GWSS Newsletter 02.07.2020

Events

1. Council of Graduate Students Happy Hour 2. Wellbeing Series Lecture featuring Rhonda Magee 3. 2020 Interdisciplinary Dissertation Proposal Development (IDPD) Workshop 4. This Free North: Black History at the University of Minnesota 5. GWSS Colloquium: Indian Colonialism: Nation, Gender, and Occupation in Kashmir

Scholarships/Fellowships/Job Opportunities

1. UC Santa Barbra Assistant Professor in Queer Migrations Department of Feminist Studies
2. Steven J. Schochet Interdisciplinary Fellowship in Queer, Trans, and Sexuality Studies 2020-2021
3. Macalester Visiting Assistant Professor in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies
4. Mellon/ACLS Public Fellows program
5. Two tenure-track positions in GWS

Call for Papers/Proposals

1. Futures of Sexual Difference: Rethinking Femininity and Queerness with Psychoanalysis
2. #2020NWSA Conference Proposals

Recognitions/Awards/Publications

1. SeungGyeong Ji awarded the 2020-21 IDF

Miscellaneous

1. IMPORTANT: Register by March 2 for graduate student commencement ceremony

Events

1. Council of Graduate Students Happy Hour Friday, February 7, 2020 | 4:00-6:00 p.m. | The Corner Bar Join in for the first COGS Happy Hour of the semester this Friday! Come socialize with colleagues and meet new grad students while enjoying some tasty brews and appetizers. You must buy your own beer, but COGS will buy the appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages. This is a graduate student event only.

2. Wellbeing Series Lecture featuring Rhonda Magee Tuesday, March 24, 2020 | 3:30 p.m. | Memorial Hall, McNamara Alumni Center In this interactive session, lawyer, author, mindfulness teacher and storyteller Rhonda V. Magee will discuss the links between embodied mindfulness and compassion practices and working to disrupt bias and bring about anti-oppressive social change. She will show how awareness practices may be the hidden keys to effectiveness in the work of healing, peacemaking and doing justice. Rhonda will offer discussion and practices based on her new book, The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness. 3. 2020 Interdisciplinary Dissertation Proposal Development (IDPD) Workshop Successful applicants will receive $3,000 (and 3 graduate credits) for summer research, travel, and living expenses, and must participate during all workshop dates, late spring and early fall 2020. Application, eligibility, and workshop details are now available. (z.umn.edu/idpdstudentapp)  Applications are due February 28, 2020. WHY SHOULD YOU APPLY TO THE IDPD WORKSHOP? The purposes exceed the financial support. The Workshop should appeal to students who want help shaping a dissertation prospectus that will speak to funders and who want to understand how review panels do their work. During the workshop, students will learn how to use common components of dissertation prospectuses to better communicate their research; how the summer research experience can be used to improve the dissertation; and how to translate their research into fundable proposals.  WHAT DOES THE WORK CONSIST OF? Before the Workshop begins every student completes a workbook providing details about the current status of their research. The Workshop itself consists of info sessions and roundtables of students and faculty, discussing and revising the workbooks, whose components form the basis of a research proposal. Students from different disciplinary backgrounds engage intensively with each other and each student meets individually with the faculty facilitators as well. To accomplish these ends the Workshop is divided into late spring and early fall components, with a period of summer research between. QUESTIONS? Contact IDPD@umn.edu 4. This Free North: Black History at the University of Minnesota A documentary produced by TPT (Twin Cities PBS) and the University of Minnesota in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the African American & African Studies Department 5–7:30 pm, Northrop (5 p.m. reception, 6 p.m. premiere, followed by discussion) This Free North explores achievements and obstacles that shaped Black history on the University’s Twin Cities campus and within the community, and it offers reflections on the people and events that led to the creation of the University of Minnesota’s African American & African Studies Department on the Twin Cities campus.   The premiere will be immediately followed by a panel discussion, with panelists looking from the perspective of this history to what’s next for the UMN Twin Cities campus, as we continue our efforts to create and sustain an inclusive, welcoming campus.  The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required; please register here or call 612-624-2345. This event is cosponsored by the Office for Student Affairs, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, Office of the President, Multicultural Student Engagement, University of Minnesota Alumni Association, Office for Equity and Diversity, Department of African American & African Studies, and College of Liberal Arts.

