Term
- May 1, 2024 to April 30, 2026
James Skidmore is Professor of German Studies, Chair of the Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies, Director of the Waterloo Centre for German Studies, and a collector of titles that sound important but in the grand scheme of things really aren’t.
Skid teaches courses in German literary cultural history, world cinema, and cultural identities. He has received national and university awards for his use of technology in teaching and learning, and is an advocate for open education. His scholarship explores the representation of political and social issues in literature and film, and he is currently investigating the role of fictional narrative and story in contributing to the truth and reconciliation processes of countries such as Canada, Germany, South Africa, Rwanda, Argentina, and the United States.
After studying at the University of Saskatchewan (BA Hons. In French and German, MA in German) and Princeton University (MA and PhD in German), Skid worked as Dean of Residence at the University of New Brunswick before taking up faculty positions first at Wilfrid Laurier University and then the University of Waterloo. He grew up in Saskatoon at a time when the meadowlarks still inhabited the city, and to this day he misses their melodic call.
