“I am passionate about all aspects of my work, but I especially love that I have the privilege to teach and mentor students,” says Assistant Professor of French, Lucille Toth. Toth joined the department in Autumn of 2017, and while she actively participates in life in Hagerty Hall and Columbus, she teaches on the Newark campus. Toth feels very lucky to teach in Newark, where students do not have the same language learning resources that are available on the Columbus campus. It forces her to be more creative in her classes and more dedicated to the students. Her own experience as a first generation college student from a non-academic background also enhances her teaching experience in Newark.
After leaving her hometown, a small village not far from Toulouse, France, Toth moved to Montreal, where she received an MA in French Studies. For her PhD she moved to Los Angeles where she studied at the University of Southern California. Toth is a professional dancer and studied performance studies as an undergraduate. During her time in LA, she developed an interest in queer studies, dance, medical humanities, and effect of AIDS on the dance community. She is currently working on a book titled “Virus and Its Movements.” Toth is excited about the new MA in Medical Humanities that will soon be offered at OSU, and will teach a seminar as part of the program on how illness and the medicalized body are represented in art and stage. She recently won a Coca-Cola Critical Difference for Women Research Grant for her project "On Board(hers): a work on borders and women in motion."
After a whirlwind of moves, Toth is very happy to have landed in Columbus, where she is actively engaging with the community. She finds both Ohio State and Columbus to be incredibly collaborative. It is easy to get involved with events, programs, and other departments. People are supportive and colleagues are always interested in new ideas.
She has started dancing again, and has performed a solo piece in the Angela Meleca Gallery in Columbus, and works with the Flux and Flow studio in Clintonville. She sings with Harmony Project, a choir that engages in volunteering and community service in Columbus. She is on the Board of Trustees of the Columbus Stonewall LGBT Center, and works on events including the Gay Pride Celebration. Toth is also keeping in touch with her home though writing lyrics for a singer songwriter in France.
Toth is happy that her journey has brought her to Ohio State, and we are lucky to have her here!
