Program Profile: Women's and Gender Studies
Women's and gender studies students outside the program office.
Professor Namulundah Florence
The Women's and Gender studies (WGST) program is one of several interdisciplinary degree granting programs in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS). Like the other degrees in HSS, WGST prepares students to become informed and engaged citizens, and gain a variety of skills as well. In its courses, students examine and critique cultural, economic, historical, political, and social issues using both feminist and queer philosophical paradigms.
Also, by learning about a cross-section of feminist and queer thinkers, students develop expertise in methods of critical analysis, and gain a deep understanding of how gender, sexuality, race, class, religion, ethnicity, and other social factors shape access to power as well as how the very definitions of power and value have varied in a range of societal and historical contexts.
This year, WGST welcomed a new coordinator, Professor Namulundah Florence, who is expanding on the work done by Professor Prudence Cumberbatch, the previous coordinator who strengthened the program during her six-year tenure. Starting this new position in fall 2020, Florence brought with her many years of both teaching and administrative experience. She has worked with a great diversity of students, which has exposed her to multiple perspectives and challenges at both undergraduate and graduate levels of teacher preparation. Among other courses, she has taught Foundations of Education at the undergraduate and graduate levels and Diversity and the Inclusive Classroom.
Her research focuses on how ongoing conceptions of self and society drive the education agenda—what is taught, how students learn, and who succeeds. With a background in both teaching and administration, Florence is poised to take the program to another level of distinction.
Excellence in Our Midst Award
In fall 2020, this award was introduced for the very first time! It was awarded to six outstanding and diligent students. The winners were Jadzia Rivera, Laura Banks, Destiny Blackwell, Nikki Erken, Atheer Musad, and Ruti Joshi. All the students offered similar testimonies. They all expressed gratitude for the time they spent in their WGST courses and reported that they greatly benefitted from the experience. Despite the fact that all of these young women are coming from different backgrounds and majors, this department has had a positive impact on their lives, and they believe they will go far as a result. To be considered for this award, students must write a personal statement and maintain a high GPA.
Award Winners
Jadzia Rivera
Atheer Musad
Laura Banks
Ruti Joshi
Destiny Blackwell
Nikki Erken
Why Students Chose Women's and Gender Studies as a Major
Being a women's and gender studies major comes with its highlights and responsibilities, along with a sense of feeling personally fulfilled. In its expanded website, the program highlights several students who chose the program as their major and in the following interviews, discuss the changes it has made in their academic and personal lives.
Some of Our Students
Geeta Asamoah
Margarita Rice
Muhammad Irtaza
Fiona Sharpe
Angela Peguero
Matthew Montan
Student Scholarships and Awards
WGST has also been able to carve launch several scholarships that are available only to its majors and concentrations, including the Leadership Initiative that offers $200–$300 a project, the Barbara Winslow Award for Student Activism, the Rising Star Award for early-stage WGST majors, and Academic Excellence Awards for a graduating WGST major or minor or for an LGBTQ studies minor. Finally, the program offers two $5,000 full-year scholarships for WGST majors in their senior year.
Scholarship Awardees
Megan Jajeh
Mariaisabel Zweig
Muhammad Irtaza
Allesandra Valentin
Ivy Barrett Fox Bryan
Kardin Ulysse
Women's and Gender Studies and Future Success
Similar to other degrees in the humanities and social sciences, the program is designed to offer a well-rounded curriculum that develops and sharpens skills that are welcome in nearly any career field. Many jobs look for critical thinking skills, clear and effective communication, and the ability to analyze problems and situations with a unique perspective while taking that of others into account. Like other departments and interdisciplinary programs in HSS, this program offers students the crucial skills that employers value—critical analysis, research, writing, communication, and creative thinking—and that will help them build long-term career success in a continually changing landscape.
