Hello dear Gender and Women’s Studies and LGBTQ+ Studies community,
With the shift of daylight savings, and the turning of the calendar from the season of light to dark, we take stock of where we are in GWS and LGBTQ+ Studies and continue to find ways to make our own light amid grief, rage, and uncertainty. Starting with, a literal fire that brought celebration, warmth, and joy to our departmental community! In attendance we had students, faculty, staff, and alumni. We listened to music, ate, laughed, and enjoyed the gentle simplicity of togetherness. We made a collaborative playlist, and we ask you to share a favorite feminist anthem with us as well! I know we will continue to build fires and bask in their warmth together. You can see photos from the campfire in this newsletter and on our GWS website.
We have been very busy this fall semester. I have now been in this role of alumni engagement coordinator since January 2024, and as we get ready to roll into 2025, I am very excited about new programming and offerings for our wonderful GWS alumni community. But first, I would be remiss in not sharing my resounding gratitude for Amber Steiger, a Ph.D. student in our department who is joining in the work with me on the alumni committee. We are having a blast in the doing. Amber brings an awesome energy to this space, and the laughter alone has been an ongoing restorative. (See shared image of Amber and I hard at work). I am so glad to be working together on behalf of the many, many people who have found their way through our GWS and LGBTQ+ programs.
Just a handful of weeks ago, we sent out a postcard mailer to our long list of community members who have since graduated from UW with majors and certificates in GWS and LGBTQ+ studies. And we have had quite the response! I have heard from folks who graduated from the first cohort when our program started in 1975, folks who graduated across generations from the 1980s up to the last couple of years, and folks who have been using what they learned during their time in our programs in professional and personal pursuits. What an absolute joy to hear from all of you, to learn about what you are doing, and read your reflections on the powerful memories you have from your experiences here.
A few things not to miss in this newsletter! You’ll find information about registering for our new virtual alumni book club, The Stories Between, which kicks off with its first meeting this January 2025. Please register for your spot, as space is limited! We also have an exciting line up of guests for our GWS in Action podcast and are planning to release two (maybe even three!) episodes before the end of the academic year. Stay tuned!
More good news: we are building the structure for an alumni registry on our Alumni and Friends webpage, so members of our community can readily share their information and more easily get in touch with each other! You can check back on the website in coming weeks for the launch of the registry. I for one want to sing from the mountaintops all the incredible things that our former students are doing. And we want to help you connect with one another, especially as you are doing remarkable things all over the country and the world. We will continue to celebrate you through our alumni spotlights, speaking opportunities, podcast episodes, and the programming you want to see. Finally, be on the lookout for exciting updates on our 50th Anniversary Celebration which will take place in Fall 2025! We cannot wait to celebrate our past, present, and future with you.
In the days since the presidential election, I have seen multiple versions of the Zen Buddhist sentiment “chop wood, carry water” brought to the fore. Steadfast in the knowing that the personal is political, we continually re-commit ourselves to the magic of community and coalition, to the work we do in and beyond our classrooms, the pedagogy, praxis, and pleasure of it all. We are the geese in a great V. And you, dear and enduring members of the GWS/LGBTQ+ community, are wind beneath our wings.
Onward the journey!
With gratitude,
Katherine Phelps, Ph.D.
Teaching Faculty, Gender and Women’s Studies, UW-Madison
GWS Alumni Engagement Coordinator