Charles McCreary, associate professor of French in ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø's Department of Foreign Languages and chair of the department, was honored by Nancy, France, with the Gold Medal of the City.
The award was presented by the Assistant to the Mayor for International Relations, Jean-Pierre Berlemont, to McCreary at Nancy city hall on July 10 in recognition of McCreary's “loyalty and long-time devotion” to the city and to the Lorraine region. His visit to Nancy this summer marked the 30th anniversary of his first visit to Nancy.
McCreary has coordinated and led IUP's study abroad program in Nancy, France, since 2004 and has participated in the program since 1989. Students may spend a full year or the spring semester at the Université de Lorraine in Nancy or six weeks in the summer in Nancy through the program. IUP's program in Nancy was established in 1985. Over the past 24 years, approximately 200 to 250 IUP students have participated in this IUP French study abroad program.
In making the announcement of the award, the local newspaper recognized McCreary for his “unwavering loyalty and devotion” to the city and as “one of the most ‘Nancified' Americans that there could be,” (who) “regularly uses his class time during the academic year to suggest the merits of our region so as to encourage his students to accompany him on the summer adventure in Nancy. He is therefore a son of Lorraine forever.”
“This was, this is, the greatest honor I have ever received,” McCreary said. “I will forever remember the kindness my friends, our partners in the university, and the city of Nancy have shown me.”
McCreary began teaching at IUP in 1986. He has a PhD in French literature of the 17th century from Northwestern University. His teaching interests are varied and include French language at all levels, French literature of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, modern French civilization, and techniques of translation. He also has a strong interest in the use of modern media in language learning.