Director's Update

 End of Semester Update - Spring 2021

Dear WSRC Community,

Congratulations to everyone for a successful spring semester!  Commendably, Brandeis was able to hold some courses in-person, house students on campus, and graduate yet another class in the midst of a health crisis.  While so many other places still grapple with the effects of the pandemic, we are beginning to think toward a more “normal” semester in the fall.  It reminds us, of course, of the disparities of the world and the need for our continued connectedness.  

Our vibrant, energetic group of scholars kept up a steady stream of achievements.  A digital exhibit, “Women who Rock,” on the Boch Center/Wang theater marquee featured Susan Wilson’s striking photographs and brought renewed attention to her work; an exuberant Tina Turner drew attention from many different media outlets.  Ruth Nemzoff was quoted in The Washington Post and an article by Susan Eisenberg appeared in the Engineering News-Record.  Laury Gutierrez became the first recipient of the Thomas Zajac Memorial Scholarship, and Linda Bond and Donna Dodson opened their shows in May.  

We pivoted to online programming for the 2020-21 academic year and had close to 1300 attendees!  It certainly did not replace the warmth of our past events but it allowed us to reach an audience we could only dream of previously.  We hope to keep up a combination of in-person and online events to build on this momentum.

The applications for the upcoming year were perhaps the most diverse we have ever seen.  We welcome many new Visiting Scholars and Dissertation Scholars to the WSRC.  Our admissions committees did a wonderful job in selecting an inspiring, artistic, and intellectually engaged group of individuals.  And lastly, it gives me great pleasure to announce the birth of Henry Domenic Ballegeer to proud parents (and WSRC Assistant Director), Mary and Mark Ballegeer!  

I hope everyone has a restful summer,
Harleen

Cascading Lives: Stories of Loss, Resilience, & Resistance

The WSRC is delighted to announce that WSRC Director Dr. Karen V. Hansen and her co-investigator, Dr. Nazli Kibria of Boston University, have been awarded the Voices for Economic Opportunity Grand Challenge Grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Raikes Foundation. Their proposal, Cascading Lives: Stories of Loss, Resilience, & Resistance, was selected from 1,225 submissions and is one of 28 organizations from 18 states. Please view video here.

Innovative Research Into Gender and Women’s Issues
Working in the arts, humanities, and social sciences and at their intersections, the Brandeis Women’s Studies Research Center (WSRC) researchers and artists focus on vexing questions related to gender dynamics and inequalities. To illuminate the past and present, via empirical evidence and transcendent insight, the WSRC aims to construct a path to a more equitable future.
The WSRC acts as a nexus of three dynamic, integrated programs that operate on principles of interdisciplinary exchange and cross-generational partnership:
Suffrage and Citizenship

As the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment approaches, the Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program, the Women’s Studies Research Center, and the Politics Department at Brandeis are celebrating women’s suffrage.

Covid-19 Response: What's Now, What's Next

Brandeis’ Spring 2021 semester is being conducted in a hybrid fashion, with some students living on campus and taking a portion of their courses in person and some students studying completely remotely. Students, faculty and staff coming to campus should comply with all measures required within the Campus Passport, including testing and taking the Daily Health Assessment. For complete information, visit the COVID-19 Response website.