A native of France, Florence Ramond Jurney received a Licence in English and American literatures, a Maîtrise in American civilization, and a Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies in American Literature at the University of the Sorbonne (Paris IV).  She holds a doctorate in Romance Languages from the University of Oregon where she wrote a dissertation entitled “Defiant Daughters: Stories of Motherhood and Constitution of the Female Self in Contemporary Works from the Caribbean.”  Professor Jurney’s scholarly interests include Gender Studies, Post-Colonial and Cultural Studies, as well as Francophone Studies.  She specializes in the study of exile and migration in the Caribbean. 

Before coming to Gettysburg College, Professor Jurney was a Graduate Teaching Fellow at the University of Oregon, and a Visiting Instructor at Lewis & Clark College and the University of Portland where she designed classes in French creative writing.  At Gettysburg College, she is developing classes in Francophone literatures and cultures.  

She has written several articles in French on Simone Schwartz-Bart’s Pluie et vent sur Télumée Miracle (Francographies, Vol. 10), on Maryse Condé’s Moi, Tituba sorcière… (The French Review, 2003) and Célanire cou-coupé (Etudes Francophones, 2004). Other articles on Tahar Ben Jelloun (Dalhousie French Studies, 2001) and on Edwige Danticat (Revista/ ReviewInteramericana, 2003) were published in English. Professor Jurney is currently working on a manuscript on the representation of the island in Caribbean literature.

Professor Jurney is a member of several professional organizations including the American Association of Teachers of French, Women in French, the Société des Professeurs Français et Francophones d’Amérique and the Conseil International d’Etudes Francophones where she has organized and chaired panel sessions.