Bertrand Patenaude

IR Peer Advisor Kelly Kim has expanded the IR program’s spotlights initiative to include the wonderful faculty members who contribute to the program. She hopes that through these spotlights, professors, lecturers, and other faculty will be able to share their passions and hobbies with students, and students in turn will be get to better know their professors. The first faculty member to be featured is Dr. Bertrand Patenaude!

Dr. Patenaude is a Lecturer in History and International Relations at Stanford, as well as a research fellow at the Hoover Institution. He spoke with us about his areas of interest, his favorite courses to teach, and some of his hobbies!

What are your areas of interest of study?

Modern European and U.S. history. I am passionate about art history and classical music, though strictly speaking they lie outside my professional fields of interest.

What are some of your favorite courses to teach?

My two favorite courses, among those I currently teach, are "Genocide and Humanitarian Intervention” and “Famine in the Modern World.” I also used to enjoy my lecture courses on the history of the Cold War and 19th century diplomatic history.

What do you like to do outside of Stanford? What are some of your interests outside of academia?

My hobbies include art and music of several varieties, starting with classical, and literature. I am especially keen on the painting of the Dutch Golden Age and the art, architecture, design, and music of fin-de-siècle Vienna (think Klimt and Schiele and Mahler, among many others). I try to read several novels every year: John Banville and Julian Barnes are among my favorites. I love to travel in Europe. Amsterdam and Vienna are two of my favorite destinations. I work out at the gym three times a week. And I enjoy playing with our cats, who keep me on my toes—quite literally.