Sandra Gustafson

Sandra M. Gustafson is the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of English at the University of Notre Dame, with concurrent roles in the Department of American Studies and affiliations with the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and the Center for Civil and Human Rights. Her research focuses on American literature, political theory, peace studies, gender and race, and early American cultural narratives.

• Education: Ph.D. in English from UC Berkeley (1993), B.A. in English and Economics from Cornell University (1985, Summa Cum Laude).
• Research: Specializes in 19th-century American literature, democratic theory, and the intersection of literature with peace studies and civil rights. Recent works include Peace in the US Republic of Letters, 1840-1900 (2023) and co-edited volumes on Albion Tourgée and cultural narratives.

Her awards include NEH fellowships, membership in the American Antiquarian Society, and leadership roles in academic societies. She has advised numerous Ph.D. and master’s students and contributed to interdisciplinary initiatives at Notre Dame.

Grants & Service: Co-directed NEH summer seminars, organized conferences on Tourgée and early American studies, and served on editorial boards for journals like Early American Literature. Her teaching spans courses on democracy, peace studies, and early American literature.