We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Florian White to our team in German Studies as he starts his first semester as the new Assistant Professor in Residence.

Here’s a little bit of information from Dr. White himself:

“I grew up in the Black Forest in Germany and have lived and studied in the U.S., India, and Vietnam. Having recently completed my Ph.D. in German Studies at UConn in 2025, I am excited to continue contributing to our department’s vibrant community of students and scholars.

My dissertation, “Berliner Nachtclubs der 1990er Jahre in deutschsprachigen Gegenwartsliteratur als Orte der Begegnung und Räume für soziale Interaktion” (Berlin Nightclubs of the 1990s in German-Language Contemporary Literature as Places of Encounter and Spaces for Social Interaction), explores the cultural and literary significance of club culture as a space where art, politics, and society intersect. This project reflects one of my core research interests: how literature engages with lived experience, identity, and social structures.

Before beginning my doctoral studies at UConn, I earned both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Comparative German Studies at the University of Heidelberg in Germany. My academic path since then has been shaped by a deep commitment to teaching and fostering cross-cultural connections. I had the privilege of teaching at institutions in the U.S. and abroad, including Heidelberg University, Yale University, Middlebury College’s German Summer School, and the German School of Connecticut in West Hartford.

At UConn, I have taught a wide range of courses, from Elementary and Intermediate German to Studies in 20th Century German Literature, and I’ve also contributed to the EUROTECH program, where engineering and German Studies intersect. I find immense joy in seeing students grow linguistically while also discovering how language learning opens up entirely new perspectives on culture, history, and society.

Beyond teaching, my work has included active involvement in the Connecticut/Baden-Württemberg Human Rights Research Consortium, where I’ve co-chaired the Graduate Student Working Group and organized academic exchanges. These experiences shaped how I think about the role of language, literature, and culture in fostering dialogue about human rights and global citizenship.

I have also been fortunate to share parts of my research in various publications and conference talks. One of my recent articles, “Should ‘the Right to Party’ Be a Human Right?” (OpenGlobalRights, 2023), is an example of how I like to bring together cultural phenomena and broader social questions.

When I am not teaching or writing, you can usually find me researching the history of U.S. fast food chains, collecting vinyl records, or traveling. 

I am excited to get to know students, colleagues, and community members alike, and to continue building a program that celebrates both intellectual curiosity and the joy of discovering culture through language.”

HERZLICH WILLKOMMEN, Dr. White!