Scholarships/Fellowships/Job Opportunities

1. UC Santa Barbra Assistant Professor in Queer Migrations Department of Feminist Studies

The Department of Feminist Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of assistant professor in queer migrations. Research may focus on trans/queer geographies, immigration and migration, racialization, decoloniality, and flows of people, ideas, and objects across borders. Of special interest to us are innovative methodological approaches to gender and sexual citizenship, discourses of belonging, and
human rights in the context of state and social violence against LGBTQ communities in historical or contemporary national and transnational frames. This position is part of a campus-wide cluster hire in migration/immigration, with the expectation of continuing collaboration among faculty hires.

Applicants must have completed all requirements for the PhD, except the dissertation, in feminist/women's/gender studies or a related interdisciplinary field at the time of application. Additionally, the candidate must have a fully conferred PhD by the anticipated appointment start date of July 1, 2020. The Department is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the
diversity and excellence of the academic community through research, teaching, service, and mentoring. The position entails participation in the LGBTQ Studies minor and teaching core and specialized courses. We have a thriving major, minor, and PhD program with a focus on new sexualities and social justice from intersectional and transnational perspectives.

Apply by February 9, 2020 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) for primary consideration; position will remain open until filled. Applicants should submit a letter of application, c.v., publication or writing sample of no more than 25 pages, and arrange for three letters of recommendation be uploaded on their behalf via UCSB’s Recruit website at https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/apply/JPF01681. Submitting
a Diversity Statement that outlines your past, present, and future aspirations and contributions to promoting equity, inclusion, and diversity in your professional career is highly recommended.
Please direct any questions to Sonya Baker, Business Officer: sbaker@femst.ucsb.edu.

2. Steven J. Schochet Interdisciplinary Fellowship in Queer, Trans, and Sexuality Studies 2020-2021

About the Steven J. Schochet Endowment:
Steven J. Schochet was an alumnus of the University of Minnesota. Due to negative experiences as a student, Steven J. Schochet decided to leave a bequest to the university in 1996 to forward the education, awareness, and acceptance of all LGBTQIA identities. The Endowment, managed by the Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life, exists with Schochet’s mission towards
advancement of LGBTQIA academics & research.

About the Fellowship:
The Schochet Interdisciplinary Dissertation Fellowship in Queer, Trans, and Sexuality Studies provides $22,000 to a PhD Candidate who is pursuing research in the areas of queer, trans, and sexuality studies. This dissertation fellowship is for one ABD student during the 2020-2021 academic year (September-May). Applications for this fellowship are sought from persons of diverse backgrounds, particularly those from underrepresented and marginalized communities.

Eligibility:
Applicants are eligible for the Schochet Interdisciplinary Fellowship in Queer, Trans and Sexuality
Studies if they:

• Are enrolled at a University of Minnesota campus during the 2020–2021 academic year as a graduate student.
• Pursuing research in the areas of queer, trans, and/or sexuality studies.
• Will have passed the written and oral preliminary examinations and will have completed all program coursework including thesis credits by the end of spring semester 2020. Preference will be given to applicants who have passed written and oral preliminary exams by March 15, 2020. (Nominee may be registered for program coursework in spring 2020, but may not have any incompletes in program coursework at the time of nomination).
• Are making timely progress towards the completion of their degree.

Application Deadline:
A completed application form and supporting documentation must be received in a single PDF document by March 27, 2020. The applicant’s Director of Graduate Studies should submit the application via email to: Qui Alexander, Schochet Endowment Associate, Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life, alexa696@umn.edu. For more information or to request this information in an alternate format, contact Qui Alexander at alexa696@umn.edu.

3. Macalester Visiting Assistant Professor in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies

The Macalester College Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) invites
applications for a full-time visiting assistant professor position to begin in the fall of 2020. The
initial appointment will be for one year, with the possibility of renewal for the 2021-2022
academic year.

