In partnership with the Women's Status Committee, WGS sponsored award winning photojournalist and women's rights activist Paola Gianturco, to share images and stories from her new book Grandmother Power: A Global Phenonmenon.

Additionally, Olga Plakhotnik and Rakshinda Shah were featured guest speakers at the USF Peace Corps event for Women's History Month. Olga's presentation "Feminisms in Ukraine and around" was focused on the most visible feminist groups - Pussy Riot, Femen and Feminist Ofenzyva. It provoked intense scholarly discussions about postcolonial feminisms, female body issues in feminism, and the contemporary forms of feminist protest.

A New Door for Dr. Rinck
The faculty and staff of WGS offer our heartfelt thanks to academic advisor extraordinaire, Dr. Christie Rinck, as she pursues a new opportunity as the academic advisor for the Departments of Sociology and Humanities and Cultural Studies beginning March 4, 2013. 

Dr. Rinck will be creating and administering a new internship program for Humanities and Cultural Studies (HCS). The magic she created for the WGS Internship will grow as she reaches out to even more community organizations to place HCS students in their folds.  All current and summer WGS interns will still be supervised by Dr. Rinck.

Moreover, Dr. Rinck is a highly-qualified and experienced advisor with a doctorate in music theory. This transition to HCS will allow her to teach courses in a department that are closely related to her scholarly interests.

Although we will miss her tremendously, we are elated for Dr. Rinck's new opportunity to create another fantastic internship program, to teach in her specialty, and to reach a new cadre of USF students with her magic. Her new office is CPR 366. Don’t be strangers!

Welcome to Ce’era Horton, the new WGS Undergraduate Advisor

WGS is pleased to announce the addition of the newest member to the WGS family, Ce’era Horton, our new UG Advisor beginning March 4, 2013. Ce’era earned a B.S. in Health Administration in 2005 from Central Michigan University. In 2008 she earned her M.Ed. in Counseling with a Student Personnel emphasis from North Carolina State University.  Ce’era has been with USF Since 2008, beginning her journey as a proud USF BULL with on-campus Housing. Ce’era worked with on-campus Housing until June 2012 when she began her exciting Career as an Academic Advisor at USF-Tampa.  When not helping students, during her free time, Ce’era enjoys watching movies, going to the beach, and traveling. 

Should you need some assistance, please stop by.  Ce’era is located in CMC 206B—in the Economics Department just down the hall from WGS. Ce’era may also be reached at: 813-974-6547 or cehorton@usf.edu. To schedule an Advising appointment: USF Students: http://eschedule.forest.usf.edu/login.aspx  or Non USF Students: http://eschedule.forest.usf.edu/NonStudentlogin.aspx

Let’s make Ce’era welcome! We look forward to a long and happy relationship.

Spring N.I.T.E. Walk March 4th
WGS MA students Eileen Dabrowski, Becky Killik, and Robyn Homer worked with several dozens of other USF students, staff, and faculty to make USF safer after dark. Teams gridded off the campus and walked to identify after-dark safety concerns such as burned out lights and unsafe pavement. Dabrowski pioneered the sponsoring organization (N.I.T.E.: Necessary Improvements to the Environment) and its twice-a-year event when she was still an undergraduate student in psychology.

Student Groups Protest Anti-Choice Exhibit

Spiritual Youth for Reproductive Freedom (SYRF), Students for a Democratic Society, and other concerned students came out on Feb. 13 and 14 to counter protest the Genocide Awareness Project's campus exhibit. USF students braved the weather, including freezing rain, 8am-5pm both days, to demonstrate the pro-choice presence on campus. Pictured: WGS MA student Becky Killik, who is interning with SYRF.

More Good News About WGS MA Scholarship
Two WGS MA students have had papers accepted for presentation at the first USF Global Governance and Sustainable Communities Interdisciplinary Conference. Rakshinda Shah will be presenting “The Impact of Education on the Lives of Women in Chitral, Pakistan: 1962-2012." Samantha Heuwagen will be presenting "Reproductive Rights in Argentina."

Kiyanna Sawyer, WGS Major and President of Triota, WGS National Honor Society, organized a memorial on the anniversary of the death of Treyvon Martin. Here's the news story in the USF Oracle.

February 2013

WGS Grad Student News
Rakshinda Shah, WGS graduate student, has been accepted to present her paper "Health Issues among Afghan Refugees in Pakistan Malaria, Maternal Mortality and Mental Health: An Overview 1979-2012" at the 2013 International Medical Geography Symposium at Michigan State University. And Samantha Heuwagen, WGS Graduate student and Jennifer Iceton, Masters certificate student, have been accepted to present their work at the 15th Annual Women’s Studies Graduate Student Association Symposium - “Boundaries, Bodies, and Dissidence: Negotiating New Spaces of Feminist Knowledge" on March 29th in Boca Raton, FL at the Florida Atlantic University. Great work ladies!Congratulations to Alicia DeVita, WGS Major and Intern

Alicia DeVita is the first WGS undergraduate to apply for and receive IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval for her internship research. Here is Alicia's description of her project:
My research seeks to identify the most common variable that influences high school senior girls to not enroll in postsecondary education. High school graduates who believe they can sustain a life lived on minimum wage run the risk of becoming part of the statistics of people in Hillsborough County who live at a poverty level.  Education improves everyone’s paycheck, but based upon the gendered impact, it is even more important for women. Additionally, single mothers with only a high school diploma stand a greater risk of living an impoverished life.
I will be surveying young women in Hillsborough County from the ages of 18 to 23.  By isolating the variant with the highest correlation to students who did not pursue higher education, Hillsborough County’s educational and social system could then focus on improving these conditions. This improvement will minimize the symbiotic financial burden between the government and young adult women, especially those who are parents. In addition, the information provided by this study could potentially help school counselors and youth case managers better understand the conditions that negatively impact the future of their students, as well as positively impact the government’s welfare budget.

