Chelsea D. Ray

Chelsea D. Ray is a Professor of French Language and Literature at the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA), where she teaches courses ranging from French language and composition to international literature. She is also the campus contact for Project Maine France, supporting study abroad opportunities in France, and hosts the monthly UMA French Conversation Table. Prior to UMA, she held teaching positions at UCLA, the University of Southern California, and colleges in the Los Angeles area, including experience with first-generation students.

• Education:
• B.A. in Comparative Literature and Russian, Beloit College (1994)
• M.A. and Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, UCLA (1997, 2004)

Her research focuses on French and Russian women writers, translation studies, and gender studies. Recent work examines women writers in Paris at the turn of the century. She has contributed to journals like South Central Review (MLA) and Women in French, and co-authored the anthology Women and Values in the Francophone World. She emphasizes experiential learning, having studied abroad in France and Russia during her academic career.

Dr. Ray advocates for global education, leveraging her international experience to enrich UMA’s curriculum. Beyond academia, she enjoys hiking, cooking, and creative writing.