Karina Deifel
kdeifel@ucdavis.edu 530-392-2717
University of California, Davis
Department of German and Russian
337 K Street #100
Davis, CA 95616
EDUCATION
2015 Ph.D. German Language and Literature, University of California, Davis.
Designated Emphasis in Critical Theory, University of California, Davis.
2009 M.A. German Language and Literature. University of Nebraska, Lincol.
2007 Staatsexamen in German Language and Literature, and Biology; Minor in
Russian, Eberhart Karls Universität, Tübingen, Zwischenprüfung.
DISSERTATION
After the fall of the Iron Curtain: Female Voices of Post-Soviet Migration Literature in
Germany.
Dissertation Chair: Professor Gail Finney
Dissertation Committee: Professor Elisabeth Krimmer, Professor Jaimey Fisher
ARTICLES
“Two-Way Prepositions and L2 Student of German”. Arnett, Carlee and Karina Deifel: In:
Cognitive Linguistics and Sociocultural Theory: Applications for Second and Foreign
Language Teaching. Ed. Carlee Arnett, Kyoka Masuda and Angela Labarea. Studies in
Second and Foreign Language Education. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. 2015.
ACADEMIC CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
2015 Multilingualism and the Construction of Identity in an Upper-Division German
Course entitled ‘Multiculturalism in German Literature’. Panel: Multilingualism in
German Language and Culture Curricula. ACTFL Convention, San Diego.
2012 “Das Herz kennt nur eine Heimat”: Das Ineinandergreifen von Familiengeschichte
und transnationaler Identitätssuche in zeitgenössischer Migrationsliteratur. Recent
Expressions of Heimat: Resettling. German Studies Association Conference, Milwaukee.
2012 “Plötzlich hatte ich alles”: Concepts of Femininity and the Soviet Past in Alina
Bronsky’s novel Die schärfsten Gerichte der tatarischen Küche. Panel: New GermanRussian Women Writer. Modern Language Association Convention, Seattle.
FELLOWSHIPS AND SERVICES
Humanities Program Short-Term Graduate Fellowship, UC Davis, July-August 2015.
Provost’s Dissertation Year Fellowship in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences,
University of California, Davis, 2013-2014.
Graduate Conference Travel Award, Department of German and Russian, University of
California, Davis, 2011 and 2012.
Roger Merit Fellowship, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 2008 – 2009.
Chancellor’s Fellowship, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 2008 –2009.
TEACHING EXPERIENCES
2009 – present, UC Davis.
Instructor: Multicultural Germany 1 quarter
Responsible for syllabus, book selection, lecture, discussion, writing assignments,
grading. Designed and taught course on ethnic minorities in Germany, history of
migration in Germany, literature, film and music on multiculturalism in Germany.
Instructor: Postwar Women Writing 1 quarter
Responsible for syllabus, book selection, lecture, discussion, writing assignments,
grading. Designed and taught course on Women Writing in Postwar Germany,
discussed questions of gender, sexuality and female aesthetics.
Instructor: Elementary + Intermediate German 12 quarters
Responsible for syllabus, daily lesson plans, tests, writing assignments, grading.
Designed and taught intermediate course on Heinrich Böll: Die Verlorene Ehre der
Katharina Blum and film adaptation (Schlöndorff and von Trotta).
Instructor: Elementary Russian 3 quarters
Responsible for syllabus, daily lesson plans, tests, writing assignments, grading.
Teaching Assistant: Vampires and Other Monsters 1 quarter
Weekly discussion section, provided writing assistance, graded papers and tests.
Reader: History of Horror 1 quarter
Provided Feedback and graded papers and tests.
2008 – 2009 University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Teaching Assistant: Elementary German 2 semester
Responsible for syllabus, daily lesson plans, tests, writing assignments, grading.
2004 – 2005, 2007 Eberhard Karls Universität, Tübingen 3 semester
Research Assistant: German and Russian Department
Advising first year students on course work, organizing material for course readers.
SERVICES
German Studies Research Cluster, UC Davis, 2015.
International Graduate Student Organization, Public Relations Officer, UC Davis, 2014 –
present.
Interdisciplinary Graduate Student and Professionals Symposium, Moderator, Panel on
Performances, May 2014.
German Department Winter Event, planning and organization, 2012-present.
UC Davis Deutschclub, German conversation club for undergraduate students, UC Davis,
2012-present.
German Graduate Student Representative, UC Davis 2012-2013.
Space and Mobility, Interdisciplinary Research Cluster at UC Davis Humanities Institute,
2011-2013.
LANGUAGES
German: Native fluency
Russian: Native fluency
English: Near-Native fluency
Spanish: Intermediate
REFERENCES
Gail Finney, Ph.D.
Professor, German and Comparative Literature
University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616
gefinney@ucdavis.edu
Elisabeth Krimmer, Ph.D.
Professor, German
University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616
emkrimmer@ucdavis.edu
Jaimey Fisher, Ph.D.
Professor, German, Cinema and Technological Studies
University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616
jrfisher@ucdavis.edu