Photo courtesy of Thornton Studio
Fordham University mourns the passing of longtime faculty member Eva Maria Stadler, associate professor emerita of English and comparative literature, who died August 11.
Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, Stadler received her doctoral degree in French from Columbia University in 1967. She taught French and German at Manhattan Community College, where she also served as head of the division of liberal arts, deputy chair of the Department of Modern Languages, and director of language laboratories.
She joined Fordham’s Liberal Arts College—now Fordham College at Lincoln Center—in 1968, the year the college was founded. A year later, she was appointed chair of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, and later became the chair of the Division of Humanities. She was instrumental in creating the comparative literature major and the media studies program. In 1983, she joined forces with the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the annual New York Film Festival to launch a course on contemporary filmmakers.
“Eva Stadler had a genius for program building. In the early years of the College at Lincoln Center, she shaped the interdisciplinary Humanities Division and helped it develop into a strong and collegial unit,” said Anne Hoffman, Ph.D., professor of English. “Eva was deeply committed to interdisciplinary research and coursework. In her years of service as chair, as member of innumerable hiring committees, and at times of institutional change, Eva could always be counted on to supply the vision that is vital to curricular innovation.”
During her time at Fordham, Stadler was affiliated with both the Department of Communication and Media Studies and the Department of English. In addition to teaching graduate students and serving on doctoral dissertation committees, she was the director of literary studies for nine years before retiring in 2009. She was granted emerita status shortly thereafter.
She was a two-time Bene Merenti award-winner, having received it first in 1988 for 20 years of service to the University and again in 2008 for 40 years of service.
“[She helped lead a] devoted, tireless, and selfless effort to build up a viable institution,” said Lawrence Kramer, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of English. “She was a real community-builder and a personal model of generosity and intellectual adventurousness.”
She is survived by her husband of many years, Richard Brooks.
A memorial service will be held on the Lincoln Center campus this fall. Details to follow.
