Honors Program
The Department of Romance Languages & Literatures offers both its eligible majors and minors the possibility of pursuing听an honors program in the final year of their studies.
Students in the Honors Program will conduct research under the guidance of a faculty member on a topic related to their work in a single Romance Languages & Literatures undergraduate / graduate seminar (or an undergraduate-only seminar for Hispanic Studies minors). Students may continue research begun in a seminar taken before the senior year or they may begin their research in a seminar taken in the Fall of the senior year. In either case, the student will need to obtain the support of the relevant faculty member on an agreed topic. All projects, a 20-page paper for RLL majors or a 15-paper for RLL minors, must be completed and submitted by February 15 of the Spring semester of the senior year. RLL minors must also take a seventh course to receive Honors.
In order to qualify for Honors, students must have a GPA of 3.6 in French, Italian and Hispanic Studies. Students interested in participating in the RLL Honors program should contact the RLL Honors Program Director (rll@bc.edu) and the faculty member with whom they want to work. Students can apply to the program in the Spring semester of their junior year or the Fall semester of their senior year. Applications are available in the Department of Romance Languages office in Lyons 304 and they must be completed by September 20 in the student鈥檚 senior year.
A meeting for all RLL Honors Students will be scheduled in October of the senior year for an informal discussion of the early stages of research. Another meeting, to be scheduled in late February, will allow students to share the results of their projects.
Pi Delta Phi, the National French Honor Society
The听Lambda Psi chapter of Pi Delta Phi听was established at Boston College in 1997. The activities of the Lambda Psi chapter have as their goal to promote a greater awareness of French and Francophone culture at Boston College. Over the past decade, the Lambda Psi chapter has grown to include many of the University's most promising undergraduate and graduate students. Faculty, librarians, administrators and alumni who have distinguished themselves through their scholarship and their love of French culture have also been accorded honorary membership.
Gamma Kappa Alpha, the National Italian Honor Society
Gamma Kappa Alpha seeks to recognize outstanding scholastic performance in the fields of Italian language, culture and literature, to encourage students to acquire a greater interest in and understanding of the Italian language, culture, and society, and to help others appreciate and enjoy the culture of Italy and the Italian language. The Boston College chapter was established in Fall 2009. Majors and Minors in Italian Studies in good academic standing can apply for active membership in the society.
Sigma Delta Pi, the National Hispanic Honor Society
A听情色空间 Chapter is currently in the process of being created.
2016
Jennifer Marie Heine:听"'You've got the key of the street': Dickens as a Picaresque Writer" 听Thesis Directors:听Prof. Elisa Rhodes and Professor James Najarian (English Dept).
Andrew S. Lizon:听"Visioni dell鈥檜omo moderno in relazione alla societa虁 moderna: Un鈥檈splorazione ecocritica della letteratura e del cinema italiano." Thesis Director: Prof. Mattia Acetoso.
Andrew Marchesani:听"Paris: une modernite虂 de虂termine虂e." Thesis Director: Prof.听听Joseph Breines.听
2015
Daniel Joseph Cattolica:听"Alla ricerca dell鈥檌mpegno: un鈥檌ndagine sui gialli camilleriani e il mondo del Commissario Montalbano." Thesis Director: Prof. Mattia Acetoso.
Thomas Monaghan:听"Alive and Well: Contextualizing Medical Pluralism in Guatemala." Thesis Director: Prof. David Stuart (Univ. of Texas/Austin).
Michelle Principi:听鈥淓h, via, s矛, sono pazzo!鈥: Rappresentazioni teatrali e cinematografiche della follia in Enrico IV." Thesis Director: Prof. Laurie Shepard.
Michelle Tomassi:听"From Alter Ego to Alter Locus: The Foundations of Italian and American Auteur Cinema." Thesis Director: Prof. Mattia Acetoso.
2014
Kaitlyn Quaranta: 鈥淟a femme qui s鈥檈fface chez Andr茅 Gide." Thesis Director: Professor Kevin Newmark.
2013
Mary Goetz: "Translating Cultural Memory: French and English D-Day Narratives at the Memorial Museum of Caen." Thesis Director: Prof. Joseph Breines.
Sydney West: "Representaciones de la Malinche en las narrativas de la conquista: une nueva perspectiva en el siglo XXI." Thesis Director: Prof. Sarah Beckjord.
2012
Ryan Crane:听"Ser un gringo en M茅xico: El significado de la frontera en El gringo viejo de Carlos Fuentes y Todos los hermosos caballos de Cormac McCarthy." Thesis Director: Prof. Ernesto Livon-Grossman.
