Rachel Stauffer, “A Few Good (White) Men: American Russian Studies, 1945 – 1965”

This talk will critically describe ideologies and identities involved in the formation of education about Russia in the US between the end of World War II in 1945 and the Higher Education Act of 1965. Using critical race theory, Rachel Stauffer will specifically discuss observable white interest convergence with anticommunism, and lack thereof with race conscious reform in education (i.e., Brown v Board).

Rachel Stauffer is Visiting Assistant Professor of Russian in the department of Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. She is an educational researcher who critically investigates teaching about Russia and teaching Russian in the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries. She has an MA and PhD in Slavic Languages and Literatures (UVA) with a specialization in linguistics and a Master’s of Education (Illinois) with emphases in diversity, equity, and history of US education.

Part of the Humanities Colloquium Series, which meets every two weeks and features brief presentations by the Faculty Associates of the Center for Humanities.  Feel free to bring your own lunch.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Paul Quigley at pquigley@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.