Willa Z. Silverman

Willa Z. Silverman is the Malvin E. and Lea P. Bank Professor of French and Jewish Studies at The Pennsylvania State University. She holds an endowed chair and specializes in French society, culture, and politics from 1870–1914, with expertise in Belle Époque aesthetics, Art Nouveau, Holocaust history, and Jewish studies. Her work bridges literary, historical, and material cultural analysis.

• Education: Ph.D. (1988), M.A. (1983) in French Studies from New York University; B.A. (1981) in History and Literature from Harvard University

Her research explores intersections of print culture, art collecting, and political movements. Notable publications include The Notorious Life of Gyp (1995), The New Bibliopolis (2008), and Henvri Vever (2018), which earned a MLA Scaglione Prize. She has lectured globally, including at the Smithsonian and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Recent projects include a book on Franco-American culinary exchanges (1850–1950), examining cultural diplomacy and gastronomic diplomacy.

• Awards: 2009 Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize

Dr. Silverman has held distinguished fellowships, including a 2017 Visiting Fellowship at the Van Gogh Museum, where she led a seminar on Belle Époque Parisian art and collecting culture.