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2024

  • TJ Boisseau, associate professor of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, has co-edited, with Adrianna Ernstberger (Purdue History/WGSS PhD, 2017), Pandemonium—a special issue of Women’s Studies Quarterly 52: 1/2 (Spring/Summer 2024). Published in the oldest scholarly journal of feminist studies, Pandemonium promises to be considered a landmark issue documenting the state of the field globally following on a half-century of progress and struggle and at a moment of deep and wide-spread crisis brought on by authoritarian political attacks on gender ideology, decades of neoliberal undermining of liberal arts, and the multi-layered chaos visited upon public education during the Covid-19 pandemic. Pandemonium contains ten original interviews with such luminaries in the field as Andrea Petö and Judith Butler; three original manifestos representing North American, European, and Global South feminist collectives, six scholarly research articles, ten book reviews, creative writing, and visual art.

2023

  • Jennifer Freeman Marshall, Associate Professor of English and SIS (WGSS program), has authored a  newly published book Ain't I an Anthropologist: Zora Neale Hurston Beyond the Literary Icon. (University of Illinois Press, 2023)  In a highly interdisciplinary study, Freeman Marshall “explores Hurston’s popular appeal as iconography, her elevation into the literary canon, her concurrent marginalization in anthropology despite her significant contributions, and her place within constructions of Black feminist literary traditions.” Ain’t I an Anthropologist reassesses Zora Neale Hurston’s place in American cultural and intellectual life and establishes Hurston’s conceptual contributions to the field of American Anthropology beyond her experimental mode of writing culture.

2022

  • Paula Leverage, associate professor of French literature and film, and WGSS affiliate, chaired the organizing committee of the 35th annual conference of the Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts, which was held on October 6-9, 2022.
  • Cheryl Cooky, Professor of American Studies and WGSS, has co-authored a newly published book Serving Equality: Feminism, Media and Women's Sports. (Peter Lang, Inc., 2022) The book offers "a focus on networked sports media spaces, including news coverage, promotional cultures, and sports films, chapters examine narratives of Title IX, the Olympics, the treatment of women sports journalists, the activism of women athletes, the routine coverage of the sports world, as well as the COVID-19 global pandemic.
  • NBC News Think:  Cheryl Cooky, Professor of American Studies and WGSS, reflects on the U.S. women's soccer's equal-pay settlement with the U.S. Soccer Federation and how it may perpetuate a fundamental theme of discrimination.
  • National Geographic:  TJ Boisseau, Associate Professor of WGSS, was featured in an interview and podcast about Amelia Earhart for women's history month.