We seek candidates with specialized training in LGBTQIA+ studies, with a strong basis in
theories and praxes in women’s, feminist, queer, and trans studies. A particular attention to
epistemologies of racially and economically minoritized practitioners, historical or
contemporary, is required. While foci, fields and disciplines in the social, natural, math,
computational sciences and media studies are preferred, an interdisciplinary approach, based in
feminist methodologies, is essential. Indigenous, national, or international or transnational
comparative frameworks are highly desirable. Experience in digital scholarship is a plus.
The teaching load is five courses for the academic year for the full-time position. The successful
candidate should be prepared to teach an introductory sexuality studies course, and an
intermediate theories and methodologies course as well as three other courses (electives) across
the levels, from introductory to advanced. Candidates with a Ph.D. in the field of
feminist/sexuality studies or a related field with an emphasis in feminist/sexuality studies are
preferred and ABD will be considered. The successful candidate will have demonstrated
excellence in teaching.

The Department is particularly interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and
excellence of the academic community through research, teaching, and service, especially those
who demonstrate an ability to work collegially and effectively with students, faculty from
diverse departments, staff, and administration. More information about the department can be
found at https://www.macalester.edu/wgss/

In order to apply, submit a cover letter describing your interest in the position, a teaching
statement including evidence of commitment to diversity, teaching evaluations, a current CV,
two sample syllabi, and three confidential letters of recommendation to
http://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/15955/ . Questions regarding this position may be
directed to Lin Aanonsen, Acting Chair, Department of WGSS, Macalester College, 1600 Grand
Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105 (email: aanonsen@macalester.edu). Applications received by

February 21, 2020 will receive full consideration.

4. Mellon/ACLS Public Fellows program

We at the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) are pleased to announce the tenth annual competition of the Mellon/ACLS Public Fellows program. The program promotes the visibility and value of the humanities PhD beyond the academy by offering opportunities for PhDs to contribute to the public good through two-year fellowship placements in the fields of policy, community development, arts and culture, media, and international affairs. One position that might be of interest for your students is at Twin Cities Public Television in St Paul!

The deadline for applications is Wednesday, March 18, 2020, by 9pm EDT. Fellows receive stipends of $70,000 per year and have access to employer-based health insurance through the host organizations. In addition, ACLS provides funds for relocation and professional development. This initiative is made possible through the support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

In 2020, ACLS will place up to 21 PhDs as Public Fellows in the following organizations and roles:

• Alliance for Higher Education in Prison (Denver, CO) – Community Engagement Director

• American Association for the Advancement of Science (Washington, DC) – Government Relations Project Manager

• American Civil Liberties Union (New York, NY) – Research Associate

• Asian Cultural Council (New York, NY) – Manager of Strategic Research

• Children’s Defense Fund (Washington, DC) – Senior Research Associate

• City of Seattle Innovation & Performance Team (Seattle, WA) – Outreach & Engagement Research Analyst

• Humanities Action Lab (Newark, NJ) – Public Programming and Exhibitions Manager

• Institute for Study Abroad (Indianapolis, IN) – Assistant Director of Global Learning and Assessment

• National Book Foundation (New York, NY) – Education Programs Manager

• New Jersey Institute for Social Justice (Newark, NJ) – Policy Analyst

• One Archives Foundation (Los Angeles, CA) – Communications Manager

• Oxfam America (Washington, DC) – Research and Policy Advisor

• Partnership for Public Service (Washington, DC) – Writer and Editor, Communications Team

• Partnership for Working Families (Oakland, CA) – Public Goods Policy Strategist

• Pittsburgh Cultural Trust (Pittsburgh, PA) – Government Relations Specialist

• Refugees International (Washington, DC) – Program Manager

• San Francisco Arts Commission (San Francisco, CA) – Community Impact Analyst

• Solutions Journalism Network (New York, NY) – Higher Education Program Specialist

• Twin Cities Public Television (St Paul, MN) – Audience Development Project Manager

• University Settlement Society of New York (New York, NY) – Advocacy Director

• Washington Center for Equitable Growth (Washington, DC) – Engagement Project Manager

Applicants must have a PhD in the humanities or humanistic social sciences conferred between September 1, 2016, and June 19, 2020, and must have defended and deposited their dissertations no later than April 6, 2020. Applicants must be authorized to work legally in the United States.

