Paul Oorts

Paul Oorts is an Affiliate Assistant Professor of Italian and French at Penn State University, specializing in language instruction, historical musicology, and comparative cultural studies. His educational background includes a B.A. in Classical Philology from Catholic University of Louvain and advanced degrees in Comparative Literature from Penn State.

• Courses Taught: French 102-104; Italian 102-104
• Areas of Specialization: 18th-century European dance music, Italian-American mandolin traditions, classical philology, and the Trojan Legend in comparative perspective

Oorts’ research bridges linguistic studies and musicology, focusing on transcribing historical works and analyzing cultural narratives. His publications include Beijaert 1728 (2005) and the Eurotunes By Ear series (2004-2007), which explore Belgian carillon music and Irish folk traditions. He has contributed to journals like Mel Bay's Mandolin Sessions and Dulcimer Players' News, emphasizing cross-cultural musical exchange.

His scholarly outputs highlight interdisciplinary work in musicology, philology, and cultural history, with a focus on 18th-century dance music, mandolin pedagogy, and transatlantic cultural links. Though no formal awards are listed, Oorts actively participates in academic societies such as the American Association of Teachers of French and the Modern Language Association.

He has presented works like "Belgian Music from the Time of Rosalie" (2010), combining historical research with musical performance. Service activities underscore his commitment to language education and European cultural studies.