Micheline Nilsen, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Art History
A native of Southern Belgium, Micheline Nilsen is an urban historian studying the impact of evolutionary forces on cities. She has a B.A. and M.L.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in art history from the University of Delaware. She has been assistant professor in art history at the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts, Indiana University South Bend since August 2004. Her book on the impast of railways on European capital cities was published in October 2008 (Nilsen, Micheline. Railways and the Western European Capitals: Studies of Implantation in London, Paris, Berlin, and Brussels. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008). She curated an exhibition of nineteenth century photographs of vernacular architecture at the Snite Museum of the University of Notre Dame (November 2 – December 14, 2008). She is preparing a larger exhibit of photographs of architecture at the Snite Museum for fall 2010.
She has taught Nineteenth Century Art, Ancient to Medieval Art, History of Photography and a Capstone class for graduating studio majors as well as courses designed to meet new General Education requirements which encourage an interdisciplinary approach. These include Ways of Seeing (an introduction to Visual Studies which is replacing Art Appreciation), Exploring the City, The Modern City (1750-1914), and Color Theory. She also plans to introduce two architectural history courses: a survey of architectural history and a special topics course. Prior teaching experience included Nineteenth Century Art, The Modern City and The Atlantic Rim Townhouse in the History of Art and Design Department at Pratt Institute, Nineteenth Century Art and History of Architecture at the University of Delaware as well as the Ancient Art Survey (from Lascaux to Ravenna) at Philadelphia University.
In addition to teaching and research, her responsibilities at IU South Bend also include student advising, committee appointments (Promotion, Tenure and Reappointment, Chancellor Review Committee, Curriculum, Library Affairs, University Center for Excellence in Teaching, General Education Implementation, 2007-2008 Campus Theme Planning), and curriculum revision (introduction of a Minor in Art History, revision of art history course list, proposal for a Major and for new courses). During the academic year 2005-2006 she was appointed Campus Theme Coordinator. In that capacity she planned campus-wide events related to that year’s theme (The Mutable Body), raised funds to develop a model for a thematic year course/lecture series and implemented that model to integrate the Campus Theme into the curriculum. During 2008-2009 she served as Visual Arts Coordinator.
