September 18, 2025

Pascale LaFountain Named 2025 Outstanding Post-Secondary German Educator of the Year

Posted in: Faculty News, German, World Languages and Cultures

Professor Pascale LaFountain standing, teaches at front of lecture hall while students take notes

Dr. Pascale LaFountain, Associate Professor of German and French at Montclair since 2011, has been named as the 2025 Post-Secondary Outstanding German Educator by the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG).

This national award, AATG’s highest honor, recognizes innovation in teaching, extraordinary talent, and exceptional leadership in German language education. Dr. LaFountain’s nominators—from Harvard University, Georgetown University, local high schools, and the Goethe-Institut—praised her dedication to the SPARK for German community-engaged teaching program, her advocacy for language learning through pedagogy publications, and her creative, student-centered methods.

Student nominees also highlighted the impact of her teaching. “Dr. LaFountain is committed to creating an environment where students from all walks of life can engage with German language learning,” wrote one student. Another shared that Dr. LaFountain “shows students that education is more than time in the classroom; it is immersive, international, inclusive, and empowering.”

Pascale LaFountain joins German Club on a full-day outing in NYC. The group sits and stands on a grassy hill — Pascale LaFountain joins German Club on a full-day outing to the Neue Galerie and German Döner Haus in Spring 2025

Avelisse Guzman ’25, currently on a Fulbright in Germany, describes Dr. LaFountain as “one of the most encouraging and inspiring professors I have had during my undergraduate studies,” noting her “boundless creativity” and that she “genuinely wants every student to succeed.”

Bailey Dunn ’25, currently working with the Fulbright Austria USTA program, appreciated the experience of being mentored by LaFountain in the SPARK for German program, saying it “helped me to apply my language skills in a practical environment, allowed me to take on teaching and leadership roles as a student, and was a fulfilling way to connect with the community beyond the university.”

Dr. LaFountain, who also received Montclair’s inaugural Presidential Award for Teaching Excellence in May 2025, said, “I am so excited about this award, most of all because it reflects how much our students can achieve and how playful applied learning can also be highly effective, opening doors for students to pursue multi-lingual and intercultural opportunities of all kinds.”