Office Address

New Cabell Hall, Room 369

Fall 2024 Office Hours

Wednesdays and Fridays 2:00 pm - 3:00pm. 

Academic Bio

Spyridon Simotas is an Assistant Professor, General Faculty, in the Department of French at the University of Virginia. He earned his PhD from UVA with a dissertation on experimental literary forms that emerged on the web at the turn of the 21st century. Prof. Simotas teaches lower- and upper-level language and culture classes, with a commitment to creating memorable learning experiences for his students.

Prof. Simotas is an advocate for language learning as a form of cultural diversity that strengthens cognitive abilities and contributes to personal enrichment, while also opening students up to a wide range of global opportunities. He’s involved in a number of projects on AI and language learning, including UVA’s AI-Guides initiative from the Provost Office and the Center for Teaching Excellence. As the AI-Guide for the Department of French, he invites his colleagues to consider an AI future that is ethical, thoughtful, and aligned with the core values of language education.

EDUCATION

University of Virginia, PhD

Université Paris 8, DEA (MA2)

Université Paris 8, Maîtrise (MA1)

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Digital Humanities

Teaching with technology,

E-portfolios & self-tracking

Second language acquisition

HONORS & AWARDS

Affordability and Equity Grant, 2022
Support for the creation of Open Educational Resources, University of Virginia

Language Commons Small Grant Award, 2022
Seed funding for a FLE library, University of Virginia

Contemplative Sciences Center, 2019
CDI award for integrating contemplative practices in teaching, University of Virginia

All-University Graduate Teaching Award, 2018
University of Virginia

Huskey Graduate Research Exhibition, 2018
1st place for Praxis Digital Humanities project: "UVA Reveal, Augmenting the University"
University of Virginia

Praxis Program, 2017-2018
Scholars' Lab, University of Virginia

Summer Institute of French Cultural Studies, 2017
"Cultures of Place, Cultures of Space," Dartmouth College

Digital Humanities Summer Institute, 2017
University of Victoria

Mellon Foundation Graduate Fellowship, 2015-2016
"Literacies and Technologies in the 21st Century," University of Virginia

South Atlantic Studies Graduate Fellowship, 2014-2015
"Exile, Migration, Displacement," University of Virginia

Mellon Foundation Graduate Fellowship, 2014-2015
"Composing the Humanities in a Digital Age," University of Virginia

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Ignite program, 2022-2023
Center for Teaching Excellence, University of Virginia

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) program, 2022-2023
Center for Teaching Excellence, University of Virginia

E-Portfolios Institute, 2022-2023
Association of American Colleges and Universities

CDI 2.X: Collaborative Learning with Equity, 2022
Center for Teaching Excellence, University of Virginia

Digital Pedagogy Internship, 2020
School of Arts and Sciences, Uviversity of Virginia