emperor Napoleon in 1808, initially to recognize the high merits of French university professors, and later on to thank and distinguish all people who, regardless of their title, contribute outstandingly to the promotion of the French language and culture in France and abroad,” said Meyer.
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The order has three ranks: knight, officer and commander, according to the order’s website. Those who are named knights of the order receive a medal with a purple ribbon and an oval made of laurel leaves. The medal was originally made up of an olive branch and a laurel branch, Meyer said she learned from Mathieu Ausseil, the education attaché of the French Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Meyer’s passion for the French culture started at a young age. Her family’s first born in America, she learned the intricacies of multiple cultures, but nothing compared to her love for France. A desire to teach others was driven by her wish to help people.
She began her education at the University of Wisconsin, obtaining her Bachelor of Arts with Honors in French Literature. She furthered her education with a Master of Arts in French Literature from The John Hopkins University, then a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. from the Department of Romance Languages in the University of Pennsylvania.
“I love to teach and learn from my students,” said Meyer, who teachers several French courses at Augusta University along with two English World Literature courses. Her specialty is French and Francophone Women’s Autobiography.
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Meyer has many accomplishments for her work in French studies. She is vice-president of the Women in French organization, and last fall, she won the Boundless Teaching Award from the Center for Instructional Innovation at Augusta University.
She has also served as chair of the National Commission of French for Specific Purposes and as an invited member of the National Diversity Task Force, both of which are sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French.
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She is co-editor with Eilene Hoft-March of the textbook “Teaching Diversity and Inclusion: Examples from a French-Speaking Classroom,” published by Routledge in 2021. She is also co-editor with Joyce Johnston of “Rethinking the French Classroom: New Approaches to Teaching Contemporary French and Francophone Women,” published by Routledge in 2019.
Haley Knight is a contributor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at haley.knight@TheAugustaPRESS.com
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