We invited Duke University faculty to reflect on the Declaration through the lens of their own discipline. Each contributor responded to a common prompt: “250 years later, how does your field help us understand, advance or challenge the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence?” By Anna Storti, Assistant Professor of Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies The Declaration of Independence may not readily bring to mind issues of gender and sexuality. That founding… read more about The Declaration at 250: Feminist Theorist Anna Storti Reflects on Teaching, Learning and Practicing Liberation »
Thavolia Glymph, Peabody Family Distinguished Professor of History, has been elected to the American Philosophical Society (APS), one of the nation’s oldest academic societies. A historian of U.S. slavery, the Civil War, and emancipation, Glymph’s scholarship examines power, gender and violence in slaveholding households, and the transformations brought by the end of slavery. Founded in 1743, the American Philosophical Society was established by leaders including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Thomas… read more about Thavolia Glymph Elected to the American Philosophical Society »
ACM has named Nicki Washington the recipient of the 2025 ACM Frances E. Allen Award for Outstanding Mentoring, one of the computing field’s highest honors for mentorship and leadership. The biennial award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional mentoring while advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in computing. Named for pioneering computer scientist Frances Allen — the first woman to receive the ACM A.M. Turing Award — the award honors leaders whose mentorship has reshaped the field itself. … read more about Nicki Washington Receives ACM Frances E. Allen Award for Outstanding Mentoring »
“Whenever I said I was interested in Black Italians, people would ask: ‘Are there Black people in Italy?’,” said Duke doctoral student Barbara Ofosu-Somuah. The question — and the assumptions behind it — helped spark Ofosu-Somuah’s research into Black Italian literature, translation, and the circulation of Black feminist thought in contemporary Italy. Now, the Romance Studies Ph.D. candidate has been awarded the prestigious Rome Prize, earning a year-long fellowship at the American Academy in Rome, where she will… read more about Studying Black Feminist Thought in Italy as Rome Prize Fellow »
When Willow Kaplan reflects on her time at Duke, one lesson sticks with her: you don’t have to do everything alone. “If I could give advice to my 17-year-old self,” she says, “it would be that you don’t have to do everything on your own.” For a long time, Kaplan believed success meant building something entirely by herself and making it look effortless. But over four years at Duke, she says that perspective shifted. “One of the most important things I’ve learned here is that growth comes from community.” Kaplan,… read more about Willow Kaplan '26: Community, Collaboration, and Critical Thinking »
One of Lily Babcock’s most meaningful experiences at Duke came during her senior year capstone course in Gender, Sexuality, & Feminist Studies (GSF). Alongside the department’s four graduating majors, she helped produce a documentary tracing the program's history. The team spent months researching archives, developing interview questions and speaking with every former department chair. Lily Babcock hopes to carry the empathy and critical insight she developed through her… read more about A Future in Medicine Shaped by Feminist Theory »
Sophia Enriquez showed up at Alexandra Landeros’ new house ready to play son jarocho music.It was 2021. Landeros, a folk musician who had spent time in the storied music scene of Austin, Texas, had just moved to a new spot in Durham. Enriquez had just started work as an assistant professor at the Duke University Department of Music. When they sat on Landeros’ porch playing the traditional music from Veracruz, Mexico, Landeros knew she had found the kind of collaborator she had been seeking. For one, they both knew how to… read more about Sophia Enriquez is Finding the Missing Notes »
In a 1985 profile in People Magazine, the late Rick James called Teena Marie “the most important White female singer since Barbara Streisand; and her own race forgot her.” James’ comments came on the heels of Marie’s only taste of crossover success, with the top-ten pop hit “Lover Boy.” More than 40 years later, and 15-plus years after her death at the age of 54, Marie is remembered as an important contributor to R&B and Soul music, who against all logic sustained a 30-year-plus singing career with an overwhelmingly… read more about Mark Anthony Neal: What Black Audiences Loved About Teena Marie »
“Abolitionist Archives, Feminist Futures” by professor of Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies Kathi Weeks will be released on March 24, 2026, by Duke University Press. What if feminism aimed not just to reform broken systems, but to abolish them? In her new book, “Abolitionist Archives, Feminist Futures,” Kathi Weeks invites readers to think about the future by looking into three feminist texts from the past. The professor of Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist… read more about Kathi Weeks’ New Book “Abolitionist Archives, Feminist Futures” Rethinks Feminism at the Root »
