Susan Rensing was trained in the history of science, medicine, gender, and sexuality and earned her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. She joined the GWSS department in August 2018 as a Visiting Assistant Professor while on-leave from UW Oshkosh, where she is a tenured Associate Professor in a joint position (History & Women’s and Gender Studies). Since her arrival, she has taught Intro to GWSS, Research Methods in GWSS, and a special topics course called “Body Politics.” She will teach another special topics course in the fall with the title “Reproductive Rights and Wrongs.”
Dr. Rensing’s historical research focuses on the gendered dimensions of eugenics in the Progressive Era United States. She is also engaged in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL); she and her co-authors Christie Launius and Holly Hassel have a book under contract with Palgrave MacMillan entitled Vital Work: A Guide to Teaching Introductory Women’s and Gender Studies. In addition, Dr. Rensing has experience working with non-profits on projects designed to enhance social sustainability and community health. She was a humanities expert for the 2018 exhibit, “Color-Brave Photo Gallery: Black and Brown Faces, A New Narrative,” which was a recipient of the Wisconsin Humanities Council Major Grant and an Oshkosh Community Foundation grant. In Manhattan, she plans to engage in similar work related to health equity and has joined the Health Equity Action Team of the Flint Hills Wellness Coalition. She is currently exploring the healthcare experiences of members of the LGBTQ community in Riley County and also the maternal and infant health disparities in the region.