Charlie Yi Zhang received his Ph.D. in Gender Studies from Arizona State University in 2013. After joining University of Kentucky in August 2015, he soon found his intellectual home in the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies. For the fall of 2015, he taught GWS 250: Social Movements and GWS 302: Gender Across the World—Transnational Perspectives and will teach GWS 200: Sex & Power and GWS 302: Gender Across the World- Masculinities during the spring 2016 semester. In addition to teaching, Dr. Zhang is currently finishing a book manuscript titled “China in Transition: Queering the Intersectional Logic of Neoliberalization.” Focusing on China’s recent social changes, this book intends to shed light on how the Chinese government has been managing and regulating the Chinese population and individual life through the intersectional lenses of gender, class and
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I am indebted to the training I received in Gender & Women’s Studies at University of Kentucky. I came to GWS as a Psychology major interested in bridging theory and praxis in an Honors thesis project. I enrolled in my first GWS class, Social Movements, with Srimati Basu after seeing a flier on campus. Srimati’s enthusiasm for—and willingness to advise—my project was a warm welcome to the department’s diverse, interdisciplinary community of scholars, whose passion for teaching and commitment to students’ success fostered my growth as an academic, writer, and social justice advocate. Srimati suggested new methods and itineraries for my research, Carol Mason encouraged brevity and precision in my writing, Jan Oaks and Patricia Cooper introduced exciting scholarly terrains on film and spirituality, and Susan Bordo consistently supported my community activism and interest in graduate
By Jennifer T. Allen
The 25th volume of Social Theory journal disClosure was recently released focusing on the topic of “Transnational Lives.” The issue’s theme brings together a variety of genres, including creative pieces, analytical articles, interviews and art, as it explores concepts related to the topic.
“Simple words such as ‘home’ or ‘religion’ take on an entirely new meaning when they are considered across transnational spaces,” said Catherine Gooch, co-editor of the issue and graduate student in the Department of English. “In addition, there are larger implications both on a personal and public level. If we think about our economic system and how globalization has caused capitalism to expand transnationally, around the world, we see how this economic expansion impacts everything from our personal lives to the higher education system.”
Dr. Mahmood
(June 2, 2016) — Award-winning Native American poet Natalie Diazwill open the 2016 Kentucky Women Writers Conference, running Sept. 16-17, in Lexington. Diaz's work will also be among the topics of a free poetry workshop presented June 11, at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.
Poet Natalie Diaz reads from her first poetry collection "When My Brother Was an Aztec."
Natalie Diaz was born and raised in the Fort Mojave Indian Village in Needles, California, on the banks of the Colorado River. She is Mojave and an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Tribe. Her first poetry collection,
By Weston Loyd
(April 25, 2016) — The University of Kentucky's Gaines Center for the Humanities, the College of Arts and Sciences and the Working Group on War and Gender, an interdisciplinary group of scholars at UK, are teaming up to present a new program as part of the Gaines Center’s series on violence and the human condition. The series’ fifth event is the "Symposium on War and Gender." This two-day event, running April 28-29, is comprised of four different sessions and is free and open to the public.
"The symposium is for undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty to explore how wartime violence affects both men and women and
University of Kentucky College of Communication and Information senior Kristyn Cherry will serve as student speaker during the December 2015 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony Friday, Dec. 18. Read more here
By Gail Hairston
(Nov. 16, 2015) — Two films highlighting America’s racial conflicts will be shown on the University of Kentucky campus this week, with time scheduled for discussion afterward.
At 6 p.m. today, the documentary “Let the Fire Burn,” will be shown at the UK Athletics Auditorium in William T. Young Library, followed by a panel discussion hosted by the UK Martin Luther King Center and the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Gender and Women’s Studies and the African American and Africana Studies Program.
“Let the Fire Burn” recounts the 1985 tragedy when Philadelphia police, with authorization from the mayor, responded to a stand-off with a black liberation group the city was trying to evict from its communal house in West Philadelphia by dropping a firebomb on the roof, burning the house to the ground and killing 11 MOVE
By Whitney Hale
(Oct. 20, 2015) — The University of Kentucky's Gaines Center for the Humanities and the Department of Gender and Women's Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences are teaming up with the Office of LGBTQ* Resources, the Martin Luther King Center, the African American and Africana Studies Program and Black Student Union to present three events exploring violence against members of the LGBTQ* and Black communities as
By Gail Hairston
(Oct. 8, 2015) — Roxane Gay was born in Nebraska, of Haitian descent, but her family moved quite a bit during her childhood. That doesn’t completely explain the divergent, eclectic nature of her writing, but perhaps it’s a starting point.
Like many children who felt a bit isolated from their peers, Gay turned to books to find friends. By the time she was in her teens, she was already writing essays. But it’s only been in the past few years that her books and stories began flying from bookstore shelves and garnering the favorable attention of critics.
She is the author of the short story collection "Ayiti" (2011), the novel “An Untamed State” (2014), the essay collection "Bad Feminist" (2014), and “Hunger” (forthcoming 2016). She also edited the book “Girl Crush: Women's Erotic Fantasies.” Her writing has appeared or is
By Whitney Hale
(Sept. 17, 2015) — In recent months, there has been much discussion of both the LGBTQ* and African-American experience in the nation. However, very little discussion to date looks at the experience of African-American members of the LGBTQ* community.
A new panel discussion, "WE ARE HERE!," hopes to bring that conversation to light in the Bluegrass from 2-4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Lexington Public Library's Farish Theater, located in downtown Lexington. The event is free and open to the public.
