Faculty and Staff Profiles

Dr. Thierry Leterre, Dean of the Miami University John E. Dolibois European Center and professor of Political Science.

BASE COURSE PROFESSORS:

Thomas George Caracas Garcia is an associate professor of Ethnomusicology and Latin American Studies at Miami University, and previously served on the faculties of the University of West Georgia and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He received his Ph.D. in Performance Practice from Duke University (1997), a Master's degree in musicology from UMASS (1991), and has performance degrees from the Juilliard School as well (1981-1982).  His publications include articles on guitar history and Brazilian music in Luso-Brazilian Review, The Journal of Popular Culture, and Stagebill Magazine. Dr. Garcia’s recent book entitled Choro: A Social History of a Brazilian Popular Music (Indiana University Press), which explores the history and performance practice of this Brazilian urban popular genre, was published in July of 2005.

Emile Haag, University Studies in Luxembourg, Aix-en-Provence and Sorbonne, Paris in Philosophy and Literature, Ph.D. in Luxembourg in 1966. He has taught history at MUDEC since the second semester of our program (spring, 1969). He is also the Director of the Athénée de Luxembourg, President of the Public Service Union, and President of the Chamber of Public Functionaries and Employees. Areas of expertise: European History of the 19th and 20th centuries, Education and Educational Administration. Personal interests: world cultures and travel.

PROFESSORS:

Georges Backes studied music at the Conservatory of Luxembourg, (First Prize Diploma), at the National Conservatory of Music in Stuttgart, Germany, at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, Belgium (final diploma with “grande distinction”) and at the Britten-Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies in Aldeburgh, Great-Britain. Currently he teaches Great Ideas in Western Music (Music 189) at MUDEC and he is a professor for voice training and “Lied”-interpretation at the Music Conservatory in Luxembourg City. He performs as a tenor with many orchestras all over Europe, with the conductors John Eliot Gardiner, Leopold Hager and others, performing oratorios and doing song recitals (Liederabende). He is a member of the Luxembourg National Music Council; his personal interests are the arts in general (music, painting, architecture) and travel.

Philippe Briot, Maîtrise in Sociolinguistics and in French as a Foreign Language at Université de Nancy II. He teaches Beginning and 2nd year French at MUDEC, is the Coordinator of MUDEC’s French Department, and teaches Supervised Training for Drill instructors (French 315.L, 316.L). Areas of expertise: phonetics, sociolinguistics, French civilization and grammar. Personal interests: reading, writing, music, movies, and travel.

Joris Buyse, Master's in Economic Sciences with Honors, U.C. Louvain; Licentie with honors in Economics, K.U. Leuven; Postgrad studies, Geneva. I worked for eight years for the IMF in Washington D.C. During this period, which roughly coincided with the Latin American debt crisis, I traveled extensively to Latin America and Africa, including some major countries such as Brazil, Nigeria and Venezuela. 1988-2001, I was active in Luxembourg’s financial sector and gained first-hand experience in international credit and capital market operations, correspondent banking, as well as in risk and portfolio management. My activities involved regular travel in Europe, North America and Asia. In 2001 I joined the General Secretariat of Luxembourg ’s Central Bank. My wife and I have four children. I am greatly interested in international relations, history, literature, languages and music (from Gregorian to Bruce Springsteen). Hobbies: skiing, hiking, cycling and photography. Spare time and energy allowing, I am active in certain human rights organizations in favour of religious freedom.

Guy de Muyser, Luxembourg Ambassador to the Soviet Union, Finland, Poland, Mongolia and Belgium during the years 1981-86, Permanent Representative at NATO from 1988-90. Dr. of Law, Luxembourg, M. A., Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston, Dr. h.c. in Human Sciences, Miami University in 1988. He has taught Political Science 270.L at MUDEC since 1993, focusing on East-West relations until 2001 and on major world problems starting in 2001. He also worked as an Administrator of a Luxembourg bank from 1971-1982 and the Luxembourg Red Cross in 1976. Areas of expertise: law, economics, diplomacy, history, and politics. Personal interests: politics, history, and art.

