About Us
The Women Studies Program at Oregon State University was founded in 1972 and has since grown to include four full time faculty and more than 50 faculty members from across the University.
Each term, more than 500 students take Women Studies courses, either to meet baccalaureate core requirements or major, minor, and graduate requirements. Many students simply take them for personal interest and fulfillment.
Our core faculty members are (from left to right): Dr. Patti Watkins, Dr. Janet Lee, Dr. Patti Duncan, Dr. Susan Shaw.
- Dr. Mehra Shirazi is a new hire on to the Women Studies faculty, but she's a familiar face in the department. Mehra's courses include International Women and International Women's Health.
- Dr. Janet Lee is a sociologist with research interests in feminist theories and narrative methodologies and women and literary histories. She teaches undergraduate introductory courses and global perspectives on women as well as graduate coursework in Feminist Teaching and Learning, Theories of Feminism, and Feminist Research.
- Dr. Patti Duncan specializes in transnational feminist theories and movements, women of color, and Asian Pacific American women's writings and experiences. Her courses include Women of Color in the U.S., Disney: Gender, Race, and Empire, and Systems of Oppression in Women's Lives.
- Dr. Susan Shaw is the director of the program, and her research interests include women and rock 'n' roll as well as women and religion. She teaches Women and Sexuality, Feminist Theology and Spirituality, and Hate, Resistance, and Reconciliation.
Our faculty members have won numerous teaching, research, and development awards and are actively involved in the life of the University.