Dr. Kathleen Loysen became department head of Montclair State University’s World Languages and Cultures department following an election in February by fellow faculty. Loysen officially began her new position on Sept. 1.
Loysen replaces longtime former chair Dr. Lois Oppenheim, who retired in August. She began her time with at Montclair State as a French professor in 2001 and later served the department’s deputy chair in fall 2011.
According to Loysen, the department has 14 full time professors and 45 adjuncts. There are 2000 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate foreign language classes. The department offers instruction in nine languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Russian.
Loysen shared her goals in this new role.
“My top priority is sustaining and growing our programs,” Loysen said. “Our majors and minors and building those ties across the university. We want to branch out across the university to show that languages fit everywhere.”
Loysen also mentions how this position calls for plenty of multitasking.
On Sept. 8, The World Languages And Cultures Department held its Fall 2025 Welcome Fest in Schmitt Hall, Room 125. Shown above is the department's Korean language program information table. Tom Boud | The Montclarion Photo credit: Tom Boud
“We are accountable to our faculty, to our students, to the administration,” Loysen said. “We are teaching. We’re doing administrative work. We’re doing service work on many different committees. We’re doing our own research and writing. And the biggest challenge for me is learning how to balance all those responsibilities.”
Loysen spoke on getting more collegiates connected to special foreign language experiences.
“I’d love to see more students having the opportunity to study abroad,” Loysen said. “I love to see more students taking advantage of internship and service-learning opportunities in the community and also around the world.”
Loysen noted that learning other tongues increases versatility in communication and employment skills.
“What we’re trying to do is help students see that is an opportunity,” Loysen said. “That this is a superpower they have and help professionalize their skills in their languages.”
Dr. Pascale LaFountain, a 14-year world languages and cultures professor who teaches French and German at Montclair State, spoke on Loysen’s ascension to department chair.
“[Loysen] has great experience from being deputy chair,” LaFountain said. “We were just very thankful that she stepped into the position, that she was willing to take our vote,” referring to the faculty election.
Dr. Pascale LaFountain, professor of German and French, World Languages and Cultures department. Tom Boud | The Montclarion
LaFountain mentioned how Loysen is suited for her new role.
“They say the best leaders are often the people who do not go out their way to seek other people’s votes, to seek their support,” LaFountain said. “They’re often the most humble, the most modest leaders and [Loysen] is somebody that the dean turns to as a voice of reason, as a voice of inspiration.”
Dr. Daniel Mengara, a French professor since 1996, said Loysen has a job necessitating great interpersonal skills.
“Skills of empathy, the ability to understand where someone is coming from,” Mengara said.”I believe that Dr. Loysen has the capacity to do that. It’s a difficult job, but I’m sure she will surmount that difficulty. ”
Dr. Daniel Mengara, World Languages and Cultures French professor. Photo credit: Tom Boud
With the departments nine language courses, Mengara spoke on the plenty of duties for Loysen.
“We service a huge number of undergrads who are taking the language as a requirement,” Mengara said. “That makes it clear and certain that the challenges are many. The weight on her shoulders is going to be heavy, but I know [Loysen] can lift that weight.”
