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Women in History

  • Happy Women in History Wednesday! Nina Baym joined the English Department’s faculty in the 1960s and remained a professor for over 40 years. Nina helped expand the field of American literature to include women writers. She was named a Swanlund Endowed Chair, a Jubilee Professor in the College of LAS, and a Center for Advanced Study Professor of English. She has also held several positions outside...
  • For this week's Women in History, we have Patsy Parker. She graduated from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences in 1968. During her junior year in the spring semester of 1967, she became the first female to be elected student body president at the University of Illinois. Women featured in our weekly series are part of the 150 for 150 website Celebrating the Accomplishments of Women at...
  • This Women in History Wednesday we celebrate UIUC alumna Justice Rita B. Garman.  Rita B. Garman graduated from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1965. While a student, she graduated with highest honors and was also a Bronze Tablet graduate. She is now the current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Illinois. Women featured in our weekly series are part of the 150 for...
  • Happy Women in History Wednesday! Today we honor Annette Lu Hsiu-lien, an advocate for democracy in Taiwan imprisoned for over five years for speaking out against the government. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Law in 1971. She established herself as a feminist advocate in Taiwan through her writing, including a book titled New Feminism. Read more about Annette...
  • Happy Women in History Wednesday! Today we celebrate Mary Temple Grandin! Mary graduated with a PhD from the College of ACES in 1989. Mary is a well-known professor of animal sciences, but she is best known for being one of the first individuals on the autism spectrum to speak out about her experience with autism. In 2010, Mary was named one of Time Magazine’s most influential people in the world...
  • Happy Women in History Wednesday! This week we celebrate Leslie Erganian! As an UIUC alum, she has become a well-known artist and photographer with several exhibitions, publications, and television appearances. Right after graduation, Leslie displayed her work at the Phyllis Needlman Gallery in Chicago To read more of Leslie's story, visit here: https://gec150.web.illinois.edu/1980s/leslie-...
  • Happy Women in History Wednesday! This week we celebrate UIUC alum Jeanne Gang! She's an architect and MacArthur Fellow who founded the firm Studio Gang Architects. One of her famous works is the Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo. To read more about Jeanne's impact, visit ...
  • Happy Women In History Wednesday! Today we celebrate UIUC alum Iris Chang. She graduated from the University of Illinois in 1989 with a degree in Journalism. While in undergrad, she was on staff at the Daily Illini. As an alum, she wrote for the New York Times producing six front-page articles in one year.  To read more about Iris, visit https://gec150.web.illinois.edu/1980s/iris-chang...
  • Barbara established WGGP through interdisciplinary efforts of the Committee on Women in Development on campus and funding from a Title XII Strengthening Grant of the Foreign Assistance Act.
  • Happy #WomeinInHistoryWednesday! Today we are honoring Arlene Torres, who was a leading advocate for the interdisciplinary scholarship of many students, faculty, and staff while at Illinois. Learn more about Arlene at WGGP's "150 for 150!" Read more: https://gec150.web.illinois.edu/1980s/arlene-torres/...