Spyridon Simotas

PhD Candidate, Department of French
Praxis Program Alumni at the Scholars’ Lab
University of Virginia

EDUCATION

2013 - (Fall 2019 expected) University of Virginia
PhD, French Contemporary Literature and Digital Media
Dissertation: Brouillon net: artisans du web, et écriture à l’ère numérique

2001-2002 University Paris 8
DEA (MA2), Texte, Imaginaire, Société
Dissertation: Vies d’artistes dans l’oeuvre de Pierre Michon

1999-2000 University Paris 8
Maîtrise (MA1), Lettres Modernes
Dissertation: L’invention de la biographie dans l’oeuvre de Pierre Michon

RESEARCH INTERESTS

20th & 21st Century French literature and Cultural Studies from the Revolution to present.
Digital Humanities, teaching with technology, e-portfolios & self-tracking in second language acquisition.
Audiovisual Studies.
Literature and new media.
Materiality of the text.
History of the book and publishing.

PUBLICATIONS

2018 Spyridon Simotas et al., “Augmenting the University: Using Augmented Reality to Excavate University Spaces.,” in Digital Humanities 2018, Puentes-Bridges: Book of Abstracts. (Mexico City: Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations, 2018), 600–601, https://dh2018.adho.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/dh2018_abstracts.pdf.

2017 Spyridon Simotas, “Entrées par ordre alphabétique dans l’espace du dedans,” Contemporary French and Francophone Studies 21, no. 4 (August 8, 2017): 414–20, https://doi.org/10.1080/17409292.2017.1432336.

2003 Spyridon Simotas, “Pierre Michon et la question de La filiation,” in Pierre Michon, Entre Pinacothèque et Bibliothèque: Actes de La Journée D’étude Organisée À l’Université de Zurich Le 31 Janvier 2002, vol. 4, Variations (Bern, New York: Peter Lang, 2003), 57–76, https://www.peterlang.com/view/product/9301.

Fiction

2009 “Past Life.”, 19 new steps, The winning stories from the 2nd National Short Story Contest. Athens: Eleftheroudakis.

CONFERENCES

2019 L’Incendie du Hilton de François Bon: face à «l’immense catastrophe ordinaire du monde», annual 20th–21st Century French and Francophone Studies International Colloquium: Catastrophes, cataclysmes, s’adapter et survivre, University of Central Oklahoma | University of Oklahoma | University of Tulsa, Oklahoma City, OK.

2018 Les graffiti oraux de François Bon, annual 20th–21st Century French and Francophone Studies International Colloquium: Sous les pavés…, Brown College, Providence, Rhode Island.

2017 Désordre de Philippe de Jonckheere: Fracas visuel dans l’espace mémoire, annual 20th–21st Century French and Francophone Studies International Colloquium: Le sens et les sens, Bloomington, Indiana.

2016 Entrées par ordre alphabétique dans l’espace du dedans, annual 20th–21st Century French and Francophone Studies International Colloquium: Passages, Seuils, Portes, St-Louis, Missouri.

2015 François Bon à haute voix dans les ronds points, annual graduate students’ conference: Writing out loud: Orality and Aurality in Literature, Princeton University, New Jersey.

2016 E-portfolio’s reliance on technology (digital literacy), AAEEBL Southeast Regional Conference, Virginia Tech.

PRESENTATIONS & WORKSHOPS

2019 Visualizing Students’ Flourishing, “Contemplative Pedagogy Across the Languages: Towards a More Mindful Learning Experience”, Institute of World Languages, University of Virginia.

2019 Augmented Reality and Digital Space, “Augmented Reality and Language Learning, New Forms of Immersion”, Institute of World Languages, University of Virginia.

2017 Workshop on video making with a smartphone, Architecture School, University of Virginia.

2016 Designing e-portfolio Assignments, Institute of World Languages Faculty Retreat, University of Virginia.

2016 Un siècle de bruits: de Luigi Russolo à Justin Bieber, Quartier Français à la Maison Française, University of Virginia.

2014-2019 Teaching vocabulary in context, annual graduate students’ orientation week, University of Virginia.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

2019-2020 Lecturer, University of Virginia Representative courses: beginner, intermediate, and accelerated French.

