Laura Oswald

With an undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. in French studies and semiotics from New York University, Dr. Oswald spent two years doing doctoral research in semiotics at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris, France. After teaching French literature and criticism at Northwestern for many years, Dr. Oswald turned to business and became a strategy consultant to Fortune 100 companies. She published three books on the use of semiotics for brand equity management with Oxford U. Press and taught brand strategy, semiotics and consumer behavior for three semesters at the ESSEC Business School in Paris, France. Oswald looks forward to returning to her roots in French studies and sharing her passion for French language and culture with the students at George Washington University.