Department FAQs
If you have questions that are not addressed below, please contact Prof. Rushaan Kumar, Department Chair, or Whitney Hampson, Academic Administrative Assistant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Feminist & Gender Studies faculty?
We now have four faculty members. Dr. Heidi R. Lewis (Professor and David & Lucile Packard Professor of Feminist & Gender Studies), who joined the college as a Riley Scholar-in-Residence in 2010 (and is also now Director of that program), became a Visiting Assistant Professor in 2011, then Assistant Professor in 2012, earning tenure during the 2017-2018 academic year; Dr. Nadia Guessous (Associate Professor), who joined the college in 2015; Dr. Rushaan Kumar (Chair and Associate Professor), who joined the college in 2017; and Dr. Joana Chavez (Assistant Professor), who joined the college in 2025.
Click here to see our full faculty listing.
Is Feminist & Gender Studies a department?
Yes! As of May 2023, Feminist & Gender Studies is officially a department! You can read more about the significance of this change on this page and in the Block 2, 2023 issue of The Monthly Rag.
What is the department's mission statement?
The Feminist & Gender Studies Department fosters inquiry into structures and modes of power as they are mediated by gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity, class, caste, nation and citizenship, age, and ability. Through teaching, scholarship, and service, we study and develop critical interdisciplinary and feminist theories and practices in collaboration with artists, activists, and scholars at Colorado College and beyond.
What is the department's vision statement?
Feminist & Gender Studies aims to embody a feminist ethos of critical engagement and responsiveness that is attentive to shifting relations of power; to be an intellectual, political, and creative space for the pursuit of exemplary collaborative initiatives locally, regionally, nationally, and transnationally; and to remain conversant with myriad intellectual legacies while reimagining the possibilities of feminist knowledge and practice.
When did the department graduate its first students?
The first class of Feminist & Gender Studies (then Women's Studies) minors graduated in 1987. They were Monica J. Backsen, Stephanie A. Donaldson, Sheila J. Farr, Ann H. Lenz, and Kristin L. Mernitz.
The first class of Feminist & Gender Studies (also then Women's Studies) majors graduated in 1998. They were Blake H. Hedinger, Briana N. Kerstein, and Christina A. Pierson. Blake and Briana were advised by Margaret Duncombe (Professor Emerita, Sociology), and Christina was advised by Charlotte Mendoza (Professor Emerita, Education).
In 2005, the name of the major was changed to Feminist & Gender Studies.
In 2018, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the major during Homecoming, featuring keynote speaker Brady Montalbano-Connaughton (Feminist & Gender Studies '03). Brady was also featured in our first "Alumni Spotlight" in 2019. You can read a transcript of her keynote address here.
In 2023, just in time for the 25th anniversary of our major, Feminist & Gender Studies officially became a department. You can read more about the significance of this change on this page and in the Block 2, 2023 issue of The Monthly Rag.
When did FGS have its last External Review?
The last FGS external review occurred during the 2020-21 academic year. While we planned to conduct an in-person review this year, lingering concerns regarding coronavirus resulted in a one-day virtual review on March 30, 2022. You can read the department's response to this external review here.
What was the Feminist & Gender Studies Advisory Board?
As a department we have graduated the Feminist & Gender Studies Advisory Board, and are no longer accepting applicants. While the Feminist & Gender Studies faculty recognize the significance of intergenerational and transdisciplinary collectivity, we have grown as a department and recognize the value of reaching out to our fellow faculty as needed rather than requiring more meeting time from them. We value collaboration, and will continue our collaborative initiatives in other ways.
The Feminist & Gender Studies Advisory Board was initially implemented in Spring 2018. The Advisory Board consisted of two full-time faculty who supported the department in various capacities for two to three years (barring extenuating circumstances, such as sabbaticals):
2021-2024
Naomi Wood, Chair and Associate Professor of Spanish & Portuguese
Natanya Pulley, Assistant Professor of English
2018-2021
Tomi-Ann Roberts, Chair and Professor of Psychology
Gail Murphy-Geiss, Chair and Professor of Sociology
How do I cross-list a course with Feminist & Gender Studies?
As of 2026, Feminist & Gender Studies is no longer accepting cross-listed courses from other departments. If you have any questions about this, please email Professor Rushaan Kumar, chair of the FGS Department.
What is the Transnational Feminisms Grant for Research & Teaching and how can I apply?
All full- and part-time faculty are invited to apply for grants to support research and/or teaching in Transnational Feminisms. Funds may be used to support seminar or workshop participation, attendance at conferences or meetings, research, or teaching enhancement. For more information, contact the Dean of Faculty.