The Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures is delighted to celebrate Luci Cook, Ph.D. candidate, as the 2025 recipient of the Frank X. Braun Award for the Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor. Established in 1989 in memory of Professor Frank Braun’s legendary devotion to teaching, the prize honors exceptional commitment to undergraduate instruction and student mentorship.
Luci joined the department in 2021 and advanced to candidacy in 2023. Students consistently praise their engaging classroom style and thoughtful guidance, qualities that embody Professor Braun’s legacy of inspiring learning. Beyond the classroom, Luci’s research explores how Viet Nam was imagined in West and East German literature and film between 1963 and 1983.
Adding to this achievement, Luci has also been selected for the Berlin Program for Advanced German and European Studies. The competitive fellowship will fund a full academic year in Berlin, where Luci will conduct archival work and refine their dissertation on transnational collaboration between Vietnam and Germany in the works of politically engaged filmmakers and authors.
We extend our warmest congratulations to Luci on these impressive accomplishments.
