In Memoriam: Bénédicte Marie-Christine Monicat, 1962-2025

Bénédicte Marie-Christine Monicat, long-time professor of French at Pennsylvania State University, passed away on February 17. She was 62 years old.

Dr. Monicat began her career with Penn State in 1990 as a faculty member in the department of French and Francophone studies. She taught courses and conducted research on nineteenth-century French literature, women’s writing, and travel literature. Throughout her long tenure, she served in several leadership roles, including head of her department and acting head of the School of Global Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. She was also a key faculty member in developing the university’s women’s, gender, and sexuality studies curriculum.

A native of Nice, France, Dr. Monicat earned her bachelor’s degree from the Université Paris Sorbonne. She received her master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland.