Staff Writer- Alex Ogle

This week’s Gustie of the Week is French and Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies Professor Sharon Marquart. As a French and GWSS professor, Dr. Marquart teaches a variety of classes focusing on issues regarding gender, politics, French history, and more, such as her current course “Gender and The Far Right.” Dr. Marquart came to Gustavus after a well-established stint in academics. She currently holds a PhD in French literature and culture from the University of Michigan, which she used to teach at various universities in France, Texas, and finally Canada—at Wilfred Laurier University—before coming into the position she’s in today. 

Dr. Marquart first came to Gustavus for family reasons. While she had a higher-powered position at the University of Wilfred Laurier, she decided to come down to the Gustavus campus so she could be closer to her family. She has now been here since 2015, appreciating the passion and support of the Gustavus community every day.

“People aren’t saying things just to say them. They genuinely want to think through issues, want to think about how to change things, and how to solve problems that they see in their environment,” Dr. Marquart comments. 

Dr. Marquart has found that the students in her classes are particularly excited and committed to learning. Compared to her last academic role, Dr. Marquart notices that many Gustavus students value the lessons and applicability of her classes, and want to use said lessons to solve problems they see in their environment. She finds this to be a similar case in the faculty, who are very supportive and advocate for the issues that matter to them. Gustavus has built around her an atmosphere where everyone grows and helps each other out.

Taking advantage of the various activities and support of the community has been very important to Dr. Marquart. She enjoys going to small lecture events that help clear her mind, which has been bogged down by current national and global events. She also enjoys getting to know people on campus through conversation and collaboration, which helps her feel more connected to the college as a whole.

“People actually know each other. You have an approachable campus and you can have conversations with people,” Dr. Marquart says.

The most memorable moments on campus, though, Dr. Marquart says, came from her various classes and work with students. She highly praises her work with students and teachers in humanities research labs, which she has helped run for the past few years. She is also proud of all the courses she offers at Gustavus. Things like her “Gender, Sexuality, and the Holocaust” class are able to thrive in the school’s liberal arts environment, where everyone can talk freely about important issues. 

More than the environment of Gustavus influences Dr. Marquart; the people in the community do too. She can name countless colleagues and students—past and present—who have helped her and her classes improve. On the colleague side of things, she highly admires Political Science and GWSS professor Jill Locke, who has given her a substantial amount of support and offered advocacy whenever needed. She also appreciates the work of Librarian Michelle Twait, who often worked alongside Dr. Marquart’s students to help them improve their research skills.

“My favorite quote from Jill, at one point, when I was having an issue, she said, ‘Who do I need to go to and yell at about that?’ Just seeing that unwavering support and someone who’s not afraid to ruffle feathers when needed, because sometimes that is needed,” Dr. Marquart states.

With her students, Dr. Marquart commends the wit and dedication that so many bring to her teaching. She highlights many past students who brought their A-game to their work and were always willing to lend a helping hand. She has remained in contact with several former students, who took it upon themselves to co-author writing with Dr. Marquart, or even adopt one of her cats. Her current students bring a sense of humor and understanding to her classes that deal with rather heavy issues, giving some light-hearted balance to the classroom.

Dr. Marquart’s colleagues and students have similar praises for her as well. Professor Locke, in particular, notices how well-received Dr. Marquart’s leadership and passion are on campus. She says that by knowing Dr. Marquart, she has grown in her own work and perspective. 

“Professor Marquart brought over a decade of experienced leadership in both French and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies to Gustavus. She is an amazing teacher and knows how to develop and sustain programs. Both students and faculty want to be a part of what she is doing,” Professor Locke said.

Junior Soph White, who has taken a variety of courses with Dr. Marquart, applauds her ability to cope with the challenges of the world in her classes. With Dr. Marquart’s sense of humor and authenticity, students like White feel comfortable opening up in their classes about important issues.

“She teaches with an unabashed humor about the world and a humanity that makes talking about current world events and hard topics comfortable,” White said.

Dr. Marquart has many things on her mind as she continues her work on campus. While she plans on continuing the growth of various projects, such as her courses and a book that she is finishing writing, she mainly looks forward to a calmer and stable political environment. Dr. Marquart hopes that, until then, she and the rest of the Gustavus community can support each other, so the campus as a whole can build rapport. With the passion and dedication of Dr. Marquart and the people around her, the Gustavus community can be the guiding light that shines through in this time of darkness.

“We need to not give in to despair. It’s also okay though, to despair sometimes, because that’s part of the process, too. Being honest about that can create a lot of solidarities with other people.”