Congratulations, Alicia! What important work!

WGS Majors Spread the Word at Stampede

Taylor Riffey, Cassandra Novalien, and Alicia DeVita (left to right below) attended USF Stampede, a recruiting event for high school seniors and their parents, on Saturday, Feb. 16 at the Marshall Center. The three WGS majors and interns spoke with potential students about the joys of the major as well as ways to combine WGS with other majors at USF. Cassandra sold students on USF, emphasizing the need to get involved with student organizations. Taylor detailed courses, especially "The Politics of Women's Health" as a wonderful choice for Health Science Majors. Alley spoke in fluent Spanish with a family that spent almost 30 minutes visiting at the WGS table. A great morning for WGS majors and potential ones!

Alum News
Congrats to Brittany Taylor (WGS MA 2012), who just got a job as Outreach Specialist in HIV Services for DACCO (Drug Abuse Comprehensive Coordinating Office). She does HIV testing, counseling, and referrals, as well as community education about HIV prevention and transmission. She says, "I miraculously found a position using my graduate work in Women's and Gender Studies. So I'm very excited to be working with DACCO! It's a great feeling to use and apply my master's research and internship."

January 2013

In The News
WGS MA Grad, current instructor and all around department guru, Jennifer Ellerman-Queen, is quoted in Tampa Bay Edition of Creative Loafing article "Florida's Abortion Obstacle Course."
Our own WGS grad certificate student Kiersten Downs gave a kick-ass quote on p. 1A of the Tampa Bay Times today on women in combat.

Scholarships Available
The USF Alumni Association is currently acception applications for a $1,000 LGBT Scholarship. For the application and details, visit the website.

WGS Interns Win USF's Community Scholar Fellowships

WGS Interns Alicia DeVita (above left), Brittany King (above center), Sarah Preston (above right) and Alyssa Hughley are recipients of USF's Community Scholar Fellowships. The Community Scholars Fellowship program supports undergraduate students conducting research that benefits, and is carried out in partnership with community organizations, nonprofits, or local government agencies. Each fellowship comes with a $1,000 stipend to conduct research through their internships. Congratulations ladies!
To learn more about the WGS Undergraduate Internship program, visit the Internships page.
To learn more about USF's Community Scholars Fellowship program, visit the Office of Community Engagement & Partnerships page.

New Triota Inductees
Welcome to the new members of Triota, the USF Chapter of the Women’s Studies National Honor Society. Triota represents the cream of the crop of WGS majors with 3.5+ GPAs in WGS classes and a 3.0+ overall GPA. Our newest members are
Arielle Click
Carissa Correa
Alison Frierson
Jane Kim
Christina Newhart
Kimberly "Azure" Samuels
Retrina Thomas
Brava for your academic achievements and best wishes for continued success from all of us in WGS.

MA Student to Present at Symposium
WGS MA student Samantha Heuwagen will present her competitively selected paper "Reproductive Rights in Argentina" at the 15th International Medical Geography Symposium, scheduled July 7-12 at Michigan State in Lansing.




December 2012

Recruiting for WGS Faculty
The Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of South Florida invites applications for a full-time, permanent Instructor I. To view the job description, click here and to apply, visit the USF Careers website and search for position 00017222. The deadline for submitting applications is January 11, 2013. The Department of Women's and Gender Studies invites applications for a nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Women's Health, with a research and/or teaching focus on China, transnational feminisms, or global intersectionalities. To view the job description click here and to apply, visit the USF Careers website and search for postion 00006603. DEADLINE EXTENDED! Applications deadline is now January 4, 2013.

WGS MA Student Educates US Military Personnel About Sexual Agression

During the summer of 2012, WGS MA student Heather Kozar traveled around the world to educate tens of thousands military personnel about sexual aggression for the Department of the Navy Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Office. Kozar’s alma mater, Central Michigan University is home to Sexual Aggression Peer Advocates (SAPA), a student-run advocacy organization that runs a 24-hour crisis line, online advocacy, and educational programs. SAPA’s most well-know program, “No Zebras, No Excuses,” discusses sexual assault, stalking, sexual harassment, and domestic violence, and demands bystander intervention as a preventative measure. In addition, a strong focus of the program includes ways to support someone who has been affected by sexual aggression. Kozar was one of a cast of 13 advocates doing “No Zebras, No Excuses” training. She traveled to dozens of military bases in North Carolina, Virginia, Connecticut, Hawaii, California, Cuba, and Japan.

Audience at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, CT

WGS Interns Shine at the First WGS Internship Showcase

Click on photo to open slideshow.

More than 40 people attended the first WGS Internship Showcase, held at the USF Marshall Center on Dec 4, to celebrate the work of WGS Interns and their sponsor organizations. Dr. Christie Rinck, Director of the Internship Program, welcomed students and guests to the celebration of the research, activism, and service of our Interns to our community.

Sponsors who attended the Showcase included Mickey Castor of the League of Women Voters of Hillsborough County, Marilyn Shamblin of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Barnard Washington of Y.E.S. (Youth Education Services), Courtney Hendrickson of The Haven of RCS, Wendy Vasquez Ernest, of I Know My Plan, Sharon Dues of Sylvia Thomas Center for Adoptive and Foster Families, Ramon Tellado of Tampa Hillsborough Action Plan (THAP), and Michelle Crowder of Sunrise of Pasco County. Twenty  sponsors across Tampa Bay host our interns in their organizations.

Eighteen Interns created posters of their projects to display for the evening. WGS Interns Jackie Horwich, Mary Catherine Bertulfo, and Connor Menneto spoke on behalf of all interns, narrating the lessons they learned and skills they developed in their internships. The program for the evening is here with highlights of each intern’s projects.