Applications will be accepted only through the ACLS online application system and must be submitted by March 18, 2020 at 9pm EDT. Applicants should not contact any of the organizations directly. Please visit www.acls.org/programs/publicfellowscomp/ for complete position descriptions, eligibility criteria, and application information. This program is made possible by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

5. Two tenure-track positions in GWS

The Gender, Women, and Sexualities (GWS) Studies Department at Metropolitan State University of Denver invites candidates to apply for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position to begin Fall 2020. The successful candidate will teach a 24 hour credit load both online and face-to-face with substantial service responsibilities to the department. The courses to be taught include core courses such as Introduction to Gender, Women, and Sexualities Studies, Multicultural Study of Sexualities and Genders, Women of Color, Feminist and Queer Research methods, and upper division courses in the candidate’s area of expertise. Of special interest are GWS scholars with an expertise in queer indigenous studies, critical race and/or migration studies, and/or transnational feminisms.

The department is housed in the Gender Institute for Teaching and Advocacy (GITA), a unique office on the Auraria campus. GITA offers both academics (one major and two minors), and direct support services to students targeted by sexism and other intersecting oppressions.

Assistant Professor responsibilities include:
• Teaching 12 credit hours a semester. Teaching involves the activities that impart knowledge and critical thinking skills to students. It includes preparing for courses assigned, assessing student progress, conducting curricular review, holding office hours, communicating with students in a timely fashion, and integrating technology as appropriate. Teaching may include classroom, online, online/hybrid instruction.
• Advising students. This involves staying informed of University and College policies while assisting students in assessing career options, choosing a degree program, successfully completing their senior thesis and degree, and obtaining employment or graduate school placement. Moreover, it involves
• Engaging in service to the department, college, profession, and/or community.
• Pursuing and maintaining an active research agenda, publishing per the departmental guidelines, and presenting at professional conferences.

Required Qualifications:
• Ph.D. in Gender, Women, and Sexualities/Feminist Studies or a relevant field completed no later than May 31, 2019.
• Teaching experience in Gender, Women, and Sexualities Studies.
To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) 02/17/2020
Apply at: https://www.msudenverjobs.com/postings/13489

Call for Papers/Proposals

1. Futures of Sexual Difference: Rethinking Femininity and Queerness with Psychoanalysis

In recent years, the widely-discussed “bathroom bill” has served as a nexus for conversations surrounding the rights of transgender and non-binary individuals and communities. Although some states, including North Carolina, have ruled in favor of allowing transgender persons to access bathrooms based on their chosen gender identities, it has become increasingly clear that the issue is pointing to an aspect of sexuality that cannot simply be resolved by prohibition, as conservatives would have it, or by the claiming of one gender pronoun instead of another, which liberal discourse would consider an answer to the dilemma of sexual difference. 

What can psychoanalysis contribute to this evidently socially and politically polarizing question of sexuality? Is there anything it can contribute to the discussion of sexual difference amongst feminist and queer theorists/activists? After all, many of them have criticized psychoanalysis for reproducing normative social/power structures in its phallocentric and oedipal agendas. A number of scholars and clinicians working on the intersections of psychoananlysis and feminist/queer theory, such as Joan Copjec, Patricia Gherovici and Parveen Adams, have addressed these criticisms, noting that sexual difference is determined “neither by sex (anatomy) nor by gender (social construction)”; it is rather “a subjective, unconscious choice” that has to do with one’s specific position vis-à-vis language (Gherovichi).  Jacques Lacan, in his later work, suggested that femininity is the position that marks a certain excess that is “not-all” limited by the signifier and by phallic function.