Courtney Finkel: "A Dictator鈥檚 Downfall: Consequences of Legitimizing Absolute Power." Thesis Director: Prof. Irene Mizrahi.
Michael Phelan: "La huella de un tirano: un an谩lisis literario de la dictatura de Augosto Pinochet y el reino de terror in Chile" Thesis Director: Porf. Harry Rosser.
2011
Rosemary Bailey:听鈥淏audelaire's Modernity." Thesis Director: Prof. Kevin Newmark.
Danielle Castelli: 鈥淐omment peut-on 锚tre fran莽ais?: Lessons from Paris." Thesis Director: Prof. Ourida Mostefai.
Victoria Farell:听"Jean Giono's Pan Trilogy: Spirituality Inspired by Nature in Rural Provence." Thesis Director: Prof. Matilda Bruckner.
Jill Forgash:听"Une r茅volte cin茅matique: An Existential Look at the French New Wave Cinema of Godard and Truffaut"
Thesis Director: Prof. Kevin Newmark.
Kathryn Goettl:听"Mythologies alimentaires: Assortiment d'amuse-gueules sur la gastronomie fran莽aise." Thesis Director: Prof. Ourida Mostefai.
Laura Zapata:听鈥淎n谩lisis comparativo de la听Historia Oficial, 鈥淓l Reportaje鈥 y 鈥淟a Siesta del Martes.鈥 Thesis Director: Prof. Irene Mizrahi.
2010
Claire Duggan:听鈥淚mmigration from Senegal to France: The Experience of Senegalese Women.鈥 Thesis Director: Prof. R茅gine Jean-Charles.
Katharine C. Moore:听鈥淭he Heroine鈥檚 Misfortunes: Seduction, Desire and Fate in a Comparison of 鈥楥laire d鈥橝lbe鈥 by Sophie Cottin and 鈥楯ulie, ou la Nouvelle H茅lo茂se鈥 by Jean Jacques Rousseau." Thesis Director: Prof. Ourida Mostefai.
Stephen Rice:听鈥淣ew Age Dictatorship in Latin America: The Dominion of Daniel Ortega." Thesis Director: Prof. Irene Mizrahi.
2009
Samantha Steverman:听鈥淗appiness Revisited:听What the Enlightenment Novel Can Teach Us About Happiness Today.鈥 ("Perspectives" Program Honors). Thesis Director: Prof. Ourida Mostefai.
Hannah Donoghue:听鈥淢odelos de representaci贸n en las pel铆culas de inmigraci贸n." Thesis Director:听Prof. Elizabeth Rhodes.
Alexander Ramos:听鈥淭he Children's Stories of Horacio Quiroga." Thesis Director:听Prof. Harry Rosser.
Anastasia Semel:听"Fathers and Sons: An Analysis of the Paternal-Filial Relationship from Calderon's 17th Century听La vida es sueno听to Barroso's 20th Century film Extasis." Thesis Director:听Prof. Irene Mizrahi.
2008
Stacy Brown:听鈥淐uranderismo: Teresa Urrea and the Legacy of Dissent.鈥 Thesis Director: Prof. Dwayne Carpenter.
Jessica Fuller:听鈥淓stamos en este pa铆s: Motivations for English Acquisition among Adult Latino ESOL Students.鈥 Thesis Director:听Prof. Beckjord.
Julie Bulman:听鈥淟鈥檋abit en r茅volution: Mode et v锚tements dans la France d鈥檃ncien r茅gime.鈥 Thesis Director:听Prof. Ourida Mostefai.
2007
Kaelin Grant:听鈥Les Planches Courbes听by Yves Bonnefoy.鈥 Thesis Director:听Prof. Kevin Newmark.
Katie Jarvis:听鈥Allez, Marchez, Braves Citoyennes: A Study of the Popular Origins of, and the Political and Judicial Reactions to, the October Days of the French Revolution.鈥 Thesis Directors:听Prof. Paul Spagnoli (History Dept.) and Prof. Ourida Mostefai. Winner of the McCarthy Prize for Best "Scholar of the College" Project, April 2007.
2006
Sarah Carmody:听鈥淐alled to Unity: Language Perfection, Propagation, and Practice in France, from Louis XIII to the Third Republic.鈥 Thesis Directors:听Prof. Virginia Reinburg (History Dept) and Prof. Ourida Mostefai. Winner of the McCarthy Prize for Best "Scholar of the College" Project, April 2006.
Julianne Marley:听鈥淒emocracy in Algeria? 鈥楽ecular鈥 Authoritarianism and the Rise of the Islamic Movement.鈥 (International Studies Major). Thesis Director:听Prof. Ourida Mostefai.
