Kathryn Oliver Mills

Kathryn Oliver Mills serves as Professor of French and French Studies and Chair of the Department at The University of the South (Sewanee), where she teaches both beginning and advanced French courses while leading departmental operations.

Her academic credentials include:

• B.A. in Comparative Literature from the University of Virginia
• B.A. and M.A. from St. John's College, Oxford University
• Ph.D. in French from Yale University

Professor Mills' research centers on 19th century French literature, crime fiction, and contemporary American poetry, with particular focus on intersections between literary form and cultural contexts. She explores how poetry engages with religious themes, publishing scholarly works that bridge historical literary analysis and modern poetic expression. Her pedagogical approach emphasizes second-language acquisition mechanics developed through early immersion experiences in Burgundy.

With extensive experience teaching first-generation college students whose primary language was Spanish and grading Advanced Placement French exams, she brings practical linguistic insight to Sewanee's curriculum. Her career reflects deep commitment to both undergraduate education and critical scholarship in French studies.