Dr. Richard Pollenz, CAS Associate Dean and Director of Undergraduate Research, said of the event, “I thought the event tonight was fabulous.  For a first time cohort I thought it went very well and was very professional.  I was struck by the research that I saw in some of the posters. I think you have started something really powerful and would like to be involved as this continues to develop and move forward.”

We are especially grateful to Dr. Pollenz for underwriting the printing of the posters and to Dr. Allison Cleveland-Roberts, Assistant Dean of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies College of Arts and Sciences, for funding for refreshments.

Program

 

Updates

WGS major and intern, Kiyanna Sawyer, published an article on the website Fitsmi. The site is geared toward teen girls who are struggling with their weight. Read the article here.

 

 

 

 

November 2012

Open House: Build it and they will come!

Elizabeth Clifford, Sandy Lovins, Ray Gonzalez, and USF Facilities Staff

At the WGS Open House, Thursday, Nov 29, we opened our doors to students, friends, affiliates, staff, and administrators to show off our new home on the second floor of CMC. Informal tours, great food, slide shows on every computer, and terrific conversation ensued.

We were especially delighted to show our department “in use” to Elizabeth Clifford, the fabulous interior designer who created our new space, and her boss Ray Gonzalez, Assistant Director for Facilities Planning. Sandy Lovins, Vice-President for Administrative Services, was central at every step to making our new home beautiful, functional, and welcoming.

In the spirit of our WGS home and community, open house is every day! If you missed the event, please call to arrange a personal tour. Anytime! We’d love to show you around.

Ray Gonzalez, Elizabeth Bell and Elizabeth Clifford

Congratulations to WGS MA Graduate Mary Catherine Whitlock and current WGS MA student Eileen Dabrowski who have just been selected to be a Graduate Student Ambassadors. This select group of graduate students serves as an advisory group to the Graduate School Dean, mentors new graduate students, and serves as official student representatives for the Graduate School. It's a huge honor to be selected for this very small elite group, and Mary Catherine and Eileen will serve well. They makes us look good!

WGS undergraduate advisor and adjunct instructor, Dr. Christie Rinck received the Outstanding Undergraduate Advising Award at USF--one of only six given in the whole university! President Judy Genshaft and Provost Ralph Wilcox presented Dr. Rinck with this award at the Faculty Honors and Awards Reception held at the Alumni Center on November 26, 2012.

Walking Again for Women

November 16, 2012, the Women’s Status Committee sponsored the second Walking for Women at USF, to encourage USF staff, students, and faculty to build a daily walk into their schedules. More than 40 people braved the brisk, fall afternoon to walk the one-mile route (attach map here) and earn a WSC water bottle and energy snacks for the effort.As part of the WSC emphasis on health and well-being, the purpose of the Walk is to enable USF staff to find walking partners, agree on a walking schedule, and motivate each other to walk for at least 30 minutes each day.

Congrats to WGS Minor and recent USF graduate Aniska Tonge who won the title of Miss Virgin Islands 2012. "Tonge strives to never have that unyielding focus on her beauty over her value as a person," and she credits her WGS courses “Women and Media” and “Issues of Feminism” classes with Professor Kim Golombisky for helping her understand these lessons. Read the full article.

WGS and Stampede to Success

WGS Major and Triota Honor Society President Brieanna Nestler joined WGS Chair Dr. Elizabeth Bell at Stampede to Success on Saturday, November 17th. They talked to potential USF students about the importance of women's and gender studies issues and career paths for majors.

WGS Teaching Workshops

WGS Instructor Dr. Jessie Turner lead her second Feminist Pedagogy Workshop centered on online teaching. Her workshop "Multimedia Resources and Tools for Implementing Online Teaching Best Practices" built on the previous session's discussion about course design and optimizing student learning. If you are interested in attending future workshops, please email Ginny Scott at ginny1@usf.edu to be added to our mailing list.

Congrats to WGS MA student, Jessica Collard, who successfully defended her thesis "Can you believe she did THAT?! Breaking the code of "good" mothering in 1970s horror films."

Inaugural WGS Study Session, "Cram Slam" a success

The WGS community met in our new space in CMC for Cram Slam to get homework help, study with peers and discuss various feminist issues. Join us next Wednesday from 5-9pm in CMC 202 for round 2.

WGS MA student gets UN job in NYC

Update 11/7/2012: Morgan Eubanks (pictured right, second from left), WGS master's student finishing her thesis, is a Communications Intern for the New York office of the Committee on the Status of Women for the United Nations. Her tasks include updating the CSW Handbook along with the Committee website, and facilitating and attending events such as a recent panel with Charlotte Bunch. Her academic interest in and knowledge about refugees and Truth Commissions from her thesis research was a significant benefit during her multi-stage interview process. Her supervisor, Susan O'Malley, is a UN Representative for the International Federation of Business and Professional Women, as well as the Corresponding Secretary for the Working Group on Girls. Moe says of her time here at WGS: “The WGS program has seriously been incredible - it has been awesome knowing what people are talking about and being able to educate women on feminist methods, theory. ”

Early Morning Star

WGS and Sociology Associate Professor Michelle Hughes Miller shined on "Mom Squad," during the CBS-10 News WTSP's Morning Show. And at 5:40am! Michelle answered questions about some mother's concerns for tomorrow's election and the need for information on food labels. When asked to respond "Yes" or "No," Michelle answered, "Professors never answer 'yes' or 'no.'" Way to go, Michelle! Smart, witty, and accessible--doing the important work of a public intellectual. Watch the "Mom Squad" segment.

October 2012

WGS Impresses at CAS Research Showcase

WGS made its first appearance this year at the College of Arts & Sciences annual "Oktoberfest" research showcase. WGS faculty and undergraduate students were in attendance to highlight the awesome work done in the department this past year. Pictured are WGS majors Mia Lawrie and Mary Catherine Bertulfo.

