The School of Culture, Gender, and Social Justice

African American and Diaspora Studies

108 Ross Hall, (307) 766-2481
Director: Dr. Ulrich Adelt
Web site: www.uwyo.edu/aads

Professors:

JACQUELYN BRIDGEMAN, B.A. Stanford University 1996; J.D. University of Chicago 1999; Professor of Law 2008, 2002.

DARRELL D. JACKSON, B.A. College of William and Mary 1987; J.D. George Mason University School of Law 1990; Ph.D. University of Colorado School of Education 2011; Professor of Law 2018, 2013.

TRACEY OWENS PATTON, B.A. Colorado State University 1993; M.A. 1996; Ph.D. University of Utah 2000; Professor of Communication and Journalism 2012, 2003.

Associate Professor:

ULRICH ADELT, M.A. University of Hamburg, Germany 2000; Ph.D. University of Iowa 2007; Associate Professor of American Studies 2015, 2009.

Assistant Professor:

FREDRICK D. DIXON, B.A. Purdue University 1993; M.A. Northeastern Illinois University 2003; Ph.D. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 2018; Assistant Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies 2019.

Associate Academic Professional Lecturer:

MARY L. KELLER, B.A. Williams College 1987; M.A. Syracuse University 1992; Ph.D. 2002.

Lecturers:

JASCHA HERDT, B.A. University of Wyoming; M.A. 2011.

ERIC D. JOHNSON, B.A. University of Alabama 2003; MA, University of Iowa 2009; Ph.D 2021.

CHAD D. ROBINSON, B.S. Northewestern University 1992; MA, City University of New York 2006; M.S. Mercy College 2008.

The African American and Diaspora Studies Program, through an interdisciplinary course of study, examines the experiences of African Americans in the United States, in the context of Africa and its Diaspora in Europe and the Americas.

Undergraduate Studies

The population of Black America has nearly doubled in Wyoming since the year 2000. As the population becomes more diverse it is important to provide students with a background in multicultural relations so that they are prepared for the global workforce. We intend to provide students with the necessary knowledge to prepare them to participate in an increasingly interconnected world. Therefore, African American and Diaspora Studies offers a bachelor of arts (B.A.) and an undergraduate minor in African American and Diaspora Studies.

Students may access a copy of the undergraduate major and minor check sheets at www.uwyo.edu/aads/major-minor/index.html.

At present, no program for graduate degrees in African American and Diaspora Studies is offered; however, some courses may be counted at the graduate level.

Native American and Indigenous Studies

Main Office: 117 Native American Education, Research and Culture Center,
(307) 766-6520
Director’s Office: Native American Center,
(307) 766-6520
Web site: www.uwyo.edu/nais/
Director: Dr. Christopher Caskey Russell

Professor:

Associate Professor:

CHRISTOPHER CASKEY RUSSELL, B.A. Western Washington University 1993, M.A. 1996; Ph.D. University of Oregon 2001.

Assistant Professor:

JESSICA F. NELSON, B.A. University of Michigan 2006; M.A. University of Arizona 2011; Ph.D. 2018; Assistant Professor of Native American and Indigenous Studies 2019.

Assistant Lecturer:

ROBYN LOPEZ, A.A. Central Wyoming College 2004; B.A. University of Wyoming 2007; M.A. University of Hawai’i at Mānoa; Assistant Lecturer of Native American and Indigenous Studies 2019.

Adjunct Faculty:

(See Catalog section following name for academic credentials.)

Pamela Innes, Anthropology
Jeffrey Means, History

Affiliated Faculty:

ANGELA JAIME, B.A. California State Uni- versity, Sacramento; M.A. San Francisco State; Ph.D. Purdue University; Professor of Native American and Indigenous Studies 2019, 2004.

The Native American and Indigenous Studies offers an academic major at the undergraduate level and a minor at both the undergraduate and graduate level. This interdepartmental course of study examines Native North American cultural and social life, as well as Indigenous cultural and social life globally, including economic, political, and educational systems. Historical and contemporary perspectives of American Indian and global Indigenous experiences are included in this program.

Students may choose a NAIS studies minor to complement a major field of study. Related disciplines include American studies, anthropology, art, ethnic studies, geography, history, law, music, philosophy, political science, and sociology. A minor in Native American and Indigenous Studies provides excellent preparation for teachers, researchers, social workers, healthcare providers, resource managers, economic developers, and legal practitioners.

Gender and Women’s Studies

108 Ross Hall, (307) 766-2733
FAX: (307) 766-2555
Web site: www.uwyo.edu/gwst

Director: Michelle Jarman

Professors:

CATHERINE CONNOLLY, B.S. State University College at Buffalo 1984; M.A. State University of New York at Buffalo 1989; J.D. 1991; Ph.D. 1992; Professor of Sociology and Women’s Studies 2004, 1998, 1992.

COLLEEN DENNEY, B.A. Louisiana State University 1981; M.A. 1983; Ph.D. University of Minnesota 1990; Professor of Art 2005, 1990; Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies 2009.

