Faculty | L'Académie de France

Dr Armelle d’Hauteville. BA, MA, PhD Université de Montpellier III. Armelle grew up and still lives in Sète, a small town just outside Montpellier, home to fishermen and poets alike. During her studies, she held the position of French cultural representative at the Epcot Center in Florida and taught French in New Zealand. Afterwards, she went on to teach nominal semantics and publish research on cognitive and socio-semantics, and on the work of Roland Barthes. She has traveled all over the world but always finds her way back to her beloved south of France. She attended high school at Lycée Notre Dame de la Merci. 

Dr David Ranc. BA Université de Paris X, MA Sciences-Po, MPhil, DPhil Cambridge. A published photographer, accomplished web designer, and experienced French teacher, David wrote his dissertation on the sociology of soccer fans. He has rowed for Trinity Hall Boat Club and the Cambridge 99s, as well as for clubs in Paris. He is also a member of the Cambridge University equestrian team.

François Massonnat. BA, MA, Université de Lille III, MA University of Pennsylvania, CAPES. Born and raised in Lille, France, François has earned degrees in French and American literature and has taught English for the French Education Nationale. He currently teaches at the University of Pennsylvania where he is pursuing his PhD in contemporary crime fiction and film.

Sarah Newine Moore. BA (Hons), MPhil Cambridge, MA RCA. Sarah is an architect, design teacher and aspiring soloist based in London. She is half English, half Tunisian and speaks fluent French. With over five years experience working on innovative education, arts, housing and landscaping projects she has recently co-founded an independent design consultancy. At Cambridge her award-winning video dissertation about the impact of urbanism on village traditions in Hong Kong was the start of a fascination in the integration of cinematic techniques in architectural design, research and representation.

Jon Marco Church. BA Università di Padova, MPhil Cambridge, MA Université de Paris I. Upon receiving first prize in an essay contest on Brazilian society and culture at the end of high school, Jon Marco focused his sharp interest in foreign affairs on South American politics. Consulting for the Italian Ministry of the Environment and the United Nations Environment Program extended his research interests to environmental diplomacy. His current research concerns Chilean foreign policy and US and EU policy on climate change. A citizen of Italy and the United States, Jon Marco has traveled extensively, nourishing a passion for cinema, sports and cuisine.

Frédéric Saint-Cricq. DPLG (Hons) Ecole d’Architecture du Languedoc-Rousillon. Born in Toulouse, Frédéric practiced architecture in multiple agencies in and around Montpellier before opening his own agency in 2004. He regularly publishes essays on architecture, art, and urban planning. On the side, he is an avid windsurfer.

Laure Bretsztajn. DEUG (Hons) Licence (Hons) Université d’Aix en Provence. Born and raised in the South of France, Laure studied law at the Faculty of Law of Aix en Provence and as an exchange student at McGill University.  She obtained her law degree with honors and numerous prizes. She went on to study medicine due to her particular interest in legal medicine and medical ethics. She is also an accomplished cello player.

Adeline Bouges. DEUG, MA Université de François Rabelais, Tours, CAPES. Adeline is an experienced French and English teacher and has taught at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania where she led the University French Club and coordinated the French Department’s multimedia learning program.  She has also taught in Spain and throughout France.

Katia Duton. Lic., MA Université de Montpellier. Katia holds degrees in language teaching as well as international and commercial negotiation. A passionate teacher, she has worked in Spain, Ireland, and France, with middle school students, corporate clients, tourists, and hotel guests. She is spending the academic year teaching in Atlanta on a Fulbright fellowship.

Magali Marti. DEUG, Lic., MA Université Paul-Valéry. Magali is a teacher of Fine Arts and Art History at Studio M in Montpellier, an arts college with additional campuses in Lyon and Marseille. She has also taught at the Montpellier Institute of Engineering and the School of Fine Arts at Nîmes. In addition to her commitment to drawing, painting, and sculpture, she enjoys interior design. She has exhibited her work throughout the south of France, predominantly in Montpellier and Nîmes. 

Belinda Martin. BSc Université de Montpellier III. Belinda completed her degree in Psychology at the University of Montpellier after leaving her native Trinidad to study in Europe. Fluent in English and French, she has worked for local government in London and has taught at schools in France, including Jean de la Verande High School in Creuily and Alain Chartier High School in Bayeux. She is also a skilled practitioner of yoga and an accomplished swimmer.

Gwen Rio. DEUG Sorbonne, BA CELSA, MA Université de Paris IX. Born in Bretagne, Gwen has earned degrees in Philosophy, Literature, Communications, and Cultural Management.  She has coordinated numerous theater and music festivals in different parts of France, and has taught French in Brazil.