WGS MA and Undergrad students attend Rally Our Way Forward/I Am Choice Rally

WGS student leaders attended the Rally Our Way Foward event in St. Petersburg and a few even had the opportunity to meet celebrated American feminist and journalist Gloria Steinem. Visit and "Like" our Facebook page to view more photos!

WGS and Potential Majors Shine at Stampede

Dana and Dr. Maryann Windey with USF Triota President Brieanna Nestler

Stampede for Success, held Saturday, October 20, at USF Marshall Center, was a bonanza as WGS representatives talked with high school students and their parents about the value of the WGS degree and Internship program. Paloma Adams, a senior honors' student at Blake High School for the Performing Arts in Tampa, and her parents, Martha and David Adams, asked terrific questions about WGS, our classes, and Paloma's future as a WGS and Mass Comm double-major. Dana Windey, in the IB Program at Cape Coral High School, and her mother, Dr. Maryann Windey, discovered that WGS classes featuring sexual violence and intimate partner abuse fit right in with Dana's plans to explore Psychology and women's issues.

WGS representatives, armed with departental brochures, tatoos, and Hershey's Kisses, brought the major to life. Brieanna Nestler, President of the USF Chapter of Triota, the National Women's Studies Honors' Society, shined as she described her double major in WGS and Sociology, as well as her summer internship with USF's Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity. Dr. Christie Rinck, WGS Undergraduate Advisor and Internship Director, offered her stellar advice on how to successfully navigate the program, and Elizabeth Bell, Chair of WGS, bragged on everything and everyone--especially on Brieanna and Dr. Rinck.
We've got our fingers crossed that we'll be welcoming Paloma and Dana to our WGS family in fall 2013. 

Miss Representation Screening

More than 400 people attended a Junior League screening of MissRepresentation, the documentary film on representations of women in the media by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, at the Tampa Theatre on October 16. A panel discussion followed the screening, moderated by Tampa Bay Times columnist Ernest Hooper and included panelists Elizabeth Bell, Dr. Dae Sheridan, and Janice Rodriguez. Hooper's article on the movie, discussion and why role models for young girls are more important than ever is here.

WGS 1st Feminist Pedagogy Workshop: Online Teaching with Dr. Jessie Turner

WGS introduced a new teaching workshop series dedicated improving feminist classrooms. The inaugural session, "7 Best Practices for Online Teaching" was lead by our new instructor, Dr. Jessie Turner, and discussed the best practices in design and implementation of an online course in order to optimize student learning. More workshops are coming and all disciplines are invited to attend. Watch our "Events" announcements for the next workshop!

Introductions and Congratulations
Our new federal work study student, Rebecca Mallick began this month and we have more new majors, Tiffany M, Hunter M, Ariel J, and Lola R. Our home is your home, and we're thrilled y'all are part of the WGS family.

Newly minted WGS MA grad, Zoe Fine is now working as an Employment Specialist for Washington & Alyeska Vocational Services. Her job is all about supporting people who have developmental and other kinds of disabilities land, maintain, and succeed in their jobs and workplaces. Zoe focuses on matching the unique talents of each individual with whom she works with the specific need of employers. For more information please feel free to check out the WAVS website for her organization at http://www.wvs.org/index.html or email her at zfine@wvs.org. Congratulations Zoe!Welcome to our new WGS majors !

September 2012

Best USF Faculty Quotation Ever
So says Vickie Chachere, News Manager, University of South Florida Communications, about Kim Golombisky's recent soundbite in the Tampa Tribune about the popular novel series 50 Shades of Grey. What did Kim say? “That's a Disney love story — with handcuffs and ticklers." Read the whole story here.

Sara Crawley, half-time WGS teaching faculty and Associate Professor of Sociology, makes the news!
Professor Rob Benford, Chair of Sociology, writes, "Dr. Sara Crawley was recently featured in USF’s Research and Innovation News and CAS News for her Gender, Sexuality and Power project in post-Soviet countries. To read more, click here. Sara’s work is creating new opportunities for scholars in several countries to acquire knowledge related to gender studies and feminist and queer theory as well as enhancing USF’s and Sociology’s global reputation.  Well done, Sara!"
Faculty, students, and staff of WGS second that!

August 2012

We've moved! Women's and Gender Studies has settled into our new home on the newly renovated second floor of CMC (formerly PHY). Please come by and visit us in the new space. CMC (CAS Multidisciplinary Complex) is directly west of the Library, across LeRoy Collins Blvd. Look for the big CMC sign outside the building's front door. Here's a campus map.

Congratulations to the Women's and Gender Studies graduates of Summer 2012! We are proud to recognize Marisa Adams, Lisa Ranon and Rima Tejwani (pictured above) who graduated with their BA in Women's and Gender Studies and our MA graduate Mary Catherine Whitlock who will continue at USF as a PhD student in Sociology. Congratulations and good luck, ladies.

July 2012

WGS faculty, staff, and students have had a terrific year, as anyone who follows this website knows. But click here to see a snapshot of all our good work in two handy pages.

June 2012

Congratulations to WGS MA student Mary Catherine Whitlock for successfully defending her thesis, "Selling the Third Wave: The Commodification and Consumption of the Flat Track Roller Girl." Mary Catherine will begin her PhD in Sociology at USF this fall.

Kudos to Kim Golombisky for her prominent and important entry, “Feminism,” in Sage’s newly released Encyclopedia of Gender in Media edited by Mary Kosut. Capturing the issues, development, and critical turns in media and feminism in the U.S. is no small task. Kim does it  in six pages. Brava! Kim also points out that From Mouse to Mermaid: Politics of Film, Gender, and Culture (Elizabeth Bell, Laura Sells, and Lynda Haas, eds.)  is one of the “classic books” listed in the Encyclopedia’s Resource Guide.