Assistant Professor:

Visiting Assistant Professors:

SAMANTHA L. VANDERMEADE, B.A., Appalachian State University, 2009; M.A., North Carolina State University, 2015; Ph.D., Arizona State University, 2020; Visiting Assistant Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies 2020.

Assistant Lecturer:

ALISON QUAGGIN HARKIN, B.A. Trinity College at the University of Toronto 1981; M.A. Athabasca University 2010; Assistant Lecturer of Gender and Women’s Studies 2019.

Professor Emeriti:

Susan McKay (Distinguished Professor Emeritus in Gender and Women’s Studies)

Adjunct Faculty:

(see department section following name for academic credentials)

Ulrich Adelt, African American and Diaspora Studies, American Studies

Stephanie Anderson, Political Science

Cecelia Aragon, Latina/o Studies, Theatre and Dance

Christine Boggs, Elbogen Center for Teaching & Learning

Christin Covello, Gender and Women’s Studies

Susan C. Frye, English

Teena Gabrielson, Political Science

Susanna Goodin, Philosophy

Cynthia Hartung, Psychology

Isadora Helfgott, History

Michelle Jarman, Disability Studies, WIND

Frieda E. Knobloch, American Studies

Renee Laegreid, History

Barbara Ellen Logan, History

Tracey Patton, African American and Diaspora Studies, Communication and Journalism

Chian Jones Ritten, Agricultural and Applied Economics

Nancy Shea, Gender and Women’s Studies

Nathanial Smith, Gender and Women’s Studies

Lilia Soto, American Studies, Latina/o Studies

Grant Walsh-Haines, Gender and Women’s Studies

Rachel Watson, Chemistry, Director, Queer Studies

NOTE: Gender & Women’s Studies is in the process of changing our course prefix to GWST (from WMST). All former WMST courses will count toward Gender & Women’s Studies degree programs.

The Gender and Women’s Studies Program offers an interdisciplinary course of study that examines the relevance of sex, gender and sexuality in history, societies, and cultures. Students may earn a major, minor, or graduate minor in Gender and Women’s Studies, or a minor or graduate minor in Queer Studies.

Students graduating with a degree in Gender and Women’s Studies will have skills to apply in a variety of settings indicated by their ability to:

Engage in intersectional, interdisciplinary feminist analysis.
Analyze socio-historical and contemporary power dynamics underpinning group relations, social institutions, and systems of representation.
Situate their analyses within various place-based contexts, including the rural, local, community, transnational, and global.
Understand and articulate the history, strategies, and goals of interconnected movements for social justice.
Demonstrate mastery of critical thinking skills necessary to succeed in diverse, 21st century work forces and communities.

Major Requirements

For the Gender and Women’s Studies major, the student must complete 30 credit hours of Gender and Women’s Studies courses. All courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or better.

Core Courses (9 credit hours)

1. Introductory Course: (3 credits)

Choose ONE from: a. GWST 1080: Intro to Women’s Studies or b. GWST 2000: Intro to GLBTQ/NS Studies or c. GWST 1900: Women & Leadership

2. Theory/Methods Courses (6 credits)

a. GWST 3710: Gender & Humanities or GWST 2500: Gender & Society or GWST 4210: Feminist Research Methods; and

b. GWST 4700: Feminist Theories

Free Electives: 21 credit hours.

Students may choose from our full complement of courses to complete their major requirements. We encourage students to take courses that are history-based, transnational, and those that address sexuality, ethnicity, and identity. Students have the option to do 21 hours in one of the following areas, in one or more areas, or create an independent path under consultation with the advisor. Possible areas of emphasis include: Culture and Representation; Science, the Body and Sexualities; Social Policy and Social Justice; Independent Path. (see advisor for list of offerings) As part of their 21 free elective hours students, with a minimum GPA of 3.300, have the option of pursuing internships (GWST 4970).

Gender and Women’s Studies with Honors

Honors in Gender and Women’s Studies recognizes academically ambitious students who have excelled in their undergraduate careers, and who are ready for graduate school and/or employment in the public or private spheres. Requirements include an overall minimum GPA of 3.500 and the completion of GWST 4965, Senior Honors Project. Students in the UW Honors College, McNair Scholars Program, or other departments that require completion of an independent research project may dovetail their honors work in GWST with those programs. For students beginning in Fall 2015, Honors in Gender and Women’s Studies requires the completion of 3 semesters of foreign language or sign language, or a concentration in quantitative analysis and research methods, including statistics.

Minor Requirements

For the Gender and Women’s Studies minor, students must complete 18 hours of GWST course work including one of the following core courses: GWST 1080, 1900, 2000, 3500, 3710, 4210 or 4700. A minimum of 12 hours of credit in the minor must be exclusive of hours earned in the student’s major. Nine of the required hours must be 3000-level or above. All classes for the minor must be completed with a grade of “C”or better.

Minor in Queer Studies

The Queer Studies minor requires the completion of 18 hours of classes, including GWST 2000-Intro to LGBTQ/NS and nine or more credits at the 3000-level or above. Each semester, students, in consultation with a queer studies advisor, will choose elective courses. A capstone project or internship is required but can be variable and determined in consultation with an advisor.

