Faculty

American Studies
Multidisciplinary Program

americanstudies.vassar.edu

American Studies offers students an opportunity to engage the society, culture, institutions, and mores of the United States from a variety of perspectives and through the methodologies of different intellectual disciplines. Because of the social diversity of Americans, the study of American culture necessarily involves consideration of many cultures and must ask how this diversity coexists with a national identity; therefore, all courses incorporate multiple examinations of race, ethnicity, class and gender in America. Study of the subject matter is multidisciplinary and most courses are team-taught. Majors create their own courses of study and undertake a year-long thesis or project during the senior year.

Professor of Art and Director of American Studies on the Sarah Gibson Blanding Chair
BA, Dartmouth College; PhD, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology
John Andrews wearing a black plaid shirt and beige jacket against a gray background.
PhD, CUNY Graduate School and University Center
Professor of Anthropology
April M. Beisaw
BA, Rutgers University-New Brunswick; MA, PhD, SUNY at Binghamton
Associate Dean of the Faculty and Senior Lecturer in Urban Studies
BA, Davidson College; MA, New York University; PhD, University of Chicago
Assistant Professor of American Studies and Asian Studies
BA, Cornell University; MA, Brown University; MS, University of Oxford; PhD, Brown University
Professor of Anthropology and Women, Feminist, and Queer Studies and Chair of Anthropology
BA, SUNY Empire State College; MA, PhD, SUNY at Albany
Professor of English on the Jean Webster Chair
BA, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus; MA, PhD, The University of Texas at Austin
Professor of Geography and Director of Urban Studies
Man with grey hair and a blue button-down collared shirt smiling
BA, Pomona College; MA, PhD, University of California-Berkeley
Professor and Chair of English
BA, University of California-Berkeley; MA, PhD, Columbia University in the City of New York
Assistant Professor of Art
Gordon Hall wearing a blue shirt with a black background.
BA, Hampshire College; MFA, MA, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Professor of Education and Coordinator of Secondary Teacher Education
Maria Hantzopoulos wearing a green jacket against a light background.
BA, Boston University; MA, PhD, Columbia University in the City of New York
Professor of Sociology
William Hoynes wearing a black collared shirt with a gray background.
BA, Tufts University; MA, PhD, Boston College
Professor of Religion
A person with short brown hair and a dark blue jacket smiles at the camera.
BA, Princeton University; MA, MPhil, PhD, Columbia University in the City of New York
Professor of English on the Helen D. Lockwood Chair
Headshot of Amitava Kumar
BA, University of Delhi; MA, Syracuse University; MA, University of Delhi; PhD, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Assistant Professor of Latin American and Latinx Studies
Candy Martinez headshot wearing an orange flower patterned shirt and has long dark hair.
BA, Amherst College; MA, PhD, University of California-Santa Cruz
Professor of Education
BFA, Pratt Institute-Main; MS, Long Island University-University Center; PhD, SUNY at Albany
Professor of English
BA, University of San Diego; MFA, Mills College; PhD, University of California-Davis
Associate Professor and Chair of Music
BM, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; MM, The Boston Conservatory; MM, PhD, The University of Texas at Austin
Associate Professor of English
BA, University of Miami; MA, PhD, Columbia University in the City of New York
Assistant Professor of History
Allison Puglisi Portrait
BA, Dartmouth College; PhD, Harvard University
Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy
BA, SUNY College at New Paltz; MA, PhD, DePaul University
Associate Professor of English
Tyrone Simpson, II
BA, University of Virginia; MA, Boston College; MA, Xavier University; PhD, Indiana University-Bloomington
Professor of Anthropology
David Eduardo Tavarez wearing a light patterned shirt and black jacket in front of an archway.
BA, Harvard University; MA, PhD, University of Chicago
Visiting Assistant Professor of Art
BA, University of Maryland; MA, MPhil, PhD, CUNY Graduate School and University Center
Assistant Professor of Political Science on the Class of 1951 Chair
BA, Ottawa University; MA, Carleton College; PhD, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Associate Professor of Education
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BA, Concord University; MA, Syracuse University; MS, University of Charleston; PhD, Syracuse University