We are devastated by the sudden loss of our beloved colleague, friend and mentor who passed away unexpectedly in her sleep on February 17th.  Bénédicte was a cornerstone of our department and was instrumental in the development of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality studies at Penn State.

A brilliant and influential scholar, she taught generations of undergraduate and graduate students, designing innovative courses in French and Francophone Studies and WGSS, and advised over a dozen PhD candidates. As an administrator, she led Penn State’s Department of French and Francophone Studies to prominence by serving as Head of department from 2008-2013, and as acting head from 2017 to 2018, and from 2019 to 2020. More recently, she also served as Acting Head of The College of the Liberal Arts School of Global Languages, Literatures, and Cultures.

In her thirty-five years at Penn State, Bénédicte received multiple grants and awards including the Most Inspiring Teacher Award (1993-1994),  the Most Premier Faculty Award (2006), the Outstanding Mentor Award (from Women in French, 2018), and the Service to the College Award (2021). An active member of Women In French, and Nineteenth-Century French Studies, she served on numerous editorial and advisory boards, and gave over 60 conference papers both nationally and internationally. She leaves behind a legacy of care and commitment to her students and colleagues.

Bénédicte’s magnetic personality touched everyone she met; her infectious smile and laughter will forever be remembered by all, including her family and her husband of 33 years.

A celebration of life service was held on March 7th at 9:00 am at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center on the campus of Penn State, University Park.

Link to College Story: https://www.psu.edu/news/liberal-arts/story/penn-state-liberal-arts-community-mourns-loss-professor-benedicte-monicat