Meet Our Faculty

Board of Study Coordinator

Aviva Taubenfeld

Associate Professor of Literature and Writing
- BA, MA, PhD, Columbia University
- Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
aviva.taubenfeld@purchase.edu

Full-Time Faculty

Anthony Paul Domestico

Assistant Professor of Literature
- AB, Harvard University
- MA, MPhil, PhD, Yale University
anthony.domestico@purchase.edu
Gari Laguardia

Associate Professor of Spanish and Literature
- BA, Columbia University
- PhD, University of Pennsylvania
gari.laguardia@purchase.edu
Elise Lemire

Professor of Literature

BA, Yale University MA, PhD, Rutgers University

elise.lemire@purchase.edu
Kathleen McCormick

Professor of Literature and Pedagogy
- BA, Boston College
- MA, PhD, University of Connecticut
- Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
kathleen.mccormick@purchase.edu
Gaura Narayan

Assistant Professor of Literature
- BA (Honors), University of Delhi (India)
- MA, MPhil, PhD, Columbia University
gaura.narayan@purchase.edu
Mariel Rodney

Assistant Professor of Literature
- BA, Queens College, City University of New York
- MA, PhD, Columbia University
mariel.rodney@purchase.edu
Lee Schlesinger

Associate Professor of Literature
- BA, Brandeis University
- PhD, Yale University
- Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
lee.schlesinger@purchase.edu
Gary Waller

Distinguished Professor of Literature and Cultural Studies
- BA, MA, University of Auckland (New Zealand)
- PhD, University of Cambridge (England)
gary.waller@purchase.edu

Part-Time Faculty

Grace Caporino

Lecturer in Literature
- BA, Purchase College, SUNY
- MAT, Manhattanville College
grace.caporino@purchase.edu
Dolores Obuch

Lecturer in Literature
- BA, Purchase College, SUNY
- MA, Columbia University
dolores.obuch@purchase.edu
Michael Taub

Lecturer in Literature
- BA, Brooklyn College, City University of New York
- MA, PhD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching
michael.taub@purchase.edu

Faculty Emeriti

Bell Chevigny

Professor Emerita of Literature
- BA, Wellesley College
- MA, PhD, Yale University
Maria Gagliardo

Associate Professor Emerita of Spanish and Literature
- Maestra Normal Nacional (Argentina)
- BA, MA, Hunter College, City University of New York
Sheldon Grebstein

University Professor Emeritus of Literature

President of Purchase College, 1981–93
- BA, University of Southern California
- MA, Columbia University
- PhD, Michigan State University
Naomi Holoch

Associate Professor Emerita of French and Literature
- BA, Oberlin College
- Licence-ès-Lettres, University of Aix-en-Provence (France)
- PhD, Columbia University
Thomasenia M. Hutchins

Associate Professor Emerita of Literature
- BA, MS, Fordham University
- Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
Julius Novick

Professor Emeritus of Literature and Drama Studies
- BA, Harvard University
- DFA, Yale University
Ronnie Scharfman

Professor Emerita of French and Literature
- BA, Bryn Mawr College
- Licence-ès-Lettres, Maitrise-ès-Lettres, University of Aix-en-Provence (France)
- MPhil, PhD, Yale University
- Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
Richard Stack

Associate Professor Emeritus of Literature
- BA, Trinity College, University of Dublin (Ireland)
- PhD, Stanford University
Nina Pelikan Straus

Professor Emerita of Literature
- BA, Bennington College
- PhD, New York University
Philippa Wehle

Professor Emerita of French, Drama Studies, and Literature
- BA, Bucknell University
- MA, Middlebury College
- PhD, Columbia University
- Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
Louise Yelin

Professor Emerita of Literature
- AB, Bryn Mawr College
- MA, PhD, Columbia University
- Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching