Victoria N. Folse
- Ph.D., Research Methodology Concentration, Saint Louis University, School of Nursing
- M.S., Adult Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Nursing
- B.S.N., Illinois Wesleyan University
I grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, and earned B.A. degrees in Music and Spanish from Dickinson College, an M.A. in Spanish at the University of Delaware, and a Ph.D. in Contemporary Spanish Literature from Penn State. I spent my junior year abroad studying in Spain, and was fortunate to spend many summers there before moving to Wisconsin and “entering the real world.” My research focuses on contemporary Spanish literature, culture, and film, but I am really a generalist with multiple academic interests, so I love working for Ripon College because I get the chance to teach many different classes and work with wonderful students. I live in Appleton and in my free time enjoy reading, skiing, tennis, movies, singing, playing instruments and songwriting.
Hi! I’m Professor Matzke, and I’ve taught history at Ripon College since 2003. While my PhD is in the history of modern Britain and Europe, I teach a variety of courses, including World History, the Cold War, and World War I, and Catalyst classes. I really enjoy teaching Public History, in which students think critically about all the ways non-academics learn about history (including museums and movies) and learn skills to create their own special public history projects. My scholarly interests include the role of Britain’s naval power in its foreign policy in the 19th century, British propaganda to the U.S. in World War I, and the reception of Atlas missiles in Nebraska during the Cold War. I love history, and I hope my enthusiasm makes my students love history as well!