Christian Coleman:听鈥淟a Espa帽a posmoderna hecha esperp茅ntica: El cine de Pedro Almod贸var.鈥 Thesis Director:听Prof. Catherine Wood-Lange.
Laura Donovan:听鈥淧unishment and Social Contract in听El Burlador de Sevilla and La vida es sue帽o.鈥 Thesis Director:听Prof. Dwayne Carpenter.
Anthony Guti茅rrez:听鈥淓l placer en la cultura posmoderna espa帽ola: Quim Monz贸鈥檚听El por qu茅 de las cosas听and Pedro Almod贸var鈥檚听Hable con ella.鈥 Thesis Director:听Prof. Irene Mizrahi.
Sarah Hebl:听鈥淟a representaci贸n de la voz marginada en听Alambrista and Mar铆a Full of Grace.鈥 Thesis Director:听Prof. Elizabeth Rhodes.
Zina Varelas:听鈥淟a homosexualidad en el cine posfranquista de Eloy de la Iglesia.鈥 Thesis Director:听Prof. Christopher Wood.
2005
Mary Christy Slavik:听鈥淟es caricatures dans la repr茅sentation de la femme sous la commune de Paris.鈥 Thesis Director:听Prof. Ourida Mostefai.
Elizabeth Fox:听鈥淢aurice Blanchot and the Murmur at the Heart of Literature.鈥 (Winner of the McCarthy Prize in the Humanities for Best "Scholar of the College" Project, April 2005.) Thesis Director:听Prof. Kevin Newmark.
Sarah Mailander: 鈥淭he Virgin in the Drug Market: Maria Full of Grace.鈥 Thesis Director:听Prof. Elizabeth Rhodes.
Emily Meador:听鈥淚mmigration, Reality and Fiction: The Texas Border and 脕lvarez, Escand贸n, Nova y Tom谩s" Thesis Director: Prof. Harry Rosser.
2004
Kate Bryan:听鈥淚ntegrating Immigrant Muslim Women in Western Democratic Societies.鈥 (International Studies Independent Project). Thesis Director: Prof. Ourida Mostefai.
Travor Wolfe:听鈥淐uentos en extranjero.鈥 (Creative Writing University Honors Program). Thesis Director: Prof. Elizabeth Rhodes.
2003
Claire A. Julian:听鈥淟a Le莽on de l鈥檃ntiam茅ricanisme fran莽ais: une exploration de l'identit茅 am茅ricaine 脿 l'茅gard de la France.鈥 Thesis Director: Prof. James Flagg.
Caitlin Sullivan:听鈥淟e M茅tissage en Ha茂ti: Un discours culturel et litt茅raire.鈥 Thesis Director: Prof. Kevin Newmark.
听
2002
Charlotte Haygood:听鈥淟'脡criture de l'Holocauste.鈥 Thesis Director: Prof. Kevin Newmark.
Melissa Calvo:听鈥淟a vie quotidienne des femmes des Lumi猫res: Progr猫s et pr茅jug茅s dans les id茅es sur la famille et l'茅ducation des femmes.鈥 Thesis Director: Prof. Ourida Mostefai.
Siobh谩n McGarry:听鈥淟e Fran莽ais restera-t-il fran莽ais?.鈥 Thesis Director: Prof. James Flagg.
Jane M. Kalista:听鈥淒angerous Demoniacs: Possession, Ritual, and Politics in Sixteenth-Century France.鈥 Thesis Directors: Professor Virginia Reinburg (History Dept.) and Prof. Ourida Mostefai. Winner of the McCarthy Prize for Best "Scholar of the College" Project, April 2002.
Amy J. Harrelson:听鈥淟e Vol: Une Etude de听La Vagabonde听de Colette." Thesis director: Prof. Kevin Newmark.
Please note that we are still in the process of compiling complete data for the years 1986-2000; not all theses for these years are listed below.
