Elizabeth Scheiber

Elizabeth Scheiber is a Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at Rider University. She specializes in 20th-century French and Italian literature, with a focus on Holocaust literature, women’s literature, and the symbolic function of language in traumatic narratives. Her research examines authors like Charlotte Delbo and Primo Levi, exploring themes of memory, survival, and literary representation.

Education:

• Ph.D. in French Literature (with a minor in Italian Literature), Indiana University (2002)
• M.A. in Italian Literature, Indiana University (2002)
• M.A. in French Literature, Western Kentucky University (1995)
• B.A. in French and German Language and Literature, Indiana University (1989)

Research Interests: Dr. Scheiber’s work centers on Holocaust literature, particularly the intersection of memory and language in works by Charlotte Delbo and Primo Levi. She also studies women’s literature and the role of mythology in Italian post-war narratives.

Key Contributions: Her articles analyze trauma representation in Holocaust memoirs, symbolism in Primo Levi’s Il sistema periodico, and the use of figurative language in survivor narratives. She has presented widely at conferences such as the American Association of Teachers of Italian and the Lessons and Legacies Conference on the Holocaust.

Awards and Grants:

• Rider University Summer Developmental Fellowship (2008)
• Holocaust Educational Foundation Summer Institute Fellowship (2005)
• Indiana University Teaching Award for Excellence in Teaching (1998)

Professional Roles: Associate Director of the Julius and Dorothy Koppelman Holocaust and Genocide Research Center, and member of the Zerilli-Marimò literary prize jury. She also participates in the BRIDGE program for teaching innovation.