Stories about "Mary Rice-Defosse"
“My thesis is about the evolving role of French in Maine, and as a Franco-American and French speaker, Herb has been a great friend and contributor to the brainstorming process surrounding my thesis.” Martha Coleman ’23 of Seattle, a double major in French and Francophone studies and American studies, took to the steps of Coram Library to bind her honors thesis, along with other students, staff, and faculty. Coleman recruited the help of Herb Saucier, the Learning Shuttle bus driver for the Harward Center for Community Partnerships, to bind her thesis, titled “Le français et le Franco(phone)s: An exploration of the evolving significance of French in Maine,” advised by Professor of French and Francophone Studies Mary Rice-Defosse. “Over the last four years, I've gotten to be here and speak this language, and speak it with people who grew up here speaking French,” she said. Saucier has been a “supporter and cheerleader” for Coleman throughout the thesis writing process. “I just think it's such a nod to how important community work and community members have been to this project.” “Community engagement has been a huge part of my time at Bates and I hope that my thesis binding will be an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the community members who made my thesis project, and my Bates career as a whole, possible,” says Coleman. Allison Fischman ’23, a sociology major from Woodbridge, Conn., and Sam Manogue ‘26 of Wynnewood, Penn., were binding Fischman’s thesis, titled “Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Conceptualizations in Research and Policy,” advised by Professor of Sociology Emily Kane. Liam Daly-Smith ‘23, a physics major from Montclair, N.J., got help from Jing Fang ’23 of Beijing, and Adriana Pastor Almiron ’25 of Asuncion, Paraguay, to bind his thesis, titled “Tidal Energy in Cobscook Bay: An Analysis of Tidal Range Energy and Tidal Barrage Generation Paradigms,” advised by Professor of Physics John S
An honors thesis creates a French connection between Martha Coleman ’23 and shuttle driver Herb Saucier

Friday, May 19, 2023 1:57 pm

Herb Saucier was flabbergasted. Invited to attend a senior’s thesis-binding ceremony on the porch of Coram Library, he suddenly found himself at the center of attention.

13 language-learning tips from Bates faculty and students

Friday, September 21, 2018 9:31 am

Immerse yourself, tell stories, listen to music, and "plagiarize."

Rice-DeFosse co-authors history of Twin Cities’ Franco-Americans

Thursday, April 16, 2015 2:42 pm

While researching "The Franco-Americans of Lewiston-Auburn," historian James Myall and Bates French professor Mary Rice-DeFosse encountered a few shocks.

Rice-DeFosse honored for bringing Bates closer to Lewiston-Auburn’s French-speaking community

Tuesday, May 20, 2014 2:43 pm

Professor Mary Rice-DeFosse's academic work connects to a community once defined by its French Canadian origins and now influenced by French-speakers from such African nations as Djibouti, Chad and Congo.

French professor Mary Rice-DeFosse pursues an interdisciplinary approach

Wednesday, March 7, 2001 3:30 pm

Mary Rice-DeFosse, professor of French, lives and works in a state in which 40 percent of the residents claim French heritage. It's no coincidence, then, that Franco-American Maine literature and culture are an important part of her work.