Prof. Yvonne Stafford-Mills
Professor, Cerro Coso Community College, USA
Yvonne N. S. Mills is a tenured Professor of English at Cerro Coso Community College, USA, where she currently serves as Academic Senate President and College Council Co-Chair. She holds a PhD in English from Claremont Graduate University, with concentrations in Early Modern literature, Shakespeare performance and global adaptation, and critical theory, and an MA in Literature and Film from the same institution. Her scholarship examines Shakespeare as a transnational and political phenomenon, with particular attention to non-Western adaptations and performance in moments of social and cultural unrest. Her published work includes studies of cross-cultural Shakespeare and contributions to interdisciplinary literary reference works, reflecting her long-standing commitment to literature as a site of cultural dialogue and critical inquiry. In addition to her academic research, she has an extensive background in theatre as both a director and performer.
Dr. Mills brings an explicitly interdisciplinary lens to both her scholarship and editorial work, shaped by formal training in literature, performance studies, film, and critical theory, as well as an undergraduate background in both biology and English. She previously served as Associate Editor and Managing Editor of Women’s Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal (Routledge), where she worked closely with authors and editorial teams to support rigorous, timely, and socially engaged scholarship. She also brings more than fifteen years of teaching experience across community college, university, and secondary education. Her teaching philosophy centers on equity, access, and active learning, with a strong emphasis on acceleration, revision, and growth-oriented assessment practices. She specializes in composition, critical thinking, British and American literature, Shakespeare, and multiethnic literature, and has been deeply involved in curriculum development.
Beyond the classroom, Professor Mills is an active institutional leader and advocate for participatory governance, faculty mentorship, and student success initiatives. Her service includes accreditation work, governance revision, faculty hiring, and dual-enrollment mentorship, reflecting a deep commitment to education as a public good. Across her teaching, scholarship, and service, she is dedicated to fostering critically engaged, globally aware learners who recognize the power of language and literature as tools for participation, analysis, and transformation.
Areas of Interest: Shakespeare adaptation and performance, as well as effective pedagogy for Basic Skills and general college English requirements.
Email: yvonne[dot]mills[at]cerrocoso[dot]edu
Publications:
- “East Meets West at Tiananmen Square: Does Lin Zhaohua’s Post-Tiananmen Hamlet Catch the Conscience of Beijing?” Theory and Practice in English Studies, Volume 11, Issue 1, 2022, E-ISNN: 1805-0859.
- “‘Blood Draws Flies’: Arab-Western Entanglement in Sulayman Al-Bassam’s Cross-Cultural Hamlet” Language, Literature, and Interdisciplinary Studies (LLIDS), Volume 2, Issue 2, Winter 2018, ISSN: 2457-0044.
- “England.” All Things Dickinson: An Encyclopedia of Emily Dickinson’s World. Ed. Wendy Martin, Karen Strovas and Laura Bauer. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2013.
- “Farming and Agriculture.” All Things Dickinson: An Encyclopedia of Emily Dickinson’s World. Ed. Wendy Martin, Karen Strovas and Laura Bauer. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2013.
LEADERSHIP AND INSTITUTIONAL SERVICE:
- Academic Senate President for Cerro Coso Community College
- College Council Co-Chair
- District Consultation Council, Cerro Coso Academic Senate Representative
- Dual Enrollment Instructor Mentor
- Accreditation Steering Committee
- Participatory Governance Revision Committee Co-Chair