Dustin Harris

Dustin Harris is a MA candidate in French Colonial History at Simon Fraser University. He holds a BA in Honours History from the University of British Columbia. His current research focuses on the relationship between cultural theory, urban development and colonial power relations in France’s former West African capital, Dakar, between the years 1902-1914. However, his research and teaching interests extend well beyond this subject to encompass the history of the French Revolution, Haussmann’s reformation of Paris, and the impact of decolonization on both France and its former colonies.

Dustin’s interest in French history stems from his time as a French immersion student in high school, where he not only learned the French language, but became fascinated with France and the French impact on Europe and its former colonies. This interest has led him to travel to France twice since graduating from UBC in 2008. His latest trip took him to Paris, Aix-en-Provence and Marseilles in the summer of 2009, where he was able to conduct research in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and France’s colonial archives.

Since beginning his MA degree at SFU in September 2008, Dustin has also developed a deep passion for teaching. He has worked as a teaching assistant and lectured in courses on twentieth-century European history, the modern European city, and American history. He is also in the process of completing the Certificate in University Teaching and Learning program for graduate students at SFU. When he is not teaching or writing his thesis, he enjoys playing hockey and soccer.

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