Dr. Tabitha Spagnolo has been appointed associate dean in the Faculty of Arts & Science for a three-year term.
Spagnolo begins her new role in August 2026 and will be responsible for several portfolios in the Faculty, including Curriculum, Undergraduate New Program and Initiative Development, Academic Advising and Internationalization.
“We are delighted to have Dr. Tabitha Spagnolo join the Dean’s Office team. Tabitha brings humanities expertise and a wealth of administrative experience from her time as Chair of Languages & Linguistics, as Co-Director of the French Language Centre and as a member of the Arts & Science Plan and Destination Project II committees. Her vision as associate dean is to help promote a modern liberal education grounded in multidisciplinary critical thinking and inquiry, civic engagement, cultural literacy and communication,” says Dr. Matthew Letts, Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science.
An associate professor in the Department of Modern Languages & Linguistics, Spagnolo teaches French language and literature at all levels. Her research centres on the broad exploration of gender and identity with a particular focus on 17th-century French literature, theatre and culture. Over the years, she has focussed on transvestism in theatre, the performance of violence, the Querelle des femmes, early modern education of women and teaching 17th c. French theatre. Recently, she has begun to explore eco-critical discourse in film and poetry. She has served as an Early Modern French Literature specialist since coming to ULethbridge in 2009 and became Chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics in 2022, securing a second term in 2025.
“I look forward to serving as an associate dean in a Faculty that draws strength from bringing the humanities, sciences and social sciences into conversation with one another. As a humanist, I’m committed to supporting and strengthening the interdisciplinary and creative connections that enrich the experiences of our students, faculty and staff while fostering a collegial and intellectually vibrant community for all who make up our numbers,” says Spagnolo.
Dr. Tabitha Spagnolo graduated from the University of British Columbia with a BA in 1995, completing a double major in French Literature and History followed by an MA in French Literature in 1997. She earned her PhD in Romance Studies (French) from Duke University in 2006.