Janet VanValkenburg was trained in 19th- and 20th-Century German Literature and Language Pedagogy, but in recent years she has "retooled" to become the Department's expert in Business German. She also initiated a course which allowed students to earn 3 experiential credits for having completed an internship in a German-speaking country. She has given a number of presentations at various conferences and workshops on such topics as "Integrating Business into German Instruction," "Case Studies in German Business Classes" and "Cultural Understanding for Globalization."