Jutta Schmiers-Heller
Jutta Schmiers-Heller is Senior Lecturer and Director of the German Language Program in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures and has worked at Columbia since 2002. She holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Foreign Language Pedagogy from the University of Münster, Germany, as well as an M.A. in Applied Linguistics from Montclair State University. She teaches language classes at all levels including pedagogy, and mentors graduate students on their journey to becoming successful educators. Her research interests include second language acquisition, foreign language methodology, technology-enhanced language learning and the creation of teaching materials for all levels, which she makes available to department instructors. Creating community in the German language classroom, among colleagues, and through extracurricular activities for students is at the heart of Jutta’s teaching and by extension the language program. In 2024, she received the inaugural Arts and Sciences’ Award for Community Building and Engagement.