2001
Yamil Jaskille: 鈥淢iguel de Unamuno y el Destino Final de la Vida: Muerte o Salvacion Eterna鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Mizrahi
Katherine Anderson: 鈥淔emmes viol茅es et prisons violentes: les voix silencieuses de la guerre d鈥橝lg茅rie dans les 茅crits de Benjamin Stora et d鈥橝ssia Djebar鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Mostefai
Diana Bolling: 鈥淩emaking a Culture: Analyzing Cultural Differences through Film鈥
Thesis Director: Professors Valette and Michalczyk
Kristin Brandt: 鈥淓l exilio: dos pasos en la b煤squeda de la identidad鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Rhodes
Michel Fern谩ndez P茅rez: 鈥淟a est茅tica del doble sentido: an谩lisis de la dualidad l铆rico-pol铆tica del discurso del 'yo' po茅tico en la obra de Silvio Rodr铆guez y Dom铆nguez鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Rosser
2000
Daniell Buchholz: 鈥溾楨ntremos m谩s adentro en la espesura鈥: Un estudio comparativo de la poes铆a de Juan de la Cruz, Teresa de 脕vila, y Luis de Le贸n鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Rhodes
Kelly Moudy: 鈥淐hateaubriand et Ren茅鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Norman Araujo
1999
Karen Blanton: 鈥淓l tratamiento de los indios bolivianos en las obras de Alcides Arguedas鈥
Thesis Director: TBD
Rebecca Foy: 鈥淓l tema de la ilusi贸n en Las historias de la Art谩mila"
Thesis Director: Professor Mizrahi
Beatriz Kim: 鈥淟a discriminaci贸n justa en las "Siete Partidas" de Alfonso X, el Sabio鈥
Thesis Director: TBD
Lori Leonovicz: 鈥淓l personaje de San Manuel a la luz de otras obras de Miguel de Unamuno鈥
Thesis Director: TBD
Cathryn Simard: 鈥淭ocqueville's Individualism in Modern American Democracy鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Mostefai
1998
Cristina Arespacochaga: 鈥淓l Hombre y sus circunstancias en cuatro obras de Antonio Buero Vallejo鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Mizrahi
Annette Fay: 鈥淟a condition humaine dans une ancienne colonie fran莽aise: le Mali鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Nelly Rosenberg
Matthew Russell Hand: 鈥淓l surrealismo en Piedra de Sol de Octavio Paz鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Mizrahi
Warren Schmidt: 鈥淟os gitanos en Cervantes y Lorca鈥
Thesis Director: Professors Mizrahi and Ojeda
1997
Eva Castaing: 鈥淪trat茅gie rh茅torique dans les Pens茅es de Pascal et La Chute de Camus鈥
Thesis Director: TBD
1996
Gabriel Barreneche: 鈥淓l problema del ind铆gena visto por tres pensadores ecuatorianos: Julio Moreno, Pio Jaramillo Alvarado, y Jorge Icaza鈥
Thesis Director: TBD
Siobhan Virginia Hammer: 鈥淟a voz del pueblo, Jorge Icaza: C贸mo el autor presenta la comunidad ind铆gena por sus obras literarias鈥
Thesis Director: TBD
Boris Jaskille: 鈥溌縌ui茅n soy? And where do I belong? ... La experiencia newyorrican reflejada en la literatura puertorrique帽a鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Rosser
Nancy MacElhiney: 鈥淟a societ茅 en crise dans le Maghreb: Le regard que les romanciers fran莽ais et maghrebins ont port茅 envers la guerre de lib茅ration en Alg茅rie鈥
Thesis Director: Professors Nelly Rosenberg and Jeff Flagg
Kristen Odlum: 鈥淟os personajes femeninos en el cine de Almod贸var鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Mizrahi
St茅phanie Perrotti: 鈥淟a renaissance de la f茅minite vers le Bonheur鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Bold
1995
Manisha H. Bhatt: 鈥淔rom Criticism to Ideology: Jos茅 Mart铆's Eleven Years in the United States鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Ojeda
Joshua Clement: 鈥淭he Art of Conversation in Mme de S茅vign茅鈥檚 Correspondence鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Mostefai
Mario DiMonaco: 鈥淚l riso e l'autorit脿 della Chiesa ne Il nome della rosa di Umberto Eco鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Mostefai
Brooke Johnson: 鈥淯na exmaninaci贸n de los cambios paradigm谩ticos de interpretaci贸n sobre la Revoluci贸n Mexicana, a trav茅s de la historiograf铆a y la literatura鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Purnell
Susan Marietta: 鈥淟a transposition musicale chez Claude Debussy, musicien r茅volutionnaire: Le respect des formes po茅tiques et des id茅es traditionnelles鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Rahv
Monika Pronczuk: 鈥淟a metamorfosis de don Juan en el teatro esapa帽ol鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Mizrahi
Valerie Zolezzi: 鈥淩么le et pr茅sence de la femme dans la formation totale de l'enfant: R茅ponse 脿 "l'脡mile ou de l'脡ducation" de Jean-Jacques Rousseau鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Mostefai
1994