"WE ARE HERE!" will explore the range of different life experiences and well-being, as well as the importance of keeping those memories alive and preserved. It will also look at the LGBTQ*
By Bryant Welbourne
(Sept. 14, 2015) — Twenty-eight students representing each Southeastern Conference university will study abroad during the 2015-16 academic year, the result of a contribution to the league by Dr Pepper. The longtime SEC corporate sponsor allocated $100,000 to the conference to provide study abroad opportunities for high achieving SEC students with demonstrated financial need who represent nontraditional study abroad participants.
Two students from each university are recipients. From the University of Kentucky, Adam Creamer, an environmental science major, will travel to Costa Rica, and Rockia Harris, a gender and
By Whitney Harder
(July 17, 2015) — Summer: a time to catch up on neglected projects, reconnect with old friends and tackle that summer reading list. Whether it's an inspiring autobiography, the latest science fiction, or re-reading the classics, many are immersing themselves in a range of literature this season. For professors at the University of Kentucky, they are not only cracking open new books, but reflecting on those that have impacted their lives and careers in surprising ways.
Read below for the first in a series of professors reflecting on the books that shaped them.
J. C. Hubbard Professor of Chemistry
Quite a few books have resonated with me over the years. The earliest would be the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy by
By Rachel Lorch
The American Sociological Association (ASA) named Margaret McGladrey, Assistant Dean for Research for the College of Public Health and part-time Ph.D. student in the Department of Sociology, the 2015 recipient of the Student Forum Paper Award.
Comprised of more than 13,000 members, the ASA is the largest professional organization in the discipline of sociology. The association is the publisher of nine professional journals and magazines, and hosts an annual meeting for its members.
Every year, the Student Forum Advisory Board Paper Sessions and Roundtables sub-
A Tribute to Jan Oaks (May 3, 2015):
I am so very glad that we have this opportunity to come together to remember and celebrate the life and work of Jan Oaks who has touched us all in so many ways and leaves us with many treasured memories. Jan taught at UK for 31 years and her generous imagination, creativity, and presence warmed so many of us who took her classes, sat in long laborious meetings with her to build GWS and the WWC, and most of all, the informal chats and lunches that Jan always made time for. Jan indeed was brimming with generosity, zest, and passion. She loved to talk about feminism, poetics, students, movies, felines, novels, detectives, crime, sports, madness… Despite a heavy teaching load as a senior lecturer, Jan was always a muse for her students. In the recent weeks, I have heard numerous stories of how Jan opened up to her students new
Dear GWS students, faculty, and friends,
On Monday May 4, 2015, from 3:00-4:30, GWS will host a tribute to Dr. Jan Oaks, followed by a reception from 4:30-5:00 at the Commonwealth House (part of the Gaines Center) at 226 East Maxwell Street. We are hoping that you will join us for this celebration and acknowledgement of Jan’s life and her generous contributions to students, colleagues, and the university. We would also like to invite you to participate in this tribute by sharing your memories, stories, or thoughts about Jan. We would like to post them, with your permission, on our GWS website. We plan to finalize our program for the tribute by Monday April 27, so please send us your remembrances to Michelle Del Toro at michelle.deltoro@uky.edu by then, and let us know if you would like to read them at the tribute or have
By Gail Hairston
(April 8, 2015) ‒ Anna Secor, professor of geography, social theory, and gender and women’s studies at the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, has been named the university’s first Hajja Razia Sharif Sheikh Islamic Studies Professor.
The endowed professorship was created by Dr. Hamid Hussain Sheikh Sr. (a Lexington obstetrics and gynecology specialist) and his wife Amy Lee Sheikh, in memory of his mother Hajja Razia Sharif Sheikh. A native of Lahore, Pakistan, Hajja Sheikh was active in her community and a leader in her faith. Although she did not receive a formal
By Gail Hairston
(March 24, 2015) — Filmmakers Beth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle visit the University of Kentucky today, Tuesday, March 24, to screen and discuss their film “Goodbye Gauley Mountain: An Ecosexual Love Story.”
In a news release about the film, Stephens stated, “MTR (mountaintop renewal) must be stopped in order to ensure a future that includes clean air and water, as well as social justice. Our activist strategy is to switch the metaphor from ‘Earth as mother’ to ‘Earth as lover’ to garner more love and empathy for the mountains. It will take time, but we’ll get there.”
The free event is slated at 2 p.m. today, in the auditorium of William T. Young Library. It is co-sponsored by UK
By Lydia Whitman
(March 12, 2015) The University of Kentucky Gaines Center for the Humanities has chosen 12 outstanding undergraduates as new scholars for the university's Gaines Fellowship Program for the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 academic years. Gaines Fellowships are given in recognition of outstanding academic performance, demonstrated ability to conduct independent research, an interest in public issues and a desire to enhance understanding of the human condition through the humanities.
Gaines Fellowships are awarded for the tenure of a student's junior and senior years,
By Whitney Harder
(Feb. 26, 2015) — While the many new facilities being constructed on the University of Kentucky campus are utilizing cutting edge green building techniques, some of these advances can also be used to illuminate the charm of existing buildings. This is the case with Breckinridge Hall, an 85-year old building that recently received a complete overhaul of its lighting system.
Britney Thompson, the energy engineer for the UK Campus Physical Plant Division and project lead for the Breckinridge Hall lighting upgrade, believes it is the first building on UK’s campus to get a full LED retrofit. This upgrade in Breckinridge Hall will drastically
By Sarah Schuetze
Traveling on the winding roads through the mountains of West Virginia, six people quickly realize that the mountains and the mountain folk are their worst nightmare. This is the premise for the film Wrong Turn, which is an example of “hillbilly horror” and a derogatory portrayal of Appalachia in popular culture.
Images of Appalachia and Appalachians in popular media range from idyllic to horrifying, and this semester, students in Professor Carol Mason’s course, Gender, Film, and Appalachia will examine this range of representation. The class is offered for credit through both the