2021

  • WGN radio:  Cheryl Cooky, Professor of American Studies and WGSS, explains the disparity in media coverage between female and male athletes in this interview.
  • Journal & Courier:  Maren Linett, Professor of English, founding director of the Critical Disability Studies Program at Purdue, and WGSS affiliate, spoke on the right of all people to a language on International Day of Sign Languages.  In the article, she discusses the need for better awareness and acess to programs and events within the deaf community.
  • Congratulations to Jen William, professor and Head of the School of Languages and Cultures, and WGSS affiliate, for the recent publication of her co=edited book "The Tender Gaze: Compassionate Encounters on the German Screen, Page, and Stage" (Boydell & Brewer 2021).  This new essay collection develops a new supplemental gaze theory known as he "tender gaze" and traces its occurrences in German film, theatre, and literature.  Jen's own essay on post-dramatic theatre is included in the volume.
  • Congratulations to Robin P. Clair, professor in the Brian Lamb School of Communication and WGSS affiliate, on the publication of her second and third novels, respectively, "Blood into Water: A Case of Social Justice" (Brill, January, 2021), and "Buried Together:  A Story of Quarantine and a Question of Conscience" (Brill, July, 2021) 
  • Washington Post:  Wendy Kline, Deema G. Seelye Chair in the History of Medicine and WGSS affiliate, wrote an article following Olympic gymnast Simone Biles' decision to pull out of the team final and women's all-around competition to focus on her mental health.  Biles, who was assaulted by physician Larry Nasser, originally decided to compete in Tokyo in order for the Olympics to reckon with its history.  Kline asks the question "how did we arrive here?"
  • ABC News:  Cheryl Cooky, Professor of American Studies and WGSS, was quoted in an article on the Tokyo Olympics strides and hurdles in pursuit of gender equality.
  • Yahoo Sports:  Cheryl Cooky, Professor of American Studies and WGSS, studies the amount of media coverage of women's sports and was featured in an article on Naomi Osaka's decision to withdraw from the French Open rather than participate in mandatory press conferences.
  • NBC News, PBS News Hour, Associated Press, The Lily:  Nadia Brown, Associate Professor of Political Science and African American Studies, and WGSS affiliate, was quoted in an NBC News story on legislative divisions over calls for social justice and police reform.  She addressed with PBS News Hour how the Movement for Black Lives mobilized and contacted elected officials regarding the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.  She discussed Black female leaders who are viewed as relatable figures in an Associated Press story about the controversial poetry written by Nikuyah Walker, the first Black woman to become mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia.  She discussed the signs of sexual harassment in a story by The Lily about the workplace harassment allegations levied against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
  • Knowable Magazine:  Kevin Stainback, Professor of Sociology and WGSS affiliate, discussed research on how small businesses impact local economies and the many issues small businesses have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Sports Illustrated and Futurity:  Cheryl Cooky, Professor of American Studies and WGSS, addresses patterns of gender bias among sports media in a new Purdue/USC study.  
  • Leadership in Action Award:  Associate Professor of Political Science, and WGSS affiliate, Valeria Sinclair-Chapman has been given the Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence's 2020 Leadership in Action Award.  Congratulations!
  • Various:  Nadia Brown, Associate Professor of Political Science, and WGSS affiliate, shared her thoughts on the significance of Kamala Harris' rise to the vice presidency in a BBC story and on the mobilization of Black women voters and Harris' political future with WGN.  Brown also discussed with ABC News the number of women and women of color who will serve in the 117th Congress, as well as continued underrepresentation and partisan gaps.
  • NBC News:  Valeria Sinclair-Chapman, Associate Professor of Political Science, and WGSS affiliate, told NBC News that the Biden administration's stance on HR 40 - which would create a commission to consider reparations for African American descendants of slaves - will be one signal of what to expect from the administration in the coming years.

