In This Issue:--Meet a Few of Our Minors, Faculty, and Board Members, and Newly Admitted Grad Students!--Programming and Events From Spring Semester--Answering the Frequently-Asked Question: Why WGS?https://scholarworks.uni.edu/wgsnews/1001/thumbnail.jp

University of Northern Iowa. Women\u27s and Gender Studies.

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University of Northern Iowa

University of Northern IowaUNI ScholarWorksWomen's and Gender Studies Newsletter Women's and Gender Studies ProgramSpring 2019Women's and Gender Studies Newsletter, v2,Spring 2019University of Northern Iowa. Women's and Gender Studies.Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/wgsnewsPart of the Gender and Sexuality CommonsLet us know how access to this document benefits youThis Newsletter is brought to you for free and open access by the Women's and Gender Studies Program at UNI ScholarWorks. It has been accepted forinclusion in Women's and Gender Studies Newsletter by an authorized administrator of UNI ScholarWorks. For more information, please contactscholarworks@uni.edu.Recommended CitationUniversity of Northern Iowa. Women's and Gender Studies., "Women's and Gender Studies Newsletter, v2, Spring 2019" (2019).Women's and Gender Studies Newsletter. 1.https://scholarworks.uni.edu/wgsnews/1WHY WOMEN'S ANDGENDER STUDIES? A LETTER FROM OURDIRECTORDr. Wendy Hoofnagle Greetings! I hope you are all enjoying the emergence of spring weather at last.It seemed like a very long winter this year, but we were very busy in WGS allthe same (as this newsletter can attest to!).This past year has seen enormous growth for the program – we have welcomedtwelve new members to the Advisory Board, including an elected graduatestudent member; staff from the Center for Multicultural Education and theGender and Sexuality Center; and faculty from the Rod Library and severalcolleges across campus. We are also pleased to introduce our new graduatestudent cohort: just this past spring, we had three new students join mid-year(one of whom is a Fulbright scholar) in addition to admitting eight newstudents for the coming year (four of whom are Fulbright scholars). It is anexciting time for the WGS Program, to be sure! To encourage participation in WGS-related activities on campus and promotethe creation of classes focusing on sexuality and gender, we created two newawards that we hope to begin granting next year: the WGS Faculty and StaffExcellence Award and the LGBTQ* Curriculum Award. Along these lines, wealso revised the format of the annual CROW (Current Research on Women)Forum to the SWAG (Sexuality, Women and Gender) Forum, in order toencourage a wider variety of subjects and presentation styles (includingworkshops) to appeal to a more general audience and increase participation.This new format is more inclusive and embraces research on gender andsexualities through multiple perspectives. It is my hope, moving forward, thatthese initiatives will increase the visibility of the program and its activities aswell as recognize the efforts of faculty, students, and staff in these areas;without their support and enthusiasm, none of this work would be possible. We have a busy summer ahead in the WGS office as we begin work on othercurricular and programmatic initiatives, so I look forward to sharing moreprogress with you in our fall newsletter. I welcome your questions, thoughts,and suggestions as we move forward during this crucial period in our history,both inside and outside the university. Please feel free to stop by the WGSoffice and chat, give me a call, or send an email. I would love to hear fromyou! Best wishes for a summer of fun and relaxation, wherever your travels may takeyou! Wendy Marie Hoofnagle   WHY WOMEN'S AND GENDER STUDIES?(continued from front page) When we consider the continuum of violence andoppression in our societies, it is vital to critically analyze these issues from differentperspectives. Our program and those l ike it undoubtedly offer a wider view of suchissues and expand into other areas where oppression is highly present such as sexism,racism, exploitation and socioeconomic differences. Our Women’s and Gender Studies classes explore the social, political, and culturalconstruction of gender, as well as the history, experiences and achievements ofwomen and other marginalized populations. For instance, our “Comparative FeministTheories” core class assists students in understanding past and present feministtheories and in evaluating practices, beliefs, and standards about gender that shapeour daily experiences. The program also highlights critical thinking across disciplines,and so the knowledge and skil ls our students gain are applicable to a variety of otherstudies, programs, and careers. Our students respect and have insight intodifferences, a trait that is a key to success in any career path.  By engaging in Women’s and Gender Studies, you not only find a more accuratepicture of history, but also become aware of the ways in which we can learn, developand move things in the right direction from here on, for future generations.  