Dr. Kylan Mattias de Vries
Professor – GSWS Chair
BA, Communication, Antioch University, Santa Barbara; MA, Sociology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale; PhD, Sociology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Pronouns: he/him/his or they/them/theirs
Dr. Kylan Mattias de Vries holds a joint appointment as Associate Professor in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies and the Sociology and Anthropology programs, and he as serves as Chair of GSWS. His scholarly interests include inequalities, intersectionality, transgender studies, critical race studies, and social psychology.
Southern Oregon University’s Distinguished Teaching Award – 2017.
Office: TA 125A
Phone: 541.552.6759
E-Mail: devriesk@sou.edu
Dr. Carey Jean Sojka
Associate Professor
BA, Woman & Gender Studies, Luther College, 2007; BA, Sociology, Luther College, 2007; MA, Women’s Studies, University at Albany, SUNY, 2010; PhD, Sociology, University at Albany, SUNY, 2017
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Dr. Carey Jean Sojka is an Assistant Professor of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. Her research and teaching interests include transgender studies, embodiment, gender, sexuality, race, disability, and fat studies. She also conducts community trainings on transgender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer issues in our region.
Southern Oregon University’s Distinguished Teaching Award – 2020.
Office: TA 125B
Phone: 541.552.6750
E-Mail: sojkac@sou.edu
Affiliated Faculty
Dr. Alma Rosa Alvarez
Professor – English
BA, English and Mexican-American Studies, California State University, Dominguez Hills; MA, PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Dr. Alvarez is a professor of English at Southern Oregon University where she specializes in teaching U.S. Ethnic Literature. Her courses explore the way marginalized figures attempt to construct identities, particularly to counteract negative representations. Dr. Alvarez has written a book titled Liberation Theology in Chicana/o Literature: Manifestations of Feminist and Gay Identities.
Office: Central 254
Phone: 541.552.6629
E-Mail: alvarez@sou.edu
Travis Campbell
Assistant Professor
PhD. Economics, University of Massachusetts, 2022
Travis Campbell is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Southern Oregon University. His research applies microeconomics to social justice issues, focusing on economic inequalities by race, gender, and sexuality in the US. His other research focuses on social movements and public health policy, among other topics. His research has been published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Health Economics, Metroeconomica, and others. He uses his research expertise to incorporate the economics of race, gender, and sexuality into all of his courses. At SOU he teaches Micro and Macroeconomics, Quantitative Methods and Application, Healthcare Economics, Labor Economics, and Gender Issues in Economics.
Office: Taylor Hall 220
Phone: 541.552.6434
E-Mail: campbelt1@sou.edu
Dr. Brook Colley
Associate Professor, Chair – Native American Studies
PhD, Native American Studies, University of California, Davis
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Dr. Colley is the Chair and an Assistant Professor of Native American Studies at Southern Oregon University. Her teaching and research interests include Queer Indigenous Studies, Native women, Native cinema(s), federal Indian law & policy, intertribal relations & conflict, and community health & healing. Dr. Colley has a forthcoming book titled Reframing Tribal Relations in the Casino Economy that investigates intertribal conflict and coalition in the tribal casino era.
Office: Taylor Hall 18b
Phone: 541.552.6751
E-Mail: colleyb@sou.edu
Katherine Fox
Assistant Professor – Anthropology and Healthcare Administration
PhD, Medical Anthropology, Southern Methodist University (Dallas), 2022; MA, Medical Anthropology, Southern Methodist University (Dallas), 2015; BA, Spanish/Anthropology (Dual Major), Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2013
Katherine’s interests are in medical anthropology, LGBTQ+ health, immigration, Latinx and LGBTQ+ identities, social media and health behavior, qualitative research methods
Office: Taylor Hall 217
Phone: 541.552.6322
E-Mail: foxk@sou.edu
Dr. Joshua Goodman
Assistant Professor – Psychology
Office: Ed/Psych Building 222
E-Mail: goodmanj@sou.edu
Laurie Kurutz
Professor – Costume Technology
MFA, Production Design & Technology, School of Theatre, Ohio University (Athens); BFA, Theatre Arts, Southern Oregon College
Laurie is an accomplished costume maker and tailor, specializing in period costumes and menswear at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Opera, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and many other Tony Award-winning theatres. In addition to publishing in national educational journals, she regularly presents at national theatre and educational conferences. Her scholarship includes costume technology, burlesque costume and practice.
Office: THTR 163
Phone: 541.552.6366
E-Mail: kurutzl@sou.edu
Jennifer Longshore
Senior Instructor – Art & Art History
MA, Art History, University of California, Davis; BA, Art History, Humanities, California State University, Fresno
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Longshore’s courses explore and analyze art and creativity from a variety of perspectives including globalization, activism, sustainability, critical theory, race, gender, and ethnicity. She particularly enjoys mentoring students as they develop activist art projects in collaboration with local community agencies. She serves on the SOU Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies Council and advises the City of Ashland Public Arts Commission when new proposals are being considered. She is a member of the Community Emergency Response Team in Ashland and enjoys singing in the Rogue World Ensemble, salsa dancing, and practicing archery.
