Ellen Welch is a Professor in the French & Francophone Studies program where she teaches on French cultural history, literature, and theater and performance. A specialist of Ancien Régime France, she has written books on the history of exoticism in French literature and on the role of the performing arts (especially ballet) in early modern diplomacy. She holds a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from Brown University, where working on an honors thesis sparked the passion for research that she now enjoys sharing with UNC undergrads.