Thomas Austenfeld was born in Germany and educated at the Universities of Münster and Virginia. He taught in the United States as a graduate assistant (University of Virginia 1986-1991), as assistant and associate Professor (Drury University 1991-2000), and as associate and full Professor (University of North Georgia 2000-2006).  In 2006 he joined the University of Fribourg as Professor of American Literature.


His scholarly interests include studies of poetry and poetics, 20th– and 21st-century literature (especially modernism and contemporary), the American South and West, music and literature, and memoir.


Prof. Austenfeld served as department head (North Georgia 2000-2003), Dean of the Humanities Faculty (Fribourg 2009-2001), Secretary-General and Treasurer of IAUPE (2013-2019), and is currently  treasurer of SANAS.  He has given keynotes and guest lectures in the United States, Romania, Sweden, Poland, Germany, The Netherlands, France, Turkey, and Italy.

Employment

Professor of American Literature, Université de Fribourg (Suisse), August 2006-present.

[served as Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, 1 July 2009 through 30 June 2011]

 

Professor of Language and Literature, North Georgia College & State University (now University of North Georgia) [Tenured], July 1, 2003 – July 31, 2006

 

Associate Professor of English and Department Head of Language & Literature, North Georgia College & State University, July 1, 2000 – June 30, 2003

 

Associate Professor of English [Tenured], Drury College (now Drury University), Springfield (Missouri), August 1997 – June 2000

 

Assistant Professor, Drury College, 1991-1997

 

Guest Appointment as Associate Instructor, English Language Institute, University of Utah, Summer School 1992

Education

Ph. D. in English, University of Virginia, May 1991.
Dissertation: “Robert Lowell’s Religious Temperament.” (Director: J.C. Levenson)

 

M.A. in English, University of Virginia, August 1986.
Thesis: “Beyond Nostalgia: Childhood and Remembrance in John Updike’s Short Fiction.”

 

“Erstes Staatsexamen” (First State Exam) in English, Catholic Theology, and Education for Gymnasium teachers (grades 5-13), University of Münster, Germany, July 1985.

Professional Organizations

Katherine Anne Porter Society

Kay Boyle Society (Co-Founder and first President)

Frank Norris Society

Robert Lowell Society

Swiss Association for North American Studies (SANAS)

Swiss Association of University Teachers of English (SAUTE)

International Association of University Professors of English (IAUPE) * Honorary Lifetime Member, as of 2023.