The repression of femininity, somewhat analogous to the repression of queerness, has to do with the repression of difference. We consider femininity a radical position insofar as it points to an irreducible rupture at the heart of subjectivity. Therefore, it is continually repressed to ensure the stability of individual, social and political identities. We wonder: how can we think of femininity as a political force? How does femininity problematize the liberal and conservative reliance upon identity politics? How can its rethinking of subjectivity and language help reconsider current political and social stakes? Can we think of femininity and queerness as being in some sort of productive tension with one another? Further, can we posit a conversation between psychoanalysis and feminist/queer theories in order to address the stakes and impasses of identity politics, especially if, in the psychoanalytic clinic, “the subject emerges exactly there where identity fails” (Gherovichi)?

Submissions are open to not only academics, but also clinicians, social workers and activists. We welcome papers from the following areas, but not limited to those:

Disability Studies

Feminist Studies

Critical Race Theory

Queer Theory

Gender Studies

Environmental Studies

Postcolonial Studies

Psychoanalysis 

Literary Theory

Film and Media Studies

We welcome you to participate in our Annual Graduate Conference hosted by the Department of Comparative Literature, State University of New York, Buffalo (27th March 2020). To read a paper at this conference, please email a 250-300 word abstract and a 100-word bio to both meganhir@buffalo.edu and martaale@buffalo.edu by 12th February 20220.

2. #2020NWSA Conference Proposals

About the 2020 Theme:
The 2020 NWSA conference theme, “The Poetics, Politics, and Praxis of Transnational Feminisms,” seeks to open up conversation about the evolution of transnational feminisms. Rooted in the pioneering scholarship of Jacqui Alexander, Inderpal Grewal, Caren Kaplan, and Chandra Talpade Mohanty, among others, transnational feminism has been a subject of feminist study, theorizing, and discourse for decades. It has contributed immensely to decentering Western, especially US, scholarship and generated new forms of anti-racist, anti-imperialist, and decolonial feminist praxis and epistemologies that cross national boundaries. 
Click here for full CFP and directions for submitting a conference proposal 

2020 Pre-Conference Information:
Each year, NWSA hosts multiple pre-conference sessions including the Program Administration and Development (PAD) Pre-Conference, the Women’s Centers Committee (WCC) Pre-Conference, and the Women of Color Leadership Project (WoCLP). For the past 2 years, NWSA has piloted teach-ins and institutes for NWSA attendees. NWSA is broadening the pre-conference session offerings for the 2020 NWSA Annual Conference. 

Please submit proposals to preconference@nwsa.org. (NOTE: this is a different proposal submission process than the one used for the general conference).

Program Administration and Development (PA&D) Pre-Conference
The PA&D Pre-Conference organizers invite the submission of proposals for both workshops and panels on a broad range of topics related to women’s, gender, and sexuality studies program administration and development (individual papers will not be accepted for the PA&D Pre-Conference). The 2020 NWSA conference theme is “The Poetics, Politics, and Praxis of Transnational Feminisms.” We encourage submissions that engage with this theme, as well as those aimed at offering innovations in program administration and development. Sessions that encourage anti-racist and anti-imperialist approaches to programming, administration, and curriculum, are especially welcome. (PLEASE NOTE: Proposals that are not specifically related to program administration and development should be submitted to the general conference using the general conference login system. Proposals to be considered for PA&D’s “Sponsored Session” in the general conference program should also be submitted to the general conference submission portal.)

Women’s Centers Committee (WCC) Pre-Conference
The NWSA’s Women’s Centers Committee (WCC) advances the vital role that women’s and gender equity centers play in the field of Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies (WGSS). Women’s and gender equity centers support the scholarship and best practices of both the centers themselves, and of academic programs—developing research, documenting resources, building network alliances, serving as support and advocacy centers addressing equity and inclusion, and designing projects that support feminist theory and practice.