Happy Birthday Title IX--40 and still fabulous!
"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." --US Department of Labor, Title IX Education Amendments of 1972.

Passed in 1972, Title IX requires gender equity for boys and girls in every educational program that receives federal funding. The law covers ten key areas: Access to Higher Education, Career Education, Education for Pregnant and Parenting Students, Employment, Learning Environment, Math and Science, Sexual Harassment, Standardized Testing and Technology. To learn about Title IX at USF, you can read the USF Title IX Committee's Annual Report to the President 2011/12.

The Conversation Continues
Women’s and Gender Studies hosts World Café “Conversation2.0” to Launch WGS Society

Fifty-two women gathered on Wednesday, June 6 at USF’s Alumni Center to talk. Just to talk. While the laughter throughout the evening was abundant, the seriousness of women’s talk permeated the discussions. Elizabeth Bell, Chair of USF Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, welcomed all to the event and spoke of women’s talk as important work.

Bell listed just some of the ways that women have been discouraged from talking—in public and to each other. “Admonitions against women’s talk have always been severe. From Corinthians ‘Let your women keep silent in the churches,’ to the ducking stools of 17th century Europe, to the prohibitions against women giving speeches in 18th century America. Even today, the words for women’s talk—nagging, whining, small talk, gossip—are ways to diminish its worth.”

WGS Society Launch
Like the consciousness raising sessions of the 1960s women’s liberation movement, “The Conversation2.0” invited women from the community, USF, and faculty and students of the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, to share their experiences. Conversation2.0 launched the WGS Society, the new alumnae and friends group for the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies. Genie Skypek, Tampa psychologist, is one of the core organizers of the WSG Society, along with WGS MA alumnae Zoe Fine and Kelly Wagner.

“The USF Women’s Studies program was established in 1972—one of the oldest programs in the nation. In 1987, we offered the first bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies in Florida. In 1997, we began offering the Master’s degree. And yet WGS has never had an alumnae group,” Bell said.

Bell continued with her recruitment pitch: “It’s time to round up those forty years of USF Women’s Studies graduates, to partner with people in the community interested in gender equity and gender issues, and to ally with USF folks who share our interests in feminism and social justice.”

Genie Skypek also welcomed participants and emphasized the benefits of joining the WGS Society: invitations to USF and WGS events, film screenings, guest speakers, and priority invitations to the Conversation. More than 60 individuals have joined the WGS Society. The big push to contact forty years of WGS alumnae through the USF Alumni Association begins in July.

The Stars Came Out
During Conversation2.0, women shared experiences and ideas across feminist generations. Participants’ name tags indicated their generation by decade. Women aged 70 and over wore gold stars, women in their 60s wore silver stars, and on down to the 20-year-olds who wore “green” stars. A “world café” discussion format moved people to a new table every 30 minutes. As women moved to a new table to work on a new question, “stars” from every generation joined a new table.

Marlene Springer, Joan Chase, Eleanor Cecil, and Ruth Talley—all wearing gold stars of the “practically perfect in every way” age group—spoke of the early feminist movement of the 1960s. Springer said, “That was a terribly acrimonious time. Feminists disagreed with each other about liberation, especially the separatists who wanted nothing to do with men. I think we’ve learned better.”

Joan Chase, retired clinical psychologist, spoke of the early wage gap when women were thankful to have any professional job outside the home. “I was hired at considerably less salary than the men in the medical school. And every year, the gap between our salaries grew bigger.”

Eleanor Cecil, long time educator and activist, is a member of the Tampa Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Cecil arrived with her “NixSix” button, offering to run workshops for any groups interested in learning about the negative impacts on women of Proposition Six on Florida’s November ballot. Ruth Talley emphasized the importance of supporting women candidates for political office. She offered Emily’s List as a terrific political resource.

Eleanor Cecil

The Survey Said
Participants voted on preferences for the evening’s topics: from preferred gender pronouns, images of contemporary housewives, to girls and boys’ toys at the Disney store. The top vote-getters for discussion were:
Are we are experiencing a backlash against women today? If so, why?
For white, middle-class women, feminism opened up the professions. Yet 70% of women workers in America are not professionals but work in retail, service, clerical positions, or health care. Have working class women’s lives been changed enough by feminism?
If you could offer one word of advice to a girl today, what would that be?

The youngest women in the crowd, high school students Beth Burford and Karey Lipham, were guests of Julie Dumois-Sands, an alumna of the Women’s and Gender Studies MA program. They listened intently to words of advice, including Ayele Hunt’s recommendation: “Don’t wait until college to learn about feminism. Start in high school. It will change the way you look at the world.”

Inspiring, Depressing, and Extending Our Classrooms

Emily Ryalls

All the young women—green and red stars—spoke of the value of listening to their elders. Emily Ryalls, Visiting Assistant Professor in Communication, also attended the first Conversation. “Just like last year, it was one of the best things I've done this year. While at times depressing, it was also very inspirational.” Christie Rinck, Undergraduate Advisor in WGS, also spoke of the double-bind of inspiration and depression and the difficulty of “winding down after getting all riled up.”

Jan Roberts, longtime supporter of Women’s Studies at USF and former member of the WGS Community Advisory Board, was delighted to have met new WGS faculty. Michelle Hughes Miller, Sara Crawley, Diane Price-Herndl, Ednie Garrison, and Kim Golombisky all shared their knowledge of women’s issues, feminism, and gender theories.

Golombisky said, “The Conversation is an opportunity to extend our classrooms and to take feminism and gender theories into the world.” WGS Society members will have access to WGS faculty for guest speaking engagements, as well as opportunities to audit online and face-to-face classes.

