Assistant Professor of Gender & Women’s Studies and Asian American Studies Rachel Kuo has been busy! Professor Kuo is a leading scholar at UW in both Gender & Women’s Studies and Asian American Studies. She is a co-founder of the Asian American Feminist Collective and founding member of the Center for Critical Race and Digital …
The Department of Gender & Women’s Studies extends our heartfelt thanks to Professor Judy Houck for her leadership and dedicated service as Chair. Over the course of her tenure, Professor Houck fostered a spirit of collaboration, championed academic excellence, and navigated challenges with grace, determination, and strength. Under her leadership, the department saw significant growth …
Please join us in congratulating Professor Kate Walsh on receiving a 2025–26 Romnes Faculty Fellowship! Professor Walsh, a professor with GWS and Psychology, is being recognized for her outstanding contributions to scholarship and mentorship at UW–Madison. Her research on intervention enhances recovery outcomes and overall well-being for those affected by sexual and relationship violence. Her work …
We are pleased to have Dr. Nick Syrett join us as the new Chair of the Gender & Women’s Studies Department! To help students, faculty, and the community get to know him better, Dr. Syrett answered a few questions about his background, vision for the department, and interests in and beyond academia. Read on to …
Congratulations to Professor Kong Pheng Pha! We are thrilled to celebrate Professor Kong Pheng Pha for receiving the Early Career Achievement Award from the Association for Asian American Studies (AAAS) earlier this year! This award recognizes a junior scholar who has made valuable contribution to the field in the early stage of their career. Nominees …
Join us in congratulating Dr. Kate Phelps for the release of her 2025 book Digital Girlhoods, her feature in May’s L&S newsletter, and her receipt of a 2025 Teaching Excellence Award! In an interview with Dr. Phelps on her research, Olivia Ruetten outlines the inspiration, creation, and construction of this thoughtful and insightful book. In Digital …
Dear Gender and Women’s Studies Community, At our recent commencement event, I chatted with our graduating students about their experiences in our department. They praised individual instructors and the department for providing life-changing instruction and encouraging personal and intellectual exploration. They beamed as they recounted illuminating moments and empowering achievements, and they were eager to …
Happy Almost Summer, GWS and LGBTQ+ Studies Alumni! Writing this on Tuesday, May 6th, I am filled with gratitude in this moment, relaxing in my big, comfy chair, having given a talk about my book, Digital Girlhoods (2025), earlier this evening to a room filled with wonderful humans at the wonderful A Room of One’s …
Name: Rachel Kuo Title: Assistant Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies and Asian American Studies Hometown: Chicago, IL (or Chicago area) Educational/professional background: I have a Ph.D. and MA in Media, Culture, and Communication from New York University and a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia, with minors in Art and Classical Humanities. …
Summer Herrmann graduated from UW Madison in 2021 with a BA in Sociology and Gender & Women’s Studies. Post graduation, Summer did a variety of jobs, including as an Administrative Accounting Assistant for an elevator company and a Supporting Educator/Continued Care Coordinator for a school. Currently, Summer works as an Overnight Shelter Advocate at DAIS …