The expressed need of the Women’s Centers Committee (WCC) to have more flexibility with regard to the pre-conference format has been a topic of conversation between WCC leadership and NWSA leadership for several years. Based on discussions spearheaded by the outgoing WCC Co-Chairs and NWSA leadership, we are delighted to announce that we have support to pilot a more “un-conference” feel this next year. The format of the WCC pre-conference in 2020 will reflect more flexibility and have space for both traditional break-out sessions and elements of the Summit, such as large group workshops and less structured conversations on topics of pressing importance. An additional component of a more flexible pre-conference is extending the submission due-date for pre-conference proposals, as a later date provides additional time to select topics of immediate relevance to the community and ensures that a greater diversity of WCC content is present in both the pre-conference and the main conference. We are still currently having conversations regarding the timeline for WCC pre-conference planning and will release when we will begin accepting proposal submissions as well as the deadline as soon as we have this information. Recognizing the value of WCC contribution to the field of Women’s and Gender Studies, we strongly encourage Center professionals to continue to propose sessions for the general conference. We will have more information forthcoming.

Pre-Conference Institutes
A Pre-Conference Institute provides conference attendees a chance to engage with concepts, materials, and other attendees in a half-day format. Organized around certain themes connected to the general conference theme, Pre-Conference Institutes take a deeper dive into pedagogical issues and questions of interest to a variety of NWSA members including scholars, activists, administrators. More detailed instructions are in the conference CFP.

Click here for more information on the pre-conference proposals in the full CFP.

Women of Color Leadership Project (WoCLP)
The Women of Color Leadership Project (WoCLP) is committed to increasing the number of students, staff, and faculty members of color working within the field of women’s studies, related disciplines, and interdisciplinary fields; working at women’s centers; and assuming positions of power and leadership in NWSA, including the Program Administration and Development Committee (PAD) and Women’s Centers Committee (WCC).

The WoCLP is also designed to support women of color in their professional goals and leadership development. Women of color in women’s studies, ethnic studies, or related fields may apply if they aspire to leadership within women’s studies or NWSA. Applicants may include advanced graduate students, faculty, and current program administrators who wish to be more involved in program or NWSA leadership. The application process for the 2020 WoCLP cohort will take place February 7 - March 31, 2020. 

If you have questions about proposal submissions for the general or pre-conferences, please contact nwsaoffice@nwsa.org

Recognitions/Awards/Publications

1. SeungGyeong Ji awarded the 2020-21 IDF

We would like to congratulate SeungGyeong (Jade) Ji on being awarded the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Fellowship for 2020-21. Many congratulations and very well done!

Miscellaneous

1. IMPORTANT: Register by March 2 for graduate student commencement ceremony

We are pleased to announce that the joint commencement ceremony for graduate students in the University of Minnesota’s College of Liberal Arts and College of Science and Engineering is Friday, May 1, 2020.
 

If you would like to participate in the commencement ceremony you must register by Monday, March 2, 2020.
 

Commencement Ceremony

Arts, Sciences, and Engineering Graduate Commencement Ceremony 

Friday, May 1, 2020

Noon-2:30 p.m.

3M Arena at Mariucci

University of Minnesota
1901 Fourth Street S.E., Minneapolis

Eligible participants

The ceremony is open to the following:

• Graduates with degrees that were officially awarded after December 2017, or
• Students who expect to receive their graduate degree by Dec. 31, 2020, and have met their program’s eligibility requirements for commencement attendance

Your graduate program may have specific criteria regarding who is allowed to participate in the commencement ceremony. Please check with your program before you register if you are unsure of the commencement attendance eligibility requirements. 

Attending the commencement ceremony does not imply that you have officially graduated. For information regarding steps required for the award of your degree or certificate, please refer to the University’s graduate degree completion steps.

Registration instructions and deadline

Upload a photo
During registration, you may upload a photo of yourself and/or your colleagues. Photos will be added to a slideshow that will scroll across the arena scoreboard during the hour before the ceremony begins. See the ASE Commencement registration website for further details.

If you plan to participate in this spring's commencement ceremony, you must register.
 

Register online

The registration deadline is Monday, March 2, 2020. If you fail to register by the deadline, you may be ineligible to attend. Only graduates who have registered by the deadline will have their names published in the commencement booklet.

Have a great weekend!