Dr. Betsy Eudey

I never imagined that I would become a faculty member in Gender Studies, but I am so grateful to have found my way into this field, and to Stan State.

When I started college at the University of California at Davis, I intended to be doctor/surgeon, and was therefore a pre-med student. A year in I realized this wasn’t the path for me, and I eventually found my home in psychology and sociology courses. But I wasn’t a strong student, as a majority of my energy was spent on campus-based work in residence life, wellness programs, and student leadership, and on engagement in social activism and Greek life. Working on campus at UC Davis was so rewarding that I decided to pursue a career in Student Affairs. I worked for 3 years in residence life at campuses in the LA area, and then moved to Vermont to pursue a Master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration.

While at the University of Vermont  (UVM), in addition to work in financial aid and student activities, I had the opportunity to teach first year experience and race and culture courses, and to serve as a teaching assistant in a course on foundations in education. I was still committed to working in Student Affairs, but I couldn’t deny my love for teaching. The UVM program included opportunities to deepen my knowledge of issues of educational equity and inclusion, and my Master’s thesis analyzed affirmative action in the admissions processes at colleges and universities. I also published a journal article on women’s leadership as part of my developing interest in women’s and gender studies. I began to develop confidence as a researcher and writer, and this supported my desire to pursue a doctoral degree.

After graduating, I obtained a job as a Residence Hall Director at The Ohio State University, first working in the women’s residence hall, and then moving to the scholarship dormitory co-op located within the OSU football stadium. I was also admitted into the PhD program in Higher Education Administration, where I emphasized gender issues in education. Although I loved the work in Student Affairs, I soon realized that career advancement would move me away from direct work with students, and into a more structured 8-5 schedule. I decided I needed to move to a program that prepared me to be a professor, as teaching would allow me to stay connected with students. After a brief transition into the Philosophy of Education program, I moved into the newly-created Cultural Studies major, eventually earning a PhD in Cultural Studies with emphases in women’s studies, history, comparative education, philosophy of education, and higher education administration. I got teach courses in educational ethics and philosophy of education, and also served as interim director of Women’s Student Services (in addition to working 20-30 hours a week as a gardener). My dissertation was a historical and qualitative study of teaching philosophies and practices at a pre-K-12 private, independent, college-preparatory girls’ school.

While I was working on my dissertation, I moved to South Carolina to become the founding director of the Center for Women’s Studies and Programs at the University of South Carolina Spartanburg (now named USC Upstate), and as its first faculty member in women’s studies. This was a great opportunity to merge my love for college teaching with a student affairs role as a center director. I created the women’s studies minor and interdisciplinary studies major, and led the programming and services of the women’s center. It was an amazing experience, and I am forever grateful to my campus colleagues and students, and to the community of friends/colleagues in the National Women’s Studies Association, as they supported me as I developed as an instructor, researcher, and program administrator.

After 5 years at USC Spartanburg, In 2003 I was excited to be offered a position at Stan State as an assistant professor and program director, serving as the first tenure line position in the Gender Studies program. This afforded me an opportunity to expand my teaching and administrative work, and to return to California to be closer to my aging mother. I served as Director of the Gender Studies program for 18 years, and am now a full Professor in Gender Studies. My research interests especially include equity and inclusion in education, sustainability/climate, gender- and sexuality-based activism, and teaching and learning. I infuse a lot of US and global history into my courses, so I have supplemented my PhD with an MA in History  from Stan State (2013). While I have taught a majority of the core courses in the program since I arrived in 2003, I currently especially teach GEND 2040 - Introduction to LGBTQ Studies; GEND 2500: Women’s Lives and Sustainable Happiness; GEND 3000 - Contemporary Gender Studies Research; GEND 4110 - LGBT Issues in Education; GEND 4170 - Gender and Sexuality in Popular Culture; and GEND 4220 - Gender, Environment and Sustainability.

In addition to my work in Gender Studies, I serve as the Coordinator of the Stan State Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) program that pairs Stan State courses with courses taught at campuses throughout the world. I help to connect faculty to partners in other countries, and facilitate programs to help faculty to incorporate global issues and COIL projects into their courses. I include COIL projects in most of my fall and spring courses, especially partnering with campuses in Mexico. I also serve as a facilitator for Soliya, a virtual program that engages college-aged young adults in dialogues addressing global issues. I served as the Director of the Stan State Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning from 2008-2014, and I periodically provide faculty development workshops through the FCETL I also served as the Faculty Director for Advising and Learning Cohorts from 2016-2019. I’ve held many positions in faculty governance and serve on several campus committees.

I teach most of my courses in online and hybrid formats, and the Gender Studies program is continually expanding its online offerings to increase student access to our courses. I am a certified online course reviewer for the CSU (using the Quality Learning and Teaching/QLT rubric) and for Quality Matters, and regularly facilitate faculty workshops and courses on online teaching and the use of the QLT rubric. I also hold an MS in Online Teaching and Learning from Cal State East Bay.

I live in Twain Harte (the territory of the Central Sierra Me-Wuk) and love to spend my time in the mountains and by/in the water. I am a certified mindfulness instructor, and engage in mindfulness practice on a daily basis. I’m an avid reader, and I love music/concerts and movies. I regularly engage in social and political activism, and am continually working to limit my carbon footprint/environmental impact. As a component of my commitments to sustainability and loving kindness toward all beings, I eat a vegan diet and attempt to live a primarily vegan lifestyle.

• Ph.D., Cultural Studies, The Ohio State University, 2001
• M.S., Online Teaching and Learning, CSU East Bay, 2013
• M.A., History, CSU Stanislaus, 2013
• M.Ed., Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration, 1992
• B.A., Psychology, UC Davis, 1989

• GEND 2020: Women’s and Feminist Activism
• GEND 2040: Introduction to LGBT Studies
• GEND 2500: Women's Lives and Sustainable Happiness
• GEND 3000: Contemporary Gender Studies Research
• GEND 3550: Society and Gender
• GEND 3560: Society and Sexuality
• GEND 4100: Gender and Education
• GEND 4110: LGBT Issues in Education
• GEND 4150: Gender and Sexuality in Children’s Literature and Culture
• GEND 4200: Gender Theory
• GEND 4220: Gender, Environment and Sustainability
• GEND 4304: Women’s Spirituality
• GEND 4920: Gender Studies Practicum
• GEND 4930: Studies in Activism: Sex, Gender and Sexuality
• GEND 4970: Gender Studies Portfolio Capstone
• BUS 2090: Ethics and Social Responsibility for Businesses and Business People
• SOCL 2000: Intergenerational Experiences