Faculty
Kathleen Hart
Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies
Formerly a piano performance major, Kathleen Hart discovered her enthusiasm for literary and cultural studies during a semester abroad. She has taught at Vassar since 1993, after earning her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Her publications include
Revolution and Women's Autobiography in Nineteenth-Century France (Rodopi), articles, book reviews, and, with Paul Fenouillet (SUNY New Paltz), an English translation of George Sand's 1839 novel in dramatic form,
Gabriel (Modern Language Association "Texts and Translations Series," 2010). She is the recipient of two grants from the Vassar-Williams-Mellon Consortium to develop web-based exercises and teaching material using French music. Professor Hart's current research focuses on ways of applying evolutionary theory and cognitive science to the study of literature and culture. She participates in the Environmental Studies and Women's Studies programs. Recent courses she has taught include "Music and Text" (in French), "Interpreting French Feminism" (in English) and an Environmental Studies course she co-designed and co-taught with Professor John Long (Biology/Cognitive Science), called "Animal Metaphors." An article about "Animal Metaphors" appears in the January 2011 issue of
Evolution: Education and Outreach.
