Faculty Profile: Dr. Holly Liu
Holly Liu taught at a variety of colleges and universities around the world before coming to Alma College in 2006.
Dr. Holly Liu
She was internationally educated and is dedicated to teaching German. She earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Peking University in Beijing, a Master’s degree from Texas Tech University and a Doctorate from Vanderbilt University. She also studied for two years at the Free University of Berlin.
“Berlin is amazing! That is the kind of city one would die for,” Liu says. “It not only opened my eyes with its history and diversity, but also changed me in many positive ways. I would have never become who I am if I had not studied and lived there.”
Due to her experiences during her extensive travels to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, France, Belgium, Greece, Turkey, China, Poland, Czech Republic and Bulgaria, she urges Alma students to travel and study overseas to obtain first-hand cultural information.
A frequent presenter at international conferences, Liu’s research and publications include postwar and contemporary German literature (East and West) and German films since the 1990s. She conducted interviews with Monika Maron, Helga Schutz and Brigitte Burmeister while writing her dissertation.
Through her efforts and collaborations with Goethe-Institutes across the United States, she has brought prominent German writers, journalists and film directors to American campuses.
“As a Chinese-Germanist in the United States, I have decided to dedicate my multicultural education to understanding different cultures and the academic achievements between continents,” she says.
Having always been motivated by her students, Liu appreciates that the students at Alma are so enthusiastic about learning.
“It is the most rewarding moment to me,” says Liu, “to see a student who has no previous knowledge of German start speaking and writing German.”
She also enjoys working with a wide variety of colleagues across the disciplines.
In her spare time, she enjoys German films, Internet surfing, baking, jogging, classical and pop music, and dancing in Berlin!