An interdisciplinary, independent Queer Studies advisory committee advises the program on curriculum, scheduling and coordination. A faculty mentor is assigned to the student on declaration of the minor.

The advisory committee for the minor includes:

Rachel Watson, Director Queer Studies, Chemistry

Ulrich Adelt, American Studies, African American & Diaspora Studies

Ruth Olga Bjorkenwall, Politics, Public Affairs, & International Studies

Christine Boggs, Ellbogen Center for Teaching & Learning

Catherine R. Connolly, Gender & Women’s Studies

Danielle Renee Cover, Law

Michelle Jarman, Disability Studies (WIND)

Barbara Ellen Logan, History

Jamie Snyder, Criminal Justice & Sociology

Lilia Soto, American Studies, Latino/a Studies

Jennifer Tabler, Criminal Justice & Sociology

Graduate Study

Students interested in a graduate minor in Gender and Women’s Studies or Queer Studies should contact the Director of the Program for enrollment.

Minor in Gender and Women’s Studies

A total of 12 hours of course work is required, including nine hours at the 5000-level and including GWST 5710, Feminist Theoretical Perspectives. When practical, students should include a GWST faculty member on their thesis, dissertation or Plan B committees. Students in professional programs without a culminating research project (or those whose graduate work is outside of GWST) can meet this requirement through alternative means.

Minor in Queer Studies

A graduate minor in Queer Studies requires the completion of 12 hours, including GWST/AMST 5430, Queer Theory, a minimum of 6 hours at the 5000+ level, and a capstone experience or independent study. For committee-based degree programs with QS content it is expected that the student will include one committee member from QS.

Latina/o Studies

108 Ross Hall, (307) 766-4127
Web site: uwyo.edu/ltst
Director: Dr. Lilia Soto

Professor:

CECILIA ARAGON, B.S. McMurry University Texas 1991; M.A. University of New Mexico 1996; Ph.D. Arizona State University 2003; Professor of Theatre and Dance and Latina/o Studies 2017, 2005.

Associate Professor:

LILIA SOTO, B.A. University of California, San Diego 2000; M.A. University of California, Berkeley 2003; Ph.D. 2008; Associate Professor of American Studies and Latina/o Studies 2017, 2010.

Visiting Assistant Professor:

MARGARITA PIGNATARO, B.A. Florida State University; M.A. Arizona State University, Ph.D.; Visiting Assistant Professor of Latina/o Studies 2018.

Adjunct Faculty:

Jennifer Macias, Adrian Molina, Dewey Gallegos, Estella Soto, Macros Martinez

Faculty and Staff Affiliates:

Jacqueline Shinker, Geography
Mark Guiberson, Communication Disorders
Carolyne Larson, History
Conxita Domènch, Spanish Literature
Joy Landeira, Spanish
Irene Checa-Garcia, Spanish Linguistics
Rachel Sanchez, Office of the Registrar

State-Wide Advisory Board:

Connie Coca
Ana Cuprill
Linda Devine
Floyd Esquibel
Mary Elizabeth Galvan
Chris Novarro
Milton Ontiveros
Ann Redman

The Latina/o Studies program, through an interdisciplinary and comparative approach examines the history, cultures, language and contemporary experiences of Mexicans, Mexican-Americans and other Latinos/ as in Wyoming, and the United States.

Learning Outcomes

Latina/o Studies courses emphasize perspectives that are historical and contemporary, theoretical and practical, as well as critical and aesthetic. These perspectives help to develop an understanding of oppression and resistance, at the individual, institutional, and ideological levels.

Upon completion of the University of Wyoming Latina/o Studies minor curriculum, students will have an awareness and appreciation for the Latina/o experience. Particularly as the Latina/o experience is expressed in the following concepts and principles of organic insight, relational awareness, historical perspective, power for social change, intersectionality, and aesthetics.

Organic Insight - The development of a contextual framework for understanding one’s own and others’ experiences in relation to the Latina/o experience.
Relational Awareness - The development of a theoretical framework for understanding how institutional social structures impact individuals, families, and communities, and in turn, how individuals, families, and communities impact social structures through resistance, social agency, and change.
Historical Perspective - The development of a critical historical viewpoint for understanding how struggles around social, economic, and political forces have shaped the traditional and contemporary Latina/o Diaspora.
Power for Social Change - The development of a critical consciousness, which is necessary for a social praxis that combats oppressive racist ideologies and social structures that perpetuate individual and institutional inequalities.
Intersectionality - Gaining an awareness of the intersection of race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexual orientation as it plays out organically, relationally, historically, and politically.
Latina/o Aesthetics - The development of an appreciation and awareness of the aesthetics evident in Latina/o art, music, theatre, literature, and other artistic expressive forms and styles.

Latina/o Studies Minor

Latina/o Studies offers an undergraduate minor. The minor in Latina/o Studies requires 18 credit hours. Two of those courses (6 hours) must include the required foundation courses, and the remaining courses (12 hours) can be selected from the other areas of studies listed below.

Programs

Major

Minor

Certificate

Teachers of American Indian Children (TIAC) (Teaching) Endorsement/UW Certification