Carolyn Lougee in Paris

Carolyn Lougee has taught European history at Stanford University since 1973. Her research specialty is early modern France, so she particularly enjoys introducing travelers to the extraordinary richness and diversity of the French provinces. But her teaching has had a much broader range, especially in the freshman courses (successors to Western Civ) that she has taught nearly every year. She has been the faculty leader on some 30 Travel/Study trips since 1988, and the roster of trips she has led reflects this breadth, encompassing most of the countries of Western Europe by sea and by land. So have her lecture topics, as her particular interest is in explicating the historical roots of the cultural practices and built environments that Stanford travelers encounter. Carolyn also uses the experiences of the past to illuminate current political issues and socioeconomic challenges in various European countries, as well as in the European Union and the eurozone.