Laura Klein

Biography

Laura Klein, Ph.D., is a Lecturer with Continuing Appointment in French in the Department of European Languages and Studies at the University of California, Irvine. Klein focuses on colonial and postcolonial French and Francophone literature, with particular attention to Mediterranean representations and Maghreb literature. Her research examines how the Mediterranean has been portrayed in Francophone literature from the 19th to the 21st century, tracing its evolution from a colonial-era trope to a contemporary site of migration and ecological concern.

Klein has published articles in journals including Nouvelles Études Francophones, L'Esprit créateur, French Forum, and The French Review, exploring topics such as aquatic interrelations in Maghreb fiction, ecocriticism in colonial contexts, and the work of authors including Albert Camus, Assia Djebar, and Malika Mokeddem. Her book project examines representations of the Mediterranean in Francophone literature as they relate to postcolonial identity and ecology during the Anthropocene. Klein has presented her research at numerous conferences, including the Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) and the 20th and 21st Century French and Francophone Studies International Colloquium.

Klein received her Ph.D. from the Department of French and Italian at the University of California, Irvine in 2011. She has developed several courses at UCI, including Mediterranean Crossings, a course examining literary and theoretical representations of the Mediterranean basin, and an upper-division course on African literature focusing on contemporary Francophone migration narratives. Klein has organized multiple film series and festivals at UCI, including Borders and Belonging: A Film Series and the French and Francophone Film Festival, and has coordinated online intercultural exchanges between UCI students and institutions in France.

Education

• Ph.D. in French and Italian, University of California at Irvine, 2011
• M.A. in French and Italian, University of California at Irvine, 2007
• M.A. in French Cultural Studies, University of Bucharest, Romania, 2001
• B.A. in French and English, University of Bucharest, Romania, 2000

Distinctions

• Lecturer Professional Development Award, UCI, 2015, 2017, 2023, 2024
• Best Paper of the Year for L'Échec de la représentation, le silence, French and Italian Department, 2006
• Corecipient of Spring Graduate Fellowship program as a Mentor, 2022
• Regent's Fellowship, 2005-2006, 2010
• Summer Dissertation Fellowship, UC Regents, 2009