2020

  • The Guardian:  Dorsey Armstrong, professor and head of English, and WGSS affiliate, talked about the parallels between the Black Death and today's COVID-19 pandemic in an interview.
  • The Hill:  Patricia Boling, professor of political science and WGSS affiliate, wrote an op-ed about parents needing access to childcare as part of the strategy to restart the economy.
  • New York Times: Cheryl Cooky, Professor of American Studies and Women's, Gender, & Sexuality studies discusses the importance of activism in Black women athletes in this article.
  • Washington Post:  Nadia Brown, Professor of Political Science and WGSS affiliate, co-wrote an article discussing Stacey Abrams' success in Georgia that builds upon generations of Black women's organizing.
  • In a CBC story about Canada’s ban on single-use plastics, except for tampon applicators, Professor of History and WGSS affiliate Sharra Vostral talked about the history of tampons and tampon applicators.
  • Louisville Courier-Journal: Associate Professor of Political Science and WGSS affiliate Valeria Sinclair-Chapman talks about the shooting death of Breonna Taylor, how it impacts the Black community, and how decisions related to the case might affect the political future of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
  • The Guardian: Dorsey Armstrong, professor and head of English, and WGSS affiliate, talked about the parallels between the Black Death and today’s COVID-19 pandemic in an interview.
  • The Hill: Patricia Boling, professor of political science and WGSS affiliate, wrote an op-ed about parents needing access to childcare as part of the strategy to restart the economy.
  • Purdue Exponent: Nadia Brown, Professor of Political Science and WGSS affiliate, discussed exit polls, mail-in ballots, and the need for patience during the vote-tallying process.
  • Kristina Bross, Professor of English and WGSS affiliate, has published "A History of American Puritan Literature" (Cambridge University Press, 2020), which she co-edited with Abram Van Engen.  
  • New York Times:  Cheryl Cooky, Professor of American Studies and Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies, discussed the timing of  physical and sexual abuse from gymnasts and how global sport federation bodies, lawmakers, and authorities are taking the reports more seriously.
  • NY Public Library:  Tithi Bhattacharya, Associate Professor of History and WGSS affiliate, co-authored "Feminism for the 99%" which appeared on an "essential" feminist reading list from the New York Public Library.
  • Dissent Magazine:  Tithi Bhattacharya, Associate Professor of History and WGSS affiliate, is interviewed in this article titled "Social Reproduction and the Pandemic."
  • ABC News:  Nadia Brown, Professor of Political Science and WGSS affiliate discusses the politics of reaching out to Black communities during this election.
  • CSPAN, BBC and Boston Globe:  Nadia Brown, Professor of Political Science and WGSS affiliate speaks about Kamala Harris' VP nomination.
  • Washington Post:  Nadia Brown co-authored a piece about the Black Lives Matter movement, police violence, and Black political responses.  The three authors developed a micro-syllabus with resources for people to learn more about issues of race and politics in America.
  • Literary Hub:  Maren Linett, Professor of English and WGSS affiliate, has released the book "Literary Bioethics:  Animality, Disability, and the Human," (NYU Press, 2020) and this article also written by Dr. Linett  quotes the book.
  • The Conversation:  Christopher Cayari, Assistant Professor of Music Education and WGSS affiliate, reports on the ways music teachers turned to virtual performances as an alternative to concerts during the quarantine.  Text here.  Video here.
  • Purdue University News:  Christopher Cayari, Assistant Professor of Music Education and WGSS affiliate, discusses how people who are trans or sexual minorities use online music performance to express their identity and find empowerment.
  • Purdue Today:  Cheryl Cooky, Professor of American Studies and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, has been named co-chair of Purdue's participation in the National Academies' Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education.
  • ESPN:  Cheryl Cooky, Professor of American Studies and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and two USC professors was noted in an ESPN piece on equal pay in sports.
  • The Conversation:  Rayvon Fouche, Director of American Studies and WGSS affiliate, wrote about the use of technology in Major League Baseball games, especially robotic umpires.
  • Medium:  Kim Gallon, Associate Professor of History and WGSS affiliate, wrote about the lessons that today's mainstream media can learn from the history of the black press in the age of a pandemic.
