French professor receives Way Klingler Fellowship Award for the humanities

Aug. 6, 2020

Dr. Sarah GendronMILWAUKEE — Dr. Sarah Gendron, associate professor of French in Marquette University’s Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, is the recipient of this year's Way Klingler Fellowship Award for the humanities.

Currently, Gendron is working on a book, “Sub silentio: Gender-based Violence against Women by Security Forces and in Conflict Settings,” which focuses on the status of women in international humanitarian law and human rights law. The project examines the ways in which laws regulating the conduct of military and security forces, as well as those of the general population, have or have not served women during times of internal or international conflict. With the Klingler Fellowship, she plans to continue her research for this project and dive deeper into a number of cases, including the plight of Bosnian and Croatian women during the Balkan Wars.

“Dr. Gendron’s project contributes a much-needed comparative perspective and a wealth of new first-hand sources that, without any doubt, will expand the existing understanding of this complex problem,” said Dr. Eugenia Afinoguenova, chair and professor of Spanish in the department of languages, literature and culture.

Recipients of the Klingler Fellowship for humanities receive $20,000 annually for three years to fund critical research that requires time, access to information and travel. The award will afford her the opportunity to begin interviews and archival work and to finish the groundwork for two others. 

In May, Gendron received a Fulbright Scholar Award, the most widely recognized and prestigious international exchange program in the world. The Fulbright award will enable her to conduct research on the case studies in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Uttar Pradesh.

Gendron teaches a number of courses that range from language instruction to literature related to French and Francophone studies. Her area of specialization is 20th century French literature and philosophy. Within this domain, Gendron has taught courses on 20th and 21st century French literature and literary theory, French Holocaust studies, Francophone representations of genocide, and visual and textual art about Rwanda.

About Kevin Conway

Kevin Conway

Kevin is the associate director for university communication in the Office of University Relations. Contact Kevin at (414) 288-4745 or kevin.m.conway@marquette.edu.