For more information about the WGS Society, its benefits to community members and alumnae, and how to join, go to http://wgs.usf.edu/friends/

Click on photo to view the slideshow. Photos by Ginny Scott.

 

 

 

May 2012
The Women's and Gender Studies Department had a very successful Spring 2012 semester. We would like to congratulate our newly minted WGS MA graduates Jennifer Ellerman-Queen, Zoe Fine, Brittany Taylor and Elaine Taylor and Aubrey Hall, Marcy Hall and Alicia Torres who completed their undergraduate degree this semester as well. Also, congratulations to Women’s and Gender Studies majors who made the Spring 2012 Dean’s List of Scholars! They are Angela Kellogg, Charmaine Oliver, Rebekah Pere, Kalee Celani, Connor Menneto and Lacy Nauck. These students achieved GPAs in the top 10% of WGS majors. We’re proud of their commitment to WGS scholarship. Yes!

April 2012

Mediation Lawyer Role Plays with USF Students

TAMPA—“What does it cost to litigate a divorce with children and property?” asked Barbara A. Baccari, Esquire, a lawyer specializing in Family Law, during her April 25 talk with students in the Sociology and WGS class, “Women, Crime, and Justice.” Students guessed $1,000. Then $5,000.

“$20,000,” said Baccari. The gasps were audible. “And that’s $20,000 that a family could use for many other important things.” Compared to litigation, Baccari explained, mediation is cheaper, it can be tailored to the needs of the parties, and it offers a faster resolution. Surprises continued to unfold as Baccari took USF students through contemporary practices in alternative dispute resolution.

“In divorce court,” Baccari said, “one person leaves very happy. The other very unhappy. Mediation is unlike going to court. In mediation, a neutral third party helps two other parties come to agreement. In good mediation, both parties leave a little unhappy because the idea is to enlarge the pie, instead of dividing up the pie.”

While court divorce cases focus on winners and losers, in mediation sessions, Baccari often starts with the question, “How do you want your world to look?” From there, she can help the two parties come to agreements on those world views.

Baccari has been a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator for the past 15 years. She is a USF alumni, graduating in 1990 with a major in Political Science and a minor in Women’s Studies.  She attended Duke University Law School and focused on issues of employment law discrimination and women in the law. Today she runs a mediation practice called MediationWorks in Belleair, Florida.

Baccari invited students to role play a mediation session, creating a fictional couple in the throes of a contentious divorce—with children, property, and a relationship with a history of physical abuse. Students played husband Paul, wife Cherise, and Paul’s lawyer while Baccari spoke of how she sets up the room for ready escape should things turn violent. Safety issues, physical proximity, and a history of violence make for difficult mediation, Baccari said.

In the role play session, students quickly came to see how important an attorney, especially an aggressive attorney, is to the negotiations. The woman, already ashamed of the physical abuse she suffered in the marriage, rarely spoke up, further disadvantaging her in the mediation session. Women who are reluctant to speak about abuse in mediation are typical, said Baccari.

Baccari provided information and resources on domestic violence in Hillsborough County, again surprising students with the fact that Hillsborough County has the highest domestic violence arrest rate in the state for adults.

“Much of my mediation is reality testing,” she said. “When spouses make claims about themselves, I’ll ask, ‘Are you really the best father in the world? Really?’” Each mediation session lasts three hours, a very short time to grasp all the history, issues, and needs of the parties.

The role-playing session in class was even shorter, and students peppered Baccari with questions about “best interests of the child,” parental responsibility decisions, and duty to report.

Baccari adds to the impressive list of visitors in Professor Michelle Hughes Miller’s class focusing on the complex and problematic relationship among women, crime, and society, especially in terms of the pathways of women’s lives. Hughes Miller, Associate Professor of Sociology and Women’s and Gender Studies, said, “I've had women judges, lawyers, police officers, and prosecutors come to my classes over the years. Given that mediation is now required in Pinellas County for all divorce proceedings, my students need to be aware of the gendered cultural and structural constraints on everyone in the legal system.”

MA Talk and Toast

Three graduating MA students presented their Master’s theses and internship narrative at the Spring 2012 Talk and Toast on April 25. Zoe D. Fine, Brittany Taylor, and Mary Catherine Whitlock summarized their projects and fielded questions from the audience. Zoe D. Fine interviewed college students with invisible disabilities to put Disability Studies in conversation with Feminist Pedagogy literature—a conversation no one seems to be having. Brittany interned at Metro Wellness & Community Center, a local non-profit. She created prevention and retention plans and gained work experience in the feminist public health sector of HIV/AIDS research and advocacy. 

Mary Catherine’s  ethnography of local women’s roller derby found  troublesome enactments of third wave feminism. Advocating “Girl power!” while beating each other up in derby bouts seems oxymoronic.

When asked to give advice to current thesis and internship MA students, all three said to use current classes to make progress on the thesis or  narrative. Literature reviews, chapters, and proposals can all be developed in classes as part of the coursework. Voila! Huge thanks to Zoe, Brittany, and Mary Catherine for showing us all how it’s “Done and done!”

 

 

 

Triota Initiates WGS Crème de la Crème

On Friday, April 20, six new members joined the USF Chapter of Iota Iota Iota, the Women’s Studies National Honor Society. The new members are Tashanna Hammond, Sheryl Henry, Brittany King, Laydelis Piloto, Sarah Preston, and Kiyanna Sawyer. Triota recognizes WGS majors who have achieved a 3.5 GPA in WGS classes and a 3.0 GPA overall. Marisa Adams, Brieana Nestler, and Aubrey Hall, Triota officers for 2011-12, presented certificates and Triota pins to the new members. Congratulations to the Crème de la Crème! (Click on image to view the slideshow. Photos by Ginny Scott)

Women: Like Men, Only Cheaper!
Elizabeth Bell spoke with Adam Freeman, reporter for Channel 10 Tampa’s ABC affiliate, on the release of new gender wage gap statistics in Florida. Here’s the story and video.