Careers in WGSA degree in Women’s and Gender Studies preparesyou for a myriad of professions! The interdisciplinarynature of the program introduces students tohistorical events, engages them in exploring complexsocial structures, and addressing injustice andoppressive systems. Undoubtedly, many employersprefer liberal arts graduates, knowing that liberalarts education focuses on critical thinking, writing,and presentation skills. A Women’s and GenderStudies degree provides all these and many otherbenefits.sexual assault/domestic violence advocatedirector of human rights organizationk-12 teachervictim counselortherapist specializing in LGBTQ+ or sexual violencesocial workerprofessor or academicnon-profit or foundation directoruniversity diversity and inclusion  coordinator human rights lawyer shelter manager PROGRAMMINGNEWSGalentine's Day Galentine’s Day is about women celebrating eachother and their friendships. On February 13th, aGalentine’s Day event was organized and we hadstudents, faculty and staff join us to celebrate theirbest gals. We provided refreshments, as well as craftand decorating materials  for Galentine's Cards! Wealso provided pictures of famous female friendships,so cards could feature taglines like "You're the Lucyto my Ethel" or "You're the Leslie to my Ann"! CROW (Current Researchon Women) Forum This coming Fall, WGS is changing the name of ourmonthly CROW (Current Research on Women andGender) Forum to SWAG (Sexuality, Women andGender) Forum. WGS recognizes that the name“SWAG" is more inclusive and embraces research ongender and sexualities through multiple perspectives. We kicked off the semester with a presentation by Dr.Yasemin Sari (assistant professor of Philosophy) on“Refugees & Artificial Equality” in the ScholarSpace inRod Library.In April, WGS hosted the final CROW forum for theacademic year. For this final forum, WGS MA studentSara Naughton, the winner of the WGS OutstandingGraduate Paper, presented her research paper titled,“Female Grief For Civil Rights Martyrs: Emotional LaborAs Activism."CROW Forums present unique opportunities for UNI tolearn about ongoing research and work from differentacademic fields, and we look forward to continuing ourmonthly forums. Join us next year!Every March for Women's History Month, WGS takes the time to honor and celebrate the manyachievements of women throughout time, both on our campus and across the globe! As part of thecelebrations this year, WGS organized and collaborated with several departments and student services oncampus to organize educational and social programs. Our keynote address titled "Assassinating the TyrantWithin: Claiming Self-Love in an Age of Hate" was presented by best-selling author Cynthia Bond, whosebook "Ruby" was featured on Oprah's Bookclub 2.0 list. Here are some highlights of Women's History Month2019: World Hijab Day Panel: Women of Muslim Student Association Panel Discussion on Surviving R. Kelly and Beyond: Women and Girls of Color in the #MeToo Era Keynote Address and book signing with speaker and author Cynthia Bond Reading Group and Book Discussion with author Cynthia BondA  ‘Feminine Utopia’: Dr. Barbara Cutter Diversity Colloquium: Family and Separation PROGRAMMINGNEWS (CONT.)Take Back the Night In partnership with Northern Iowa Feminists, WGShosted our annual Take Back the Night rally andmarch on April 18th. Take Back the Night is animportant event that advocates for the support ofsurvivors and the end of sexual violence. As weknow, sexual violence is common on collegecampuses, so this event created the opportunity forthe UNI campus community to show theircommitment to this issue. The rally featured asurvivor speaker and a spoken word poet. The marchbegan from the Maucker Union and ended atKamerick Art Building for the “What Were YouWearing” Exhibit, sponsored by the Office ofCompliance and Equity Management. GridshockOn April 15th, WGS partnered with the Center forViolence Prevention and several other campusorganizations and departments to host a screeningof the award-winning documentary Gridshock.Gridshock is a film about the realities of sextrafficking in Iowa. Filmmaker Vanessa McNeal, aUNI alumna, joined the event along with asurvivor featured in the film and a Friends of theFamily advocate for an educative Q+A panelfollowing the screening.Congrats to the following students for their awards! AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPSAgathon Fellowship This fellowship supports students, (graduate and undergraduate) who have demonstrated a strong commitmentto, and have had active roles in, supporting the LGBTQ+ community. The 2019 Agathon Fellowship winners are EliWilliams and Melody Kosobucki.Eli Williams is an incoming first year graduate student in the WGS program and he is greatly involved in LGBTQ+ issues here at UNI. Eli is an active member of UNI Proud and serves as a volunteer for PrideWeek. He also volunteers as an event coordinator for Self Care Fridays at Gender and Sexuality Servicesat UNI, and lastly he serves as the president of Northern Iowa Feminists (NIF). NIF is a feminist group oncampus that strives for equality for all and brings intersectional issues to light. Eli rekindled a movementwith Northern Iowa Student Government to get free menstrual products available in all bathrooms oncampus.Melody Kosobucki is currently an adjunct faculty member in the School of Music at the University ofNorthern Iowa. She is an incoming first-year graduate student in the WGS program and hopes to gainmore knowledge on how religion could incorporate and accept women and LGBTQ+ communitymembers, instead of pushing them to the sidelines. Melody is a member of OneIowa - an LGBTQ+organization - that works to preserve and advance equality for LGBTQ+ individuals. She has also beenlisted as one of the faculty members that LGBTQ+ students can contact if they need support.Francis L. Webster Scholarship The Francis L. Webster Scholarship seeks to support any declared WGS graduate student or Sexuality, Womenand Gender (SWAG) minor who has completed or is completing at least six hours of Women’s and Gender Studiesrequired courses. Rachel Dillavou is the winner for the 2019 Francis L. Webster Scholarship! Rachel Dillavou is currently majoring in Anthropology and Religion with a minor in WGS and she is ontrack to graduate in Spring 2020 in University Honors with Distinction.  