Dr. Stavrianos holds an A.B. in Political Science from Barnard College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science with a Doctoral Emphasis in Women's Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to teaching at Gonzaga University, Dr. Stavrianos taught Women's Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara and Political Science at Northern Arizona University.
Dr. Stavrianos' book The Political Uses of Motherhood in America (Routledge 2015) focuses on the use of motherhood as a frame for women's political action in the United States. Her current research examines ridicule as a response to women's political action. Dr. Stavrianos teaches courses in American politics, women and politics, food politics, urban politics, grassroots politics, feminist thought, and race and ethnic politics.