Dominique Dimmer, Maîtrise d’Anglais, Université de Haute Bretagne in Rennes. She has taught French at MUDEC since 1974. She teaches French 310, French in Context. Areas of expertise: architecture, interior decoration, and art. Personal interests: antiques, painting, picture framing, and traveling.

Christine Gofflot-Vankrunkelsven, Doctorandus at A. Mieckiewictz University in Poznan, MA, the University of Brussels and Hasselt in Limbourg, Belgium. Since 1990 she has been teaching MUDEC’s Art History 188 (From the Renaissance to the Present –with examples and background information going back to antiquity). Other areas of expertise: Dutch language, French, German, and Polish. She does lectures and freelance work in art for the European Commission, in European museums and art journals, and guest lectures at several universities. Personal interests: music, nature, travel, and works of art in private collections and museums all over the world.

Michael Hakenberg, Ph.D. in Public International Law, University of Würzburg, Germany. He teaches Introduction to the European Union (Political Science 230.L) at MUDEC and also teaches law at the Fachhochschule (University of Applied Sciences), Trier, Germany. In Spring 2003 he taught a course in International Business Law at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Areas of expertise: German, European and International Business Law.

Jean-Paul Lehners, Ph.D. in Historical Demography and Family History, Vienna 1973. Professor of History, University of Luxembourg; Former Vice-rector, University of Luxembourg (2003-2007). President of the Commission consultative des Droits de l’Homme, Luxembourg; President of Omega 90 - Palliative Care, Luxembourg non-profit organization; Member of the Commission nationale pour l’UNESCO, Luxembourg. He was awarded the Lions prize for “Commitment to Human Dignity” in 2001.

Paul Lesch, Ph.D. in Political and Social Sciences (Ghent University). Teaches film and history at the Miami University John E. Dolibois European Center in Luxembourg and at the Université du Luxembourg. He is the director of the documentary film Call Her Madam (Samsa Film, 1997) on the American diplomat and party-giver Perle Mesta. He is also the author of René Leclère: Pionnier du cinéma luxembourgeois (CNA, 1999), Heim ins Ufa-Reich? NS-Filmpolitik und die Rezeption deutscher Filme in Luxemburg 1933-1944 (WVT, Trier 2002) and In the Name of Public Order and Morality: Cinema Control and Film Censorship in Luxembourg 1895-2005 (CNA, 2005). He has written for international publications such as Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Film History and Cinema & Cie.

Charles Meder, Staatsexamen, Universität Freiburg i. Breisgau, Germany. He teaches Everyday Culture in German-Speaking Countries (German 321 and 322) at MUDEC and also teaches German at the Athénée de Luxembourg. He is the general content manager of the educational portal mySchool! Areas of expertise: German literature, culture and politics. Personal interests: reading, sports and travel.

Michelle Mueller is joining us to teach French at MUDEC as the replacement for Professor Caroline Ewert, who will be on maternity leave until October 2009.

Annette Rausch, Staatsexamen in German and History at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg i. Breisgau, Germany. She has been teaching German at MUDEC since 1996 and currently teaches First and Second Year German. She also teaches German at the Lycée Technique Ettelbruck, Luxembourg. Areas of expertise: linguistics, especially principles of orthography and irregular verbs. Personal interests: running, reading, Italian cooking, Italy and Ireland.

Guy Vanhaeverbeke, Doctor in Law from Brussels University, Honorary Director of the European Parliament and Secretary General of the Trans-European Policy Studies Association, Director of the Office of Information of the European Parliament in Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg. Dr. Vanhaeverbeke teaches Comparative European Politics and the Pursuit of European Unity (Political Science 321.L) at MUDEC. Areas of expertise are European Union law, institutions and policies. Personal interests are skiing, horseback riding, tennis and sailing.

Staff at the Luxembourg Center

Staff on the Oxford Campus

Alyssa L. Klein, Coordinator.

Billie Fields, Administrative Assistant.

Sue Clark, Program Associate.

Plus our multi-talented MUDEC alumni student employees (for daytime and evening outreach): Katie Hirvela, Alyson Manley, Jenny McCoy, and Amy Schumacher.