UWinnipeg’s Dr. Sante Viselli has been given the prestigious Ordre des Palmes académiques, (Knight in the Order of Academic Palms of the Republic of France), one of the oldest and highest honours that France bestows. Viselli has earned this honour for his remarkable contribution to the promotion of French language, literature and culture.
“On behalf of the Faculty of Arts, I would like to congratulate Dr. Viselli on this wonderful honour,” said Dr. Glenn Moulaison, Dean of Arts. “I would also like to thank him given that his contributions to the promotion of French language, literature, and culture have largely been done as a professor of French at UWinnipeg.”
Viselli is not only an academic, but a well-admired teacher. His students describe him as passionate and inspirational, “He shares his love for languages through his lectures and as a mentor, he is always there to help.”
“I am extremely grateful to my family for their unwavering support and inspiration: to my parents, for having instilled within me a passion for languages, literature, art, and travelling;” shared Viselli.
Viselli was born near Rome, in Italy. He arrived in Canada in 1969 after studying in France. He defended his doctoral thesis on classical French literature at the Paul Valéry University in Montpellier France, in 1983. He settled at UWinnipeg in 1986 as a Professor of French Literature. Viselli is the author of several books on French literature of the XVII th and XVIII th centuries, as well as Italian-French literary and cultural data of French expression. He likes to teach, write and share with his students the beauty and wisdom he finds in literary texts, the dream of every humanist who knows how to take advantage of his odyssey.
Viselli shares this honour with his colleagues Professor Emeritus Dr. Kenneth Meadwell, who was named Knight in the Order of Academic Palms of the Republic of France in 2013 and Professor Emerita Dr. Carol Harvey, who received hers in 1988.