WGS' own Dr. Ednie Garrison and MA student Brittany Taylor are presenting papers at the Gender, Bodies & Technology Conference in Roanoke, VA, April 26-28. Dr. Garrison's presentation is titled "Always (Almost) Queer: Somatographic Reflections," Brittany's s titled "All Fags are Frightening: Queer Surveillance in Postmodern Horror Films." For more information on the conference, visit: http://www.cpe.vt.edu/gbt/.

Dr. Christie Rinck, academic advisor to Women's and Gender Studies, Philosophy and Religious Studies, will present Not Your Grandma's Presentation: Using Prezi to Engage Your Audience at the National Academic Advising Association's national conference in Nashville, Tennessee this fall. This is the second year in a row that Dr. Rinck has been selected to present at the conference. Congratulations!

WGS Celebrates our Federal Work Study Students

We at Women's and Gender Studies are so grateful to our wonderful FWS student employees who help keep our department running each day. Jonathan Hurt (pictured above, middle) has been with WGS for almost two years, he is always ready with a friendly smile to our many visitors and lost students. He also sacrificed his jeans while helping repaint our offices and giving our spaces a much needed facelift. Caitlin Monaghan (pictured above, right) is completing her first year with us, she is proactive and a very hard worker. The newest member is Kiyanna Sawyer (pictured above, left). Kiyanna is a WGS major, Triota member and we know she will be a great addition to the WGS family. Thank you!

 

Congratulations to Caitlin Monaghan, recipient of the USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy Elsie A. Moore Scholarship! Caitlin is one of our FWS student employees and a WGS minor. For more on USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy, visit their website.

 

WGS Recognized with Lavender Bull Awards

USF’s Office of Multicultural Affairs celebrated the work of students, staff, faculty, and student organizations at their “Agents of Change” Awards Banquet on April 11. WGS garnered three important “Lavender Bull” awards. Zoe D. Fine (MA WGS May 2012) was recognized as a trainer for Safe Zone, an award-winning GLBTQ program that increases awareness of issues facing sexual minorities. Mary Catherine Whitlock (MA WGS August 2012) was named Graduate Student of the Year for her many contributions to the GLBTQ community and to the Office of Multicultural Affairs. The Department of Women’s and Gender Studies was named “Campus Partner of the Year” for the department’s multifaceted contributions to learning and service on behalf of intersectionality and feminism. Diane Price-Herndl and Elizabeth Bell represented WGS.

Learn more about the Office of Multicultural Affairs and how you can become involved here. Go Lavender Bulls!
http://www.multicultural.usf.edu/about.htm

WGS MA Students film review accepted for publication

Mary Catherine Whitlock and Zoe D. Fine, MA students in WGS, are expecting their first publication in May 2012.  "Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? A Review of Homonormativity in the The Kids Are All Right," will appear in The Journal of Humanity & Society. The review is part of a larger project on the film and stemmed from a coauthored paper they presented at the 2011 Southeastern Women's Studies Association Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. First publications are always exciting, and MC and Zoe express their gratitude to WGS faculty Michelle Hughes Miller and Ednie Garrison and Sociology faculty member, Shawn Bingham, for their support and feedback. Congratulations to MC and Zoe!

The Vagina Monologues at USF

Congratulations to the cast and crew of The Vagina Monologues, produced by USF student organization, the Feminist Student Alliance. The production, directed by Jackie Horwhich (WGS major) and assistant directed by Shelby Hill (WGS minor), played to packed and appreciative houses in the Marshall Center on April 6 and 7. The production rasied $3200 and all the proceeds from the production went to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay to benefit victims of sexual violence. Michelle Hughes Miller, faculty advisor of the Feminist Student Alliance, said, "Great performances! Several of our majors wowed the audience, and I couldn't be prouder of all their hard work." (Click on image to begin slideshow.)

 

WGS Faculty News

Diane Price-Herndl, Professor of English and Women's and Gender Studies, is the recipient of a USF Humanities Institute summer grant, a highly competitive program for funding work in the Humanities in the College of Arts & Sciences. Diane will use the grant to continue her work on representations of breast cancer across media and texts. From autobiographies to novels, poetry, and art, and from Supreme Court decisions to pink-ribbon campaigns, these representations shape realities—of illness, patients, families, and public health policy. Given the recent controversy over the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness campaign, Diane's work is cutting-edge across the Humanities and Social Sciences. Congratulations, Diane!

Michelle Hughes Miller, Associate Professor of Sociology and Women's and Gender Studies, has been elected in-coming Chair of the Title IX Committee, one of six Presidential Advisory Committees and responsible for yearly reporting on USF's compliance with all Title IX statutes. Congratulations to Michelle! Title IX could not ask for a better expert in gender issues to lead this important work.

 

 

 

March 2012

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

Elizabeth Bell and Kim Golombisky aren’t just terrific feminist teachers and scholars in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies. They’re also Chairs of two important Presidential Advisory Committees at USF: Kim chairs the Title IX Committee; Elizabeth chairs the Women’s Status Committee. On March 20, they represented their respective committees at USF’s annual Diversity Summit, sponsored by the USF Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity. The Summit brought together organizations from across USF, regional campuses, and the community to share successful strategies in diversity activism.

“Title IX does real work,” said Elizabeth, noting that the Committee is responsible for reporting annually on USF’s compliance with Title IX. “But your Committee gets to have fun,” said Kim. “You sponsor events, have receptions, give awards.” Both agree that their committees’ emphasis on women’s issues and gender equity deserves a seat at the diversity table.

Armed with committee brochures, applications, reports, and information about upcoming events, Kim and Elizabeth sneaked in plugs for WGS, too. They couldn’t help it.

