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Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies

Author: Angela Hubler

In Grateful Recognition of Michele Janette’s Leadership as Head of Women’s Studies

Posted on by Angela Hubler

In summer 2015, Dr. Michele Janette returned to the Department of English after completing a very productive five-year term as Head of Women’s Studies. Dr. Valerie Padilla-Carroll thanked her for her many and substantial contributions to the department, and presented her with an engraved glass sculpture at our End-of-Year Celebration in May 2015:

“Today I would like to say a few words about Michele and her time as Head of Women’s Studies.  When she first became Head I went to her office for the yearly goals meeting and she asked me what I wanted to do.  I said I wanted a tenure-track position.  She said “give me a published article–show me you can do the required scholarly research and I will fight for you.”  And after two years, she managed to convert my position to tenure track. That, to me, is representative of Michele as Head of Women’s Studies.  She fought for the department and for the faculty to secure resources and to support excellence in research.

Let me list just some of the things she did in her single term as Head of Women’s Studies: Continue reading “In Grateful Recognition of Michele Janette’s Leadership as Head of Women’s Studies” →

Dr. Torry Dickinson Retires after Twenty Years with Women’s Studies

Posted on by Angela Hubler

by Angela Hubler

This spring, Dr. Torry Dickinson retired after serving the Department of Women’s Studies, and Kansas State University as a whole, with commitment and passion, for 20 years.  Torry earned her bachelor of arts degree in Sociology from Livingston-Rutgers University in 1975, her master’s degree in Sociology from Binghamton University in 1977, a master’s certificate in Women and Public Policy from SUNY Albany in 1983, and her Ph.D. in Sociology from Binghamton University in 1983.  After earning her doctorate, Torry monitored the court-ordered consent decree to increase women in the Forest Service in California, served as Coordinator of the Displaced Homemakers Center, and was the Executive Director for the Association for Women in Science.  She taught as an instructor in Women’s Studies at California State University, Sacramento and at the University of California-Santa Cruz in Sociology.  In 1996, Torry joined the faculty of Kansas State University as the first tenure-track assistant professor in Women’s Studies. She was promoted to full professor in 2008. Continue reading “Dr. Torry Dickinson Retires after Twenty Years with Women’s Studies” →

Dr. Bonnie Nelson, Former Director of Women’s Studies, Retires

Posted on by Angela Hubler

Dr. Bonnie Nelson, former Director of Women’s Studies, and Women’s Studies affiliated faculty member since 1992, retired from the English Department in May 2016.  Throughout her 33 years at Kansas State, Bonnie’s teaching, service, and scholarship reflected her deep commitment to women’s issues.  As chair of the Commission on the Status of Women, she authored a brochure on How To Avoid Sexist Language in the University, which was distributed to every unit on campus. Bonnie was integrally involved in the growth of Women’s Studies, including the the addition of the graduate certificate, minor, and major.  She taught very popular courses including Women in Literature, Jane Austen’s Predecessors, and Restoration and 18th Century Drama.  We are grateful for the mark she has left not just in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies but on the university as a whole. She will be much missed.

More about Bonnie’s career can be found below in her retirement citation, which we share from Dr. Karin Westman, English Department Head. Continue reading “Dr. Bonnie Nelson, Former Director of Women’s Studies, Retires” →

Dr. Sue Zschoche Retires from Department of History

Posted on by Angela Hubler

One of Women’s Studies longest-standing affiliated faculty members, Dr. Sue Zschoche, retired in May 2016. Sue was closely involved in the governance of the department, and taught a number of courses that students identifyas vital to their understanding of gender and women’s studies: History of Family Violence, Women in American History, Women in Kansas, and American Feminisms. We wish her well in retirement, and extend our deep gratitude for all her contributions. Below is Dr. Zschoche’s retirement citation, shared by History Department Head, Dr. Michael Krysko.

Continue reading “Dr. Sue Zschoche Retires from Department of History” →