Assistant Professor of French and Chair of the Department
Areas of Expertise: 19th Century French Literature, Gender Studies
Professor Stafford’s dissertation, titled "Creative Gender and the Flaubertian Imaginary," deals with gender identity as a creative process in the novels of Gustave Flaubert. His research focuses primarily on novels of the 19th century. He also works on gender as a creative and imaginative process distinct from socially defined gender roles.
Teaching a foreign language allows him to fulfill important aspects of education: increasing students’ awareness of cultures and ideas other than their own while gaining a critical set of linguistic and communication skills. He balances content with fostering personal insight and increasing cultural awareness through a variety of activities.