Dr Albrecht Classen is University Distinguished Professor of German Studies at the University of Arizona. He has published more than 64 scholarly books in the field of European medieval and early modern literature and culture. Above all, he is the editor of the three-volume Handbook of Medieval Studies (2010, and editor of the journal Mediaevistik, Tristania, and Humanities. He currently serves as President of the Arizona chapter of the American Association of Teachers of German and as President of the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association.
Allison M. Vaillancourt is Vice President for Human Resources at the University of Arizona, teaches in the UA School of Government and Public Policy, and serves as a co-principal investigator of a National Science Foundation ADVANCE grant designed to increase the number of women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. She also writes for the Chronicle of Higher Education and consults and presents nationally on issues related to human resources, leadership, change, and organizational culture.
She received a B.A. in political science, an M.A. in public policy and administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado's Graduate School of Public Affairs.
As past chair of several local and national boards and advisory councils, Allison has organized dozens of professional conferences and will share some of the tips and tricks she has learned about making the most of these opportunities.