Angela L. Atkinson: 鈥淔atalism: Stagnation or Evolution a Key to Undertanding Gabriel Garc铆a M谩rquez's La hojarasca and Isabel Allende's La casa de los esp铆ritus鈥
Thesis Director: Profs. Mizrahi and Carpenter
Colleen Marie Breen: 鈥淟e r么le du mariage en France au XVIIe si猫cle et chez Moli猫re: une 茅tude de "L'茅cole des femmes," "George Dandin," "Le bourgeois gentilhomme" et "Les pr茅cieuses ridicules"
Thesis Director: Professor Bold
Tracy Hinchliffe: 鈥淓xpression In A World of Oppression: The Lives And Works of Gabriela Mistral, Delmira Agustini, and Alfonsina Storni as the Precursors to the Feminist Movement in Early Twentieth Century Latin American Society鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Ojeda
Brenna O'Leary: 鈥淟a femme et l'enfant au si猫cle des Lumi猫res: L'apoth茅ose de la mere鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Mostefai
Bozena Putanec: 鈥淓l 鈥榟ombre masa鈥, teor铆a y pr谩ctica: un estudio de las obras El balneario y El pasajero de la noche a la luz del ensayo La rebeli贸n de las masas鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Mizrahi
Jos茅 E. R铆os: 鈥淒oce cuentos peregrinos Trayectoria de la obra cuent铆stica de Gabriel Garc铆a M谩rquez鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Rosser
Michelle Sergent: 鈥淟'amigu茂t茅 du 鈥榡e鈥 dans La place, Une femme et Passion simple d'Annie Ernaux: Autobiographie ou Autofiction?鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Mostefai
1993
Renee M. Hahn: "El carnaval" of Spain: From Origin to Present-Day Manifestation in Laza, (Galicia)
Thesis Director: Professor Ojeda
Sara Harrington: 鈥淧aul C茅zanne et Emile Zola: Rapports, Relations, R茅percutions. Une 茅tude de l'amiti茅 脿 travers une 茅tude de L'Oeuvre.鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Araujo
Stephanie McMenimen: 鈥淲omen in Montesquieu's Persian Letters: A Query into Prerevolutionary Views on 鈥楨nlightened鈥 Monarchy鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Rahv
Michelle Naples: 鈥淭he Eclogues of Garcilaso de la Vega Portraits of Melancholy Shepherds鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Carpenter
Kathleen Rooney: 鈥淟os personajes femeninos en obras de postguerra escritas por autoras espa帽olas鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Mizrahi
1992
Mary Hughes Baldwin: 鈥淟a Leyenda Negra and the Quincentennial: A Retrospect from Las Casas to the Present鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Sheehan
Rebecca McNamara: 鈥淢ichelangelo's Campidoglio: Political Propaganda of the 16th Century鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Shepard
Kristen Mulvoy: 鈥淢adame Deshoulieres: Une 茅tude sur la vie et les travaux d'une femme鈥
Thesis Director: TBD
1991
Claudia M. Balzer: 鈥淩itraendo la realt脿 tramite la tenica narrativa: Una tesi comparativa dell'Orlando furioso di Ludovico Ariosto e l'Orlando di Virginia Woolf鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Shepard
Douglass B. Clark: 鈥淒e l'inconstance dans ses rapports avec la libert茅 et le jugement public: Nature et morale dan trois contes de Diderot鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Mostefai
Patricia L. Hale: 鈥淭he Development of Arthurian Romance: Chr茅tien de Troyes and his Influence upon Hartmann von Aue Demonstrated Through a Comparison of Chr茅tien de Troyes' Erec et Enide and Hartmann von Aue's Erec鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Resler
Brian R. Sullivan: 鈥淟'茅conomie politique de Montesquieu, une philosophie pragmatique pour son 茅poque et la n么tre鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Bold
Julie Zissimopoulos: 鈥淎lfonso Sastre His Life, ideology, and distinguished drama: La sangre y la ceniza鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Carpenter
1990
Michelle L. Latulippe: 鈥淭he evolution of Don Juan Centuries of Damnation Leading to Salvation鈥
Thesis Director: TBD
Kara A. Corso: 鈥淎vignon: La d茅fense et Illustration de son patrimoine鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Betty Rahv
Jennifer Anne Trudeau: 鈥淭he Experience of Colonialism: France and Algeria鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Shepard
1989
Jamie Moore: 鈥淟'image et L'id茅e de l'amour et de la femme 脿 travers l'oeuvre de Louis Aragon鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Monique Fol
1988
Sonja A. Krusic: 鈥淏alzac and Dostoyevsky鈥
Thesis Director: TBD
Christine Kilduff: 鈥淒esarrollo del cuento puertorrique帽o durante la Generaci贸n del Cuarenta鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Rosser
1986
Gina N. De Iulis: 鈥淎 Literary and Theatrical Interpretation of the Commedia of Machiavelli鈥
Thesis Director: Professor Lamparsk