Food is many things to many people: comfort, memories, gathering, tradition. While conversations about food often turn toward nostalgia, waxing on about local, organic, from‑scratch foods, just like our great‑great‑grandparents used to eat. Gabriel Rosenberg, associate professor of Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies wants us to slow things down and ask a different question. In “Feed the People! Why Industrial Food Is Good and How to Make It Even Better,” available for purchase February 17,… read more about Why Industrial Food Is Good, Actually »
The last of three prompts on the Spring 2026 GSF 299S: Feminist Theory take-home midterm asked students: "You must explain feminist theory in a down-to-earth, non-alienating way to a family member over a meal or coffee/tea. How would you do it in 300 words? Your answer should be informed by class material from Weeks 1-5 but do not use author names, quotes, jargon, or references. Use your own words" These are some of their responses, which are presented here with student permission. 1. Alexandra… read more about GSF 299S: Feminist Theory Students Submit Creative Midterms »
In a recent interview with AgDaily, GSF professor Dr. Gabriel N. Rosenberg discussed his new co-authored book, Feed the People!: Why Industrial Food is Good and How to Make it Even Better. Rosenberg challenges a common misconception that “industrial” automatically means harmful means and ends and argues instead that large-scale food production has made food more abundant, affordable, and accessible than ever before. Rosenberg explains that while many critics blame industrial agriculture for issues like… read more about Dr. Rosenberg Interviewed About New Book, Feed the People, by AgDaily »
GSF professor, Dr. Anna Storti recently published an op-ed in the Mississippi Free Press titled, “Racial Profiling by ICE Agents Mirrors Targeting of Japanese Americans During World War II.” The op-ed examines how today’s immigration enforcement mirrors one of the most shameful chapters in United States history: the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Storti argues that current immigration policy has increasingly relied on racial profiling, especially through ICE raids that have targeted… read more about GSF Professor Publishes Op-Ed in Mississippi Free Press »
Between the social media influencers extolling the benefits of local, organic and natural food, and the government’s new dietary guidelines commanding Americans to “eat real food,” ideally cooked from scratch, it’s easy to look at your beloved morning bagel with cream cheese and see only a minefield of ultraprocessing and refined carbs.But before you hurl that bagel into the trash, consider that it represents much that is good about our food system: It is affordable, convenient and nutritious. Virtually all the food we eat… read more about Gabriel Rosenberg: Ultraprocessed, Industrial Food Is Fine »
In this column, Gabriel Rosenberg argues that while Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s proposal for city-owned grocery stores is a worthy experiment, his broader economic policies—such as free buses and rent freezes—will ultimately do more to solve food insecurity by addressing the root cause of poverty rather than just food proximity. read more about What Everyone Gets Wrong About Mamdani’s Public Grocery Store Idea »
Shaundra Daily was recognized for her contributions to computing education, and Nicki Washington was recognized for contributions to broadening participation in computing. read more about Nicki Washington and Shaundra Daily Named Distinguished Members of Association for Computing Machinery »
Duke’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences has invited its faculty to submit proposals for the creation of new research initiatives on campus.Following the successful launches of the SPACE Initiative and the Society-Centered AI Initiative, the Trinity Research Initiative will support new directions for interdisciplinary research through seed funding for nascent research collaborations, community-building, and complementary educational and outreach activities.Open to all areas of research and… read more about Trinity College of Arts & Sciences Invites Proposals for New Research Initiatives »
Colder weather means it’s time to curl up with a book. New readings from Duke authors include everything from a mystery and a middle-grade novel to books on privacy, hip-hop and fast fashion. Below is a roundup of some of the most recent and upcoming published titles. Many of the books, including new editions of previous titles, can be found on the “Duke Authors” display shelves near the circulation desk in Perkins Library. Some are available as e-books for quick download. Most can also be purchased through the… read more about Books for When There’s a Chill in the Air »
Across the far right, a paranoid prophecy has been taking hold: the belief that globalist elites want to take meat off the menu and replace it with insects. The charge has been spouted in one version or another by provocateurs like Tucker Carlson, Mike Cernovich, and Jordan Peterson, and repeated by countless accounts on social media.The claim has found its way into the sloganeering of major right-wing political parties around the world, from the Conservative Party of Canada to Lega in Italy, and the Law and Justice party… read more about Gabriel Rosenberg: The Myth of the Carnivore Caveman »