  • Los Angeles Times, MSN:  Nadia Brown, Assistant Professor of Political Science and WGSS affiliate, was quoted about the praise being given to multiple black female mayors across the nation during protests of police brutality and the COVID-19 pandemic.  Brown spoke with MSN for a story about the racial, economic and health issues facing President Trump during his re-election campaign.
  • Washington Post:  Dema G. Seelye Chair in the History of Medicine Wendy Kline (and WGSS affiliate), wrote a column about the history of the midwife and explained that many women are looking to midwives to help deliver children at home during the pandemic.
  • Within-Family Differences Study:  Jill Suitor, Distinguished Professor of Sociology and WGSS affiliate, examines how parents treat their children, as well as the idea that parents don't have a favorite child - despite the children's beliefs that there is a favorite.  She also discussed the factors that influence mothers to prefer certain children and how favoritism affects the mental health of both parents and children.
  • Purdue Today:  Christopher Cayari, assistant professor of music education and WGSS affiliate, focuses on online research about musical performance.
  • Vox:  Nadia Brown, associate professor of political science and African American studies and WGSS affiliate, shares thoughts about the candidates who have been accused of sexual misconduct and the scrutiny they face from the electorate.
  • Inside Higher Ed, Journal & Courier:  President Mitch Daniels shared thoughts on his call to the University Senate for a civics literacy test.  University Senate Chair Cheryl Cooky, an associate professor of American studies and women's, gender, & sexuality studies, and Jay McCann, professor of political science and Latin American Studies, also discuss test development.
  • CNN, Huffington Post, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post:  Wendy Kline, the Dema G. Seelye Chair in the History of Medicine and WGSS affiliate, shared thoughts on the decision of National Archives administrators to allow the blurring of signs from recent women's marches regarding President Donald Trump.  The National Archives later apologized, admitting that it was a mistake to alter the images in its attempt to avoid political controversy.
  • The New York Times:  Venetria Patton, head of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies and WGSS affiliate, is quoted in a story by The New York Times about recent examinations of the Harlem Renaissance, including Claude McKay's novel, "Romance in Marseille."
  • The Washington Times, Los Angeles Times:  As Americans find themselves staying in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, they are turning to stories and films about pandemics.  Dorsey Armstrong, head of the Department of English and WGSS affiliate, narrated a Great Courses series on the Black Death four years ago.  Viewing tripled in March and has attracted a cult following.
  • The Nation:  TJ Boisseau, associate professor of Women's, Gender, & Sexuality studies, is quoted in this article that discusses adding the letter "X" to make genderless words (i.e., womxn, alumnx, Latinx, Ms., etc.).
  • Purdue News:  Andrea DeMaria, assistant professor in Public Health and WGSS affiliate, co-wrote the paper referenced in this article.  The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends universal sexual violence screenings during routine visits. Although one in three women in the United States experience sexual abuse, research has shown that these discussions often don’t take place. An analysis of 16 in-depth interviews with women who had experienced rape, molestation, coercion or other forms of sexual violence shows that communication was key to coping with and making sense of their experiences, despite the women facing a “stigma of silence” in their families and communities
  • Please help us share in our CONGRATULATIONS to Alison Rickert (WGSS minor and class of 2020) and the Purdue student organization she founded in 2018, The Period Project, for the incredible work she and the TPP have done to push the university to recognize and accommodate women's needs and right to have menstrual products as free and as available in campus restrooms as any other hygiene product.  We also extend kudos to former WGSS instructor, Heather Murton (PhD candidate in English), who first inspired Alison to understand the issue in terms of women's rights, and to Associate Professor TJ Boisseau, who has served as faculty advisor and encouraged TPP to build on the work of former Purdue students, namely Julianna Hughes and Tulika Wagle, all of whose initiatives in this area collectively have, as Alison so eloquently puts it in this Journal & Courier article, shown us "how movements happen!"
  • Dema G. Seelye Chair in the History of Medicine Wendy Kline, and WGSS affiliate, participated in the new five-part Netflix series Sex, Explained, narrated by singer and actress Janelle Monáe.  Kline discussed the history of midwives and obstetricians in the episode on childbirth.  The whole series is now available on Netflix, while the childbirth episode is also streaming for free on YouTube.

