Karen Adams received her PhD in French from the University of Pittsburgh in 2016. Before coming to UVM she taught at the University of Pittsburgh, Norwich University, and California State University, Long Beach. She has taught beginning and intermediate French language, conversation, pre-18^th-century French literature, and French film and literature in translation. Karen’s doctoral research focused on representations of cross-dressing and sex change in medieval French literature. Karen studied abroad in Paris and taught English with the TAPIF (Teaching Assistant Program) in Besançon, France. She enjoys incorporating the history of France as well as contemporary cultural issues of the Francophone world into her language teaching.