Mark A. Sims

e-mail [email protected]

Education

Present working on dissertation, "Konrad von Würzburg's Use of Metaphorical Language in His Depictions of Battle"
1991 M.A. in German, Vanderbilt University (Thesis: "The Basel Dramas of Sixt Birck")
Summer 1990 Deutsche Sommerschule in Taos, New Mexico
1986 B.A. in German, University of Georgia
1981 HS Diploma, Marietta High School, Marietta, GA

Study Abroad

1993-1994 Graduate Work at Georg-August Universität, Göttingen, Germany
Summer 1985 Summer Abroad, University Systems of Georgia Exchange; Erlangen, Germany

Professional Experience

Research Assistant  University of Illinois, 1996-1998
Teaching Assistant University of Illinois
Introductory German: 1993, 1995, 1997
Intermediate German: 1991, 1992, 1995-1996
Graduate Reading Course: 1997-1998
Instructor All German courses offered through Guided Individual Study at the Univesity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1995-1998. Developed second-semester German course and revised third- and fourth-semester German courses offered through guided Individual Study at the University of Illinois.
Tutor Extensive experience tuotirng international students in both American English and German, 1994-1998
Teaching Assistant Vanderbilt University
Introductory German: 1988-1991
Peer Evaluator of Teaching Assistants Vanderbilt University

Awards

Selected for "Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked Excellent," University of Illinois.

University of Illinois Conference Travel Grant, 1997.

Scott Frey Travel Grant, Univeristy of Illinois, 1993.

Graduate Student Exchange, Univeristy of Illinois/Georg-August Universität; Göttingen, Germany; 1993.

Willcox Award, Outstanding Undergraduate Enrolled in Department of German, University of Georgia, 1985.

 

Conferences

"A Consideratio of Style in the Battle Depictions of Konrad von Würzburg," International Congress on Medieval Studies; Kalamazoo, Michigan; May 1998.

"The Depiction of Combat and Battle in Konrad von Würzburg's Trojanerkrieg and Turnier von Nantes," International Congress on Medieval Studies; Kalamazoo, Michigan; May 1997.

"Admonition and Retribution: Exodus, the Odyssey and Hrafnkels saga," Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study Conference; Urbana, Illinois; May 1997.

"Wie daz korn gelige, daz der hagel hât gebert': The Realitites of Thirteenth-Century Warfare as Depicted in Konrad's Trojanerkrieg," Deutsches Seminar, forum for Graduate Student Scholarship in German, Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures: Urbana, Illinois; October 1996.

 

Service

Director of the Old Norse/Icelandic Saga Group (Old Norse/Icelandic sagas reading group, University of Illinois), 1996-1997.

 

Honorary and Professional Memberships

Golden Key National Honrary Society

Delti Phi Alpha

The Medieval Academy of America

The Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study

The Modern Language Association of America

 

Modern Languages

English: native speaker

German: near-native fluency speaking, reading, and writing

Dutch: near-native fluency reading, good speaking and writing

Swedish: near-native fluency reading, good speaking and writing

 

Older Languages

Latin

Middle-High German

Old Norse/Icelandic

Gothic