Office: Art Building 119
Phone: 541.552.6566
E-Mail: longshoj@sou.edu
Dr. Diana Maltz
Professor – English
BA, Bennington College; MA, Ph.D. Stanford University
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Dr. Maltz is a Professor of English at Southern Oregon University. She teaches several literature classes that are cross-referenced with GSWS, including The Decadent 1890s; Class, Culture, and Feminism in Victorian and Edwardian Britain; Slumming in the Nineteenth Century; and the British Novel after 1850.
Office: Central Building 250
Phone: 541.552.6634
E-Mail: maltzd@sou.edu
Emily Miller-Francisco
Professor – Library
BA, Psychology, Earlham College, MA, Theology, Graduate Theological Union, MLIS, Simmons College
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Dr. Miller-Francisco is the librarian for the GSWS program and provides research guidance for a wide range of GSWS-related topics. She also purchases library books and other information resources to support research in this area.
Office: LIB 229C
Phone: 541.552.6819
E-Mail: millere@sou.edu
Dr. Jessica Piekielek
Professor – Sociology and Anthropology
PhD and MA, University of Arizona; BA, Guilford College
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Dr. Jessica Piekielek’s research and teaching interests include conservation, environmentalism, applied anthropology, border and migration studies, Mexico, U.S., and Latin America.
Office: TA 222
Phone: 541.552.6599
E-Mail: piekielj@sou.edu
Dr. Alena Ruggerio
Professor
PhD, Indiana University; MA, Ohio University; BSC, Ohio University
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Dr. Ruggerio teaches “Women Transforming Language,” an elective for the GSWS minor as well as an Integration J strand course. She also teaches persuasion, argumentation and critical thinking, advanced public speaking, interpersonal communication, research writing strategies, and evaluation of public communication. During the 2007-08 academic year, she served as the Interim Coordinator of Women’s Studies at Southern Oregon University. She is the editor of the book Media Depictions of Brides, Wives, and Mothers, and is a frequent speaker and writer for Christian Feminism Today. Her research interests lie at the intersection of rhetorical criticism, feminist theory, and religious studies. In her free time, Alena loves spoiling her astonishingly adorable cats and collecting rhinestone tiaras.
Southern Oregon University’s Distinguished Teaching Award – 2017.
Office: Britt Hall 240
Phone: 541.552.6673
E-Mail: ruggeria@sou.edu
Dr. Devora Shapiro
Associate Professor – Philosophy
PhD, University of Minnesota; BA, Philosophy, Johns Hopkins; MA, Clinical Medical Ethics, University of Tennessee
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Dr. Devora Shapiro is Associate Professor of Philosophy, and serves as affiliated faculty for SOU’s GSWS program. She earned her BA from Johns Hopkins University, an MA in Clinical Medical Ethics from the University of Tennessee, and her PhD in Philosophy from the University of Minnesota. She specializes in philosophy of science, feminist epistemology, and philosophy of medicine. Her previous work has centered around the articulation of non-propositional accounts of experiential knowledge, as well as critiques of the political and epistemic value of “objectivity”. Her current work focuses on applying intersectional theory within the context of medical diagnosis and pharmaceutical trials, as well as in the philosophy of epidemiology.
Office: Central 252
Phone: 541.552.6622
E-Mail: shapirod@sou.edu
Dr. Kelly Szott
Associate Professor – Sociology and Human Service
PhD and MA, Sociology, Syracuse University; BA, Social Science, University of Michigan
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Dr. Szott is a medical sociologist who uses qualitative methods to study drug use and addiction. She received her Ph.D. in sociology from Syracuse University along with a Certificate in Advanced Studies in Women’s and Gender Studies. During her doctoral studies, she completed a National Institute on Drug Abuse doctoral fellowship program. Her research examines how public health programs, such as needle exchange, and health care practitioners conceptualize the health of people who inject drugs. Her current project focuses on heroin use and harm reduction responses in rural contexts. Her work comes out of a concern for the ways drug users are treated by institutions entrusted to care for them. Her research has been published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, Health, and Critical Public Health. Kelly enjoys getting to know her students and doing creative and community-based projects in her classes.
Office: Ashland – TA 219, Medford – HEC 201E
Phone: Ashland – 541.552.8254, Medford – 541.552.8153
E-Mail: szottk@sou.edu
janelle wilson
Associate Dean of Students and Director of Engagement and Support Programs
MA, Women’s Studies in Religion, Claremont Graduate University
Pronouns: she/her/hers or they/them/theirs
janelle earned a BA in Multicultural and Gender Studies from CSU, Chico and an MA in Women’s Studies in Religion from Claremont Graduate University. janelle serves on SOU’s Board of Trustees and believes in education as a tool for equity-driven social change.
E-Mail: wilsonj@sou.edu
Dr. Chance White Eyes
Assistant Professor – Native American Studies
PhD in Critical and Sociocultural Studies in Education, University of Oregon
Pronouns: he/him/his
Dr. White Eyes is an Assistant Professor of Native American Studies at Southern Oregon University. His teaching and research interests include Native American Epistemologies and Storytelling, Education, Native American Philosophy, Narrative Analysis and Creative Writing in Research, Native Masculinities, and others. His research is focused on issues of access and success for Native American peoples in postsecondary education.
Office: Taylor Hall 019B
Phone: 541.552.8149
E-Mail: whiteeyec@sou.edu
Contact the GSWS Program
SOU Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Program
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
541.552.6759
– Questions About GSWS? –