2013-2019 Teaching Assistant, University of Virginia Representative courses: beginner, intermediate, and accelerated French.

2014-2016 Instructor at the Summer Language Institute, University of Virginia

2002-2003 Lecturer, University of California, Santa Barbara Representative courses: beginner and intermediate French.

2014-2016 French tutor, Charlottesville, Virginia.

2001–2002 Undergraduate students’ assistant, Université Paris 8.

1996–2001 Modern Greek tutor, Phonie-Graphie, Paris, France.

HONORS & AWARDS

2019 Contemplative Sciences Center, CDI award for integrating contemplative practices in teaching, University of Virginia.

2018 All-University Graduate Teaching Award, University of Virginia.

2018 Huskey Graduate Research Exhibition, 1st place for Praxis Digital Humanities project: UVA Reveal, Augmenting the University, University of Virginia.

2017-2018 Praxis Program, Scholars’ Lab, University of Virginia.

2017 Summer Institute of French Cultural Studies: “Cultures of Place, Cultures of Space”, Dartmouth College.

2017 Digital Humanities Summer Institute, University of Victoria.

2015–2016 Mellon Foundation Graduate Fellowship: “Literacies and Technologies in the 21st Century”, University of Virginia.

2014–2015 South Atlantic Studies Graduate Fellowship: “Exile, Migration, Displacement”, University of Virginia.

2014–2015 Mellon Foundation Graduate Fellowship: “Composing the Humanities in a Digital Age”, University of Virginia.

2016-2019 Travel Grants, Department of French, University of Virginia.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

2019 Course Design Institute, Center for teaching Excellence, University of Virginia

2017 Certificate in Fundamentals of Programming/Coding for Human(s|ists). Digital Humanities Summer Institute at the University of Victoria.

2016 “E-portfolios in World Language Teaching, Learning, and Assessment”, Panel Discussion. AAEEBL Southeast Regional Conference at Virginia Tech.

2016 Summer workshop on e-portfolios: Intentionality, Authenticity, and Engagement. University of Virginia, Arts & Sciences Learning Design and Technology.

2016 Workshop on e-portfolios for program-level assessment in world languages, with Nancy Pawlyshyn (Northeastern University). University of Virginia.

2014 Certificat de formation « Enseigner le Français des Affaires », sponsored by the French Embassy in Washington and the Paris Chamber of Commerce. University of Virginia.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2016–2017 Makerspace Technologist, Scholars’ Lab at the University of Virginia.

2006–2011 Freelance photographer

2011–2012 Senior Copywriter, Innovation/Leo Burnett, Cyprus.

2008–2011 Copywriter, Fortune Advertising S.A, Athens.

2006–2008 Copywriter, Spot JWT, Athens.

ACADEMIC SERVICE

2019 Member of the Contemplative Practices in Foreign Languages Instruction working group, University of Virginia.

2016-2017 Coordinator for Business French Training Course, Department of French at the University of Virginia, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in Washington and the Chamber of Commerce in Paris.

2015–2016 Committee member for First Pan-European Studies Graduate Students Conference, University of Virginia.

2014–2016 Research Assistant, FLLEP Grant, funded initiative for the implementation of e-portfolios in foreign language learning.

2013-2014 Co-organizer of the French Film Festival, University of Virginia

LANGUAGES

English: near native
French: near native
Greek: native

DIGITAL LITERACY

Office Suites: Microsoft & Google
Web development: Markdown, Jekyll, Github, HTML, CSS
Content Management Systems: WordPress, Digication, Drupal
Project Management: Slack, Asana, Trello, Basecamp

REFERENCES

Ari Blatt, Associate Professor, Department of French, University of Virginia

Alison Booth, Professor, Department of English, Director of Scholars’ Lab, University of Virginia

Gary Ferguson, Douglas Huntly Gordon Distinguished Professor, Department of French, University of Virginia

Yitna Firdyiwek, Instructional Designer, A&S Learning Design & Technology, University of Virginia

Rachel Geer, Assistant Professor, French House Director, University of Virginia

Karen James, Associate Professor, Director of the French Language Program, University of Virginia

Brandon Walsh, Head of Student Programs, Scholars’ Lab, UVA Library

Last updated: 2019-09-26