Chelsea Fairbank
Visiting Instructor of American Studies
American Studies
Colby College established the first undergraduate major in the field of American studies in 1944.
Today its highly interdisciplinary and transnationally oriented American Studies Program provides students with the tools to examine critically the stories about America that are typically taken for granted—from early beliefs in Manifest Destiny that drive imperial expansion, to the contemporary elevation of capitalist competition as the sole model for society.
About American Studies
The American Studies Program offers innovative courses in the areas of social justice, cultural geography, environmental humanities, visual and popular culture, race and ethnicity, Indigeneity, and gender and sexuality. Redesigned in 2020, the major and minor offer students strong foundations in the theories and methods of American studies as well as an exciting array of electives that include experiential learning and civic engagement. Recent graduates from the program have pursued successful careers in diverse areas, including media, education, law, and social services.
American Studies faculty have recently launched two interdisciplinary projects—Digital Maine and the Critical Indigenous Studies Initiative—that engage communities at Colby and beyond.
Faculty and Staff
Learn more about the members of the department
Laura Sachiko Fugikawa
Assistant Professor of American Studies and Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies
Ben Lisle
Assistant Professor of American Studies
Margaret McFadden
Provost and Dean of Faculty, 2017- ; Professor of American Studies
Natalie Michelle
Visiting Assistant Professor of American Studies
Laura Saltz
Associate Professor of American Studies; Director of American Studies Department
News
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Apr 26, 2021
Hickey Contributes Chapters to Two Different Volumes
Visiting Assistant Professor of American Studies Amber Hickey contributed a…
Mar 17, 2021
Critical Indigenous Studies Initiative Event: Manuel Tzoc Bucup and Paul M. Worley
Please join the Critical Indigenous Studies Initiative for an evening…
Oct 16, 2020
We are on Indigenous Land: Re/claiming Native Spaces
Virtual screening and discussion with Corrina Gould, Tim Shay &…
Oct 16, 2020
Critical Indigenous Studies Initiative’s inaugural event
The American Studies Program’s Critical Indigenous Studies Initiative is…
Jun 04, 2020
Hickey publishes interview on Aperture blog
Faculty Fellow Amber Hickey and Anney Traymany spoke to photographer…
May 26, 2020
Goldman ’20 completes honors thesis on anti-vax movement
We are pleased to share that Louisa Goldman ’20 has…
May 25, 2020
Congratulations to class of 2020
From all of us in American Studies, congratulations to the…
Apr 20, 2020
Louisa Goldman wins 2020 Charles W. Bassett Prize
The American Studies faculty are pleased to award Louisa Goldman…
Mar 20, 2020
Stella Gonzalez wins 2020 Phi Beta Kappa/Charles Bassett Prize
Stella Gonzalez (’22) has been awarded the 2020 Phi Beta…
Jan 19, 2020
Article on Activist Art course in Maine Arts Journal
Véronique Plesch, Professor of Art at Colby College, has published…
Events
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