Dr. Kimberly Lamm has published a book devoted to the feminist avant-garde film Riddles of the Sphinx (1977) in the British Film Institute’s “Film Classics” series. Written and directed by Laura Mulvey and Peter Wollen, Riddles of the Sphinx follows the life of Louise (played by Dinah Stabb), a white middle-class woman living in London in the 1970s. With a kaleidoscopic array of cinematic techniques and poetic devices, the film charts Louise’s process of slowly rewriting her place within white… read more about GSF Professor Kimberly Lamm Publishes New Book, "Riddles of the Sphinx" »
The following is a partial list of national, university, school and departmental awards presented to the members of the Class of 2025. In some awards where there are multiple winners, only members of the Class of 2025 are included. read more about Department Honors and Laurels for the Class of 2025 »
On Thursday, April 17, students from Duke’s course Climate, Culture and Identity held a screening for their documentary shorts focusing on how climate change has been impacting Durham and nearby communities. Led by Duke professors Saskia Cornes and Lauren Henschel, the class produced intellectually stimulating and inspirational documentary shorts. read more about Research Blog Highlights GSF Students' Climate Change Documentaries »
While March is celebrated as Women’s History Month, 2025 also marks a milestone: the 50th anniversary of the first United Nations World Conference on Women, held in June 1975 in Mexico City. The first in a series of four U.N. women’s conferences — which included Copenhagen in 1980, Nairobi in 1985 and Beijing in 1995 — the 1975 conference is considered by scholars to have been “a watershed moment.” Yet, few know about it. Professor of History Jocelyn Olcott wrote the book — or one of the books — on this landmark event… read more about Revisiting a Landmark in Global Feminism: Jocelyn Olcott Discusses the 50th Anniversary of the U.N. International Women’s Year Conference »
On October 24th, the Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies Department had the pleasure of hosting Marlon Ross, a professor of English at the University of Virginia, for the Queer Theory Lecture talk in honor of Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick. Ross’ talk, “Hysteria and Domestic Economy of Labor in Wright’s Native Son,” uses the acclaimed 1940 novel as a case study of the relationship between black gender ideology and hysteria. Hysteria is defined as the loss of bodily… read more about Queer Theory Lecture 2024 Recap »
An election year brings the return of a distinctive course merging media-making with the study of women in politics. In GSF 225S, Women and the Political Process, students get a hands-on approach to understanding how gender and politics interact, all while equipping them with skills in media production. Taught by Lauren Henschel and Rachel Gelfand, both instructors of Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies, and offered every two years, the course is especially relevant during election cycles, when… read more about Gender, Politics and the Magic of Media, All in a Single Classroom »
Kimberly Lamm received a competitive research leave from Trinity College to pursue her research project “Words and Clothes: Literary Self-Fashioning and the Gendered Legacies of Enslavement.” She also recently published “Andrea Bowers, the Army of Three, and the Writing of Reproductive Justice” in the collection Transnational Visual Activism for Women’s Reproductive Rights: My Body, My Choice. In this article, Lamm explores how the contemporary U.S.-based artist Andrea Bowers engages with the history of the Army of Three, a… read more about Kimberly Lamm publishes article “Andrea Bowers, the Army of Three, and the Writing of Reproductive Justice” »
"Eating less beef is a climate solution. Here's why that's hard for some American men" For decades, scientists, business owners, and athletes have been advocating for people to switch to meatless diets to reduce our carbon footprint. Yet, they struggle to overcome the cultural relationship between meat-eating and masculinity in the United States. Recently, vegetarian companies like Impossible Burger have tried to reclaim the idea of masculinity through pointed commercials. In a commercial premiered this year, the ad… read more about Gabriel Rosenberg quoted in NPR Climate Solutions Article on the Relationship between Masculinity and Meat-eating »
The Institute for Citizens & Scholars has named 20 new Career Enhancement Fellows for the 2024–25 academic year, including Assistant Professor of Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies Anna Storti and Assistant Professor of Music Sophia Enriquez.The Career Enhancement Fellowship, funded by the Mellon Foundation and administered by Citizens & Scholars, seeks to increase the presence of outstanding junior faculty committed to campus diversity and innovative research in the humanities and humanistic social sciences.… read more about Two Trinity Faculty Named 2024 Career Enhancement Fellows »