Our Voices on International Women's Day

March 8: Four WGS students celebrated International Women’s Day in an hour-long broadcast on “Young Feminist Issues,” sponsored by Tampa Bay’s community-sponsored radio station, WMNF 88.5 FM. WGS "Feminist Issues" student Loren Fay Saunders, also a WMNF intern and one of the panelists, helped organize the show. Loren, along with Becky Killik, MA student in WGS, Brieana Nestler and Jackie Horowitz, undergraduates in WGS, spent an hour with Mary Glenney, longtime host of WMNF's "Women's Show." Loren, Becky, Brieana, and Jackie are representative of young activist feminists for whom the women’s movement is alive, well, and rewarding. Brava! to all for being a part of WMNF’s special day of broadcasting for International Women’s Day.

Listen to the show here: http://www.wmnf.org/program_strips/353
Just select March 8, 2012 and the 10-11am broadcast hour.

February 2012

Student Support Reproductive Justice

TALLAHASSEE—WGS student Arielle Click joined the Southwest and Central Florida Planned Parenthood affiliates on their lobby day at the Tallahassee Capitol Building on Tuesday Feb. 21. The groups lobbied the Florida Legislature to support women’s access to family planning services and to vote against the regressive bills currently under consideration that will further limit women’s reproductive choices. Then the group held a news conference arguing to expand women’s reproductive rights and access to reproductive health care.

 

 

 

 

Golombisky and Hagen Textbook Sells Like Hotcakes

Kim Golombisky, Associate Professor of Women's and Gender Studies, is preparing the second edition of her coauthored textbook, White Space is Not Your Enemy: A Beginner's Guide to Communicating Visually through Graphic, Web and Multimedia Design, with graphic designer Rebecca Hagen. Written for nondesigners, White Space is a practical graphic design and layout text introducing the concepts and practices necessary for producing effective visual communications across a variety of formats, from print to Web. In its first edition since only March 2010, White Space is Not Your Enemy has already sold 10,000 copies. Michael Hoad, Director of Communications for USF, keeps copies on his desk to give away; branding for USF Health is well represented in the textbook. Soon to be in its second edition, the textbook will include Hagen's cutting-edge design for the Women's and Gender Studies MA program.

Triota Officers Share the Wealth at Stampede

Aubrey Hall, Marisa Adams, and Briaena Nestler, officers of the Triota Women's Studies Honors Society, staffed the Women's and Gender Studies Table at Stampede, a recruiting event for high school seniors and their parents, on Saturday, February 4th. Aubrey, Marisa and Briaena spoke eloquently and passionately of their classes, professors, and projects to potential USF students. Dr. Christie Rinck, WGS Undergraduate Advisor and Dr. Elizabeth Bell, Chair, have attended four Stampedes this academic year. "Our students are our best advertisements," said Bell, who is grateful that Triota is joining the Stampede to put Women's and Gender Studies on the radar for incoming students.

January 2012

Congratulations to Miriam Anderson, Catherine Czerwein, Charmaine Oliver, Marissa Adams, and Brenda Gregory, Women's and Gender Studies majors who made the College of Arts and Sciences Dean's List of Scholars for Fall 2011. The Dean’s List of Scholars is only awarded to the top ten percent of the majors within our College who are full-time students.  Go WGS!

December

Congratulations to Cheryl DeFlavis and Kelly Wagner who graduated with their Masters in Women's and Gender Studies!

Dr. Christie Rinck, WGS Academic Advisor, wins USF Staff Award

"Women & Media" Students Produce Multimedia Projects

A Rockin’ Team: WGS Students Alexis Cruz, Alex Ernest, Billy McDonough, and Roselyn Almonte collaborated on “Women In Rock”

After spending the fall semester studying “Women & Media,” WGS students became “media producers.” Five teams in Dr. Kim Golombisky's Women & Media class produced five multimedia blog projects focusing on sometimes-controversial issues. Check out their work below.

Women in Rock Music:
http://musicmakinmamas.tumblr.com

Women as Gamers:
http://womengamers.weebly.com

Women as Audiences in Tampa:
http://Tampawomen.tumblr.com

Women in College Sports Media:
http://womenmediaandsports.tumblr.com

Porn is Empowering: An Opinion Piece:
http://pornempowerment.tumblr.com

WGS Undergraduate Stars Join Triota

New Triota Inductees: Rima Tejwani , Miriam Anderson,Marisa Adams, Mia Lawrie, Anna Armitage, Leslie Friedovitch, Brieana Nestler,Aubrey Hall, and Sally Haefling

Twenty-five Women’s and Gender Studies majors were initiated into Iota, Iota, Iota, the National Honors Society for Women’s Studies, on December 1. Triota recognizes outstanding scholarship in women’s studies and requires a 3.5 GPA in the major and a 3.0 GPA overall. Elizabeth Bell welcomed all the new initiates, introduced the WGS faculty and staff, and Ednie Garrison presented certificates of initiation to the attending new members.

Congratulations to the stars of the WGS Undergraduate Program! The Triota members are:

Marisa Adams
Miriam Anderson
Anna Armitage
Kalee Celani
Jenna D’Amelio
Stacy Demott
Alicia Devita
Sierra Devito
Leslie Fredotovich
Brenda Gregory
Sally Haefling
Aubrey Hall
Kerri Jacques
Tamara Johnson
Karen Jones

Mia Lawrie
Michelle Lewis
Katelyn Merritt
Brieana Nestler
Charmaine Oliver
Georgina Perez
Lieter Rios
Jessyca Rose
Jessica Schoenfeld
Amy Shehadeh
Rima Tejwani
Edy Urken
Lorrie Williams

Click on the image to begin the slideshow. Photographs by Ginny Scott