Message from the Director: November 2020

CATEGORIES: News & Events
Dr. Ann Oberhauser - Director - she/her/hers

Novemer 2020

Fall is rolling out its beautiful colors and crisp weather in Ames, Iowa as we reach a midpoint in our semester at Iowa State. I wasn’t kidding when I said in August that this would be a semester (and academic year) like no other!

The WGS faculty, staff, and students have stepped up to offer and take high quality courses that are both virtual and in person. Anyone who has taught or taken classes knows the effort and versatility it takes to convey important topics and pedagogy in multiple modalities.

We are saddened by the death of one of our graduate teaching assistants, Randie Camp, PhD student in Family Development and Human Sciences, at the beginning of the semester. She was passionate about social justice issues and will be greatly missed in our program and across the university and Ames community. We are grateful to be able to name our 2021 WGS Graduate Student Scholarship in her honor.

Our students and faculty are also engaged with political activities on campus and in the community this fall. They are doing great work with the Black Lives Matter movement  around racial justice, volunteering at our local sexual abuse and domestic violence shelter ACCESS, and staying on top of issues to vote in the upcoming elections.  The urgency of these efforts is underscored by the uncertainly and harm caused by COVID-19, particularly for Latinas, Black women, and members of BIPOC communities.

I am continually amazed at how committed members of the WGS community are to excellence and social justice under some challenging circumstances.

We appreciate your support now more than ever! Our scholarships and development funds are crucial to the powerful work of everyone in our program. Please stay in touch.

Thank you,

Ann Oberhauser

Director, Women’s and Gender Studies

Professor of Sociology

Iowa State University

 

Pronouns: she/her/hers

annober@iastate.edu

515.294.9283 (office)

Women’s and Gender Studies Website

Website – Dept. of Sociology