Dr. Alexandra Sterling-Hellenbrand

A researcher in medieval German literature and Arthurian legends, Dr. Alexandra Sterling-Hellenbrand is professor of German and Global Studies at Appalachian State University.  She was the inaugural director of Appalachian’s global studies program from 2008-2017 and she teaches German language and culture in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. Through the courses she teaches and the study abroad programs she leads, Sterling-Hellenbrand is skilled in helping students develop intercultural competencies and the ability to find common ground amid various perspectives and experiences. She has taught abroad in Germany and in Austria.  In addition, Sterling-Hellenbrand also has been instrumental in developing Appalachian’s Cultures and Languages Across the Curriculum (CLAC) initiative that helps add a greater international dimension to courses campus wide. She is the author of the 2001 book “Topographies of Gender in Middle High German Arthurian Romance.” She has another manuscript under review, entitled “Medieval Literature on Display: Heritage and Culture in Modern Germany.”

 Areas of expertise

• German language, literature and culture
• Music and culture
• Medieval culture
• Study abroad as student and as teacher
• Global studies and the value of knowing foreign language
• Arthurian legends and popular culture
• King Arthur in movies, art, literature and young adult literature
• Grimms Fairy tales, their history and interpretation over time
• Fairy tales and popular culture in the US and Europe
• German, Austrian, and American cultures