2019

  • Journal & Courier:  Noting that the christmas holidays can be difficult for some, Distinguished Professor of Sociology Jill Suitor, and WGSS affiliate, discussed the family dynamics she researched in her years-long Within-Family Differences Study.
  • National Geographic: Sharra Vostral, associate professor of history and WGSS affiliate, was quoted in a story about sustainability issues related to the use of plastics in menstrual products.
  • Vox: Nadia Brown, assistant professor of political science and WGSS affiliate, talks about how Americans view men in power, especially following numerous political battles and the #MeToo movement.
  • More than 80 years have passed since aviator Amelia Earhart’s mysterious disappearance. As part of its examination into the lingering interest in Earhart’s story, National Geographic spoke with TJ Boisseau, associate professor of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies and 2017-19 Amelia Earhart Faculty-in-Residence at Purdue.
  • Cheryl Cooky, associate professor of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, was interviewed by the Christian Science Monitor and talks about the rise and interest in women’s sports, as well as issues in marketing and investments in the events. Cooky also discussed the parallels between athletic teams and the business world for a Harvard Business Review article about lessons learned in the U.S. women’s soccer team’s fight for equal pay.
  • Congratulations to Harry Denny, associate professor English and WGSS affiliate, for winning the International Writing Centers Association Outstanding Book Award for Out in the Center:  Public Controversies and Private Struggles.  This collection presents literature reviews and individual narratives about the politics of identity and disclosure around race, gender, sexuality, class, faith, multilingualism, and learning disabilities in the context of writing centers.
  • Congratulations to Risa Cromer, assistant professor of anthropology and WGSS affiliate, for winning a Hunt Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research.  Risa will use the fellowship to complete her book, Ex Utero: Frozen Embryo Politics in the United States.  Based on 27 months of ethnographic research within programs that make and manage frozen embryos, this book offers an inside look at American answers to where frozen embryos belong.  She argues that the figure of the ex utero embryo provides a novel focal point for revealing how racial capitalism, private property regimes, and white Christian nationalism co-operate within twenty-first century reproductive politics in the United States.
  • Congratulations to Jill Suitor, distinguished professor of sociology and WGSS affiliate, for being awarded $755,623 by the National Institute on Aging to fund the first year of T3 data collection for the Within-Family Differences Study.  This phase of the WFDS will focus on how the deaths of families' oldest generations impact the health and well-being of their adult children and adult grandchildren.
  • Congratulations to Silvia Z. Mitchell, assistant professor of history and WGSS affiliate, for the publication of her book Queen, Mother, and Stateswoman: Mariana of Austria and the Government of Spain (Penn State University Press, 2019).  Silvia’s new narrative of the Spanish Habsburg monarchy advances understanding of women’s legitimate political entitlement in the early modern period. 
  • Following headlines about a home birth with the most recent royal baby, Dema G. Seelye Chair in the History of Medicine, and WGSS affiliate, Wendy Kline wrote in the Washington Post about how the United Kingdom associates home births and midwives with positive birth outcomes versus more skeptical U.S. attitudes
  • Kline talked with WTHR about the public health, access, and data issues that contribute to Indiana's high maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate.
  • Nadia Brown, associate professor of political science and African American studies, and WGSS affiliate, discussed with the Washington Post how the word "squad" has taken on new life and meaning following the rise of four female freshman lawmakers in Congress.
  • Nadia Brown also was awarded a collaborative grant from the National Science Foundation to work on a project titled "#MeTooPoliSci Leveraging A Professional Association to Address Sexual Harassment in Political Science."
  • Among the leading storylines during this summer's FIFA Women's World Cup was the conversation about gender equity and the pay gap between women and men in sports. Cheryl Cooky weighed in on the equal-pay debate in a story by Reuters and contributed to an op-ed for USA Today about criticisms the U.S. team faced for their boisterous celebrations during their opening win over Thailand. The associate professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and American Studies also spoke to NBC News for a story on lesbian visibility at the World Cup.
  • Congratulations to WGSS affiliate, Melinda Zook, Professor of History and director of the Cornerstone Integrated Liberal Arts program, for winning the Helen B. Schleman Gold Medallion award from the Purdue University Mortar Board Society. Created in 1968 by the university’s Mortar Board members, Women’s Residence Council, Panhellenic, and Off-Campus Women, the annual award and cash prize go to a faculty or staff member who has matched the goals of former Dean Schleman, who served as dean of women from 1947-1968. Melinda will also keynote the annual Mortar Board initiation breakfast.
  • Congratulations to WGSS affiliate, Silvia Z. Mitchell, Assistant Professor of Early Modern European History, for the publication of a special journal issue of The Court Historian:  The International Journal of Court Studies that she guest edited.  The special issue is named The Spanish Habsburg Court during the Reign of Carlos II (1965-1700).  She also authored the introduction and one of the articles:  "Women and Children First:  Court Ceremonial during Carlos II's Minority, 1665-1675."
  • Congratulations to WGSS affiliate, Aparajita Sagar, Associate Professor of English, for winning the College of Liberal Arts Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher award for the academic year 2018-19.
  • WGSS Affiliate, Sharra Vostral, and WGSS-affiliated student organization The Period Project, address misinformation around periods.
  • Congratulations to Cheryl Cooky, Associate Professor of American Studies and Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies, for receiving the Trailblazer Award.
  • Congratulations to Wendy Kline, Dema G. Seelye Chair in the History of Medicine, for being awarded the Fulbright-University of Birmingham Distinguished Chair for fall 2019.
  • Congratulations to Yvonne Pitts, associate profess of history and WGSS affiliate, for being named as recipient of the 2019 Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award in Memory of Charles B. Murphy.  
  • Nadia Brown, associate professor of political science and African American Studies, and WGSS affiliate, helped edit a Washington Post article by Scripps College professor Vanessa Tyson in the Journal of Women, Politics, and Policy about understanding sexual assault.  Tyson has accused Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of sexual assault.
  • Sharra Vostral, associate professor of History and WGSS affiliate, addresses the cultural shift in discussing menstruation in public (CNN).
  • Associate Professor of Political Science and African American Studies, and WGSS affiliate Nadia Brown discussed why Democrats tapped former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacy Abrams to deliver their response to the State of the Union address with "Moneyish."  (Marketwatch)
  • Assistant Professor of Sociology Jean Beaman and WGSS affiliate weighed in on the racial implications surrounding a recent controversy at a local nail salon accused of discriminatory practices (WBAA).

2018

2017

Student Organizations

Under the purview of WGSS faculty advisor, TJ Boisseau, The Period Project put on a menstrual product competition among the sororities and collected about one thousand products. They also used the money from a bake sale to procure products at a reduced price from Kimberly Clark to donate about 2,000 products to ACE food pantry. They also do a brief education section at each of our meetings, which facilitates conversation outside of meetings.

Under the purview of WGSS faculty advisor, Jennifer Freeman Marshall, the purpose of FACT is to promote gender equity and social justice on the Purdue Campus and in the local community.

Under the purview of WGSS faculty advisor, TJ Boisseau, Gamma Rho Lambda National sorority is a multicultural social sorority for women, trans-women, trans-men and non-binary students of any race, culture, or sexual orientation. Gamma Rho Lambda National Sorority is dedicated to providing a social support system for young college students. Gamma Rho Lambda has been referred to as the first national multicultural lesbian sorority; however we are inclusive of cis -gendered women, Trans women, Trans men, and gender variant people of all sexualities and racial identities.