French Program  
 

 

Faculty
 
Michel Pichot Michel Pichot, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of French
Coordinator of French Program
Phone: (616) 632-2120
E-mail: pichomic@aquinas.edu
Dr. Pichot joined the Aquinas family in the Fall of 2002. He is an Associate Professor of French who teaches French courses at all levels. He holds a M.A. in Language and International Trade from Eastern Michigan University, a M.A. in French Literature from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. in French from The Pennsylvania State University. Prior to his appointment at Aquinas College, he taught at Clemson University and Andrews University. His areas of specialization are applied French to international business, French translation, and history of French civilization. He has presented and published research on French social history of colonial Algeria. He has traveled extensively and lived in Europe and several countries of Africa.
 
Stephane Bedere

Stephane Bedere, M.A.

Assistant Professor of French and Spanish

Phone: (616) 632-2118

Stéphane Bédère was born and raised in the Basque country in southwest France. After completing high-school, he moved to Paris and then Argentina, and traveled to Bolivia and Chile. Upon returning to Paris, where a large part of his family now lives, Bédère specialized in Spanish and Latin American studies at the Université Paris VIII, where he earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees.

While working on his doctoral degree, he was employed as a high school Spanish teacher in Paris and met his wife, Christa, an American (originally from Washington, DC). Bédère also had the opportunity to return to Latin America (1999-2000), where he spent several months in Paraguay and Argentina conducting research for his dissertation.

In 2006, he moved to the United States. Bédère’s wife’s family is from Michigan and her parents retired here. Before coming to Aquinas, I spent four years teaching at Grand Valley State University.

When he’s not teaching, there are many things Bédère enjoys doing, including (but not limited to) spending time with family and friends, the cinema, soccer, good French (or Argentine) wine, discussing politics, reading a good book, and of course a good espresso.