Cynthia Vanessa Helene Laborde

Cynthia Vanessa Helene Laborde is an Associate Professor in the Modern Languages department at The University of Texas at Arlington. Her work focuses on French and Francophone literature, graphic novels, and interdisciplinary studies. She holds a PhD from the University of Iowa (2015) and earned degrees in French Literature and Translation from the University of Wyoming and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her research interests include ecocritical studies, trauma representation, medical humanities, and gender studies in visual media.

Dr. Laborde has published extensively on graphic novels, including a monograph Santé, intimité et identité dans les bandes dessinées autobiographiques en langue française (2024) and peer-reviewed articles analyzing trauma, environmentalism, and gender in French-language works. She has received grants from the Albertine Foundation and UTA Libraries, supporting her work on service learning and creative expression.

Her teaching spans French literature, business French, and globalization studies, with a focus on integrating graphic novels into pedagogy. She actively participates in academic service, including leadership roles in the Modern Languages department and committee work on diversity initiatives. Recent presentations include discussions on medical humanities and women cartoonists at institutions like the University of Dallas and virtual forums in India.