Her educational background,self-driven nature, and inherent interest in WGS issues places her as a great candidate for thisscholarship.Outstanding Graduate Paper AwardThis annual competition is designed to encourage and reward graduate scholars (within or outside of the WGSprogram) on their research in the area of gender issues. The prize includes a $100 cash award and beingspotlighted as our final CROW Forum presenter for the academic year. WGS graduate student Sara Naughtonwas the 2019 awardee! Sara Naughton is finishing up her first year in the WGS graduate program as a student on the appliedtrack of study. She has enjoyed her time in the program so far both as a student and as a programminggraduate assistant! Her research focuses on issues of accessibility in community services for survivors ofviolence with disabilities. Sara's winning paper is titled, “Female Grief For Civil Rights Martyrs:Emotional Labor As Activism” and was presented at our final CROW forum for this academic year.Meet our Newly Admitted Graduate StudentsShareece Burrell she/her/hersLamis Ahlam Laouar she/her/hersMeet our Non-Traditional Graduate StudentsMegan Vogt-Kostnershe/her/hersSusie Grovershe/her/hersMeet our Newest Advisory Board MembersAngela Pratesi she/her/hersKathryn Wohlpart she/her/hersMeet our SWAG Minors Blair Hines they/them/theirsOrion Riskhe/him/his or they/them.theirsMeet our SWAG Minors and Work Study StudentsBekah Bassshe/her/hersCameron Harrellhe/him/his Keep up with some of our WGSalumni from 2011-2018!ALUMNI UPDATES2018Finn A. BlahoFinn is a recent graduate of the WGS program, having graduated in July 2018 in a thesis track of study.Finn recently starred in one of Scene D’s productions, “The Christians." They work as a receptionist at NewDirections, a mental health agency based in Waterloo. Additionally, Finn is doing LGBTQ+ activism work inthe Waterloo area with a group called Cedar Valley Unity. The group focuses on educating organizations,institutions, and businesses to make the Cedar Valley a more inclusive place.Mirishahe SylaMirishahe is also a recent graduate of the program, having graduated in May 2018 in the applied track ofstudy. Mirishahe currently works at the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Kosovo. She is also conductinga research paper titled “The Role and Engagement of Youth in Violence Prevention."2017Casey Anne BrimmerCasey Anne graduated in July 2017 in the thesis track of study. Casey Anne is currently completing theirsecond MA in Communication Studies at UNI and teaches Fundamentals of Oral Communication forHawkeye Community College. They plan on attending Virginia Tech to pursue a PhD in Sociology withfocus on Trans and Gender variant issues.Alexis St. ClareAlexis graduated in December 2017 in the thesis track of study. She served as an adjunct instructor for theWomen’s and Gender Studies program in Spring 2018, and she is currently working at Fund for the PublicInterest.2015Xavia PubliusXavia graduated in July 2015 from the thesis track of study. Xavia is currently a second year PhD student inPerformance Studies at the University of Alberta, Canada. She is also preparing for conferences and herfirst non-thesis professional publications.2011Johnanna Joy GanzJohnanna graduated in July 2011 from the thesis track of study. Johnanna is the Sexual Violence JusticeInstitute Director in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She also completed a TEDx Talk that focused on her dissertationresearch and her years of experience in occupational identity development.We want to hear from you! Please e-mail us with what you have been up to since graduating! We want to hear aboutcareers, moves, families, marriages, or professional work! Please send pictures and info to wgs@uni.edu or call theoffice at (319)273-7102.NOTABLES  &  QUOTABLES professional development achievements Sara Naughton: Presented her paper "Denaturalizing'Natural' Disasters: Advocacy and an International Ethics of Safety" at the Middle Tennessee State University 'Creating Global Change' Interdisciplinary Conference. Alia Afzal: Presented her research titled "My Discovery ofTransnational Feminism: The Urge for Inclusion" at the UNIGraduate Student Symposium. Alia also presented researchtitled, "Bridging Transnational Feminism and Eco Feminism"at the North American Review Conference at UNI. Ashley Meyers: Presented hir research titled "Beyond BornThis Way: Reconsidering Trans Narrative" at the UNIGraduate Student Symposium. Ashley's presentation wonfirst place for hir room!Several of our graduate students took time out of theirbusy schedules this semester to further their professionaland academic development through conference andsymposium presentations! Congrats and good work to thefollowing students: 

Women\u27s and Gender Studies Newsletter, v2, Spring 2019

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Women\u27s and Gender Studies Newsletter, v2, Spring 2019

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