News

Jennifer Stanley brings message of empowerment, social change to the runway

For TWU fashion student Jennifer Stanley, who designs under the moniker Jen•Ley, runway events are more than a showcase of her work. They also provide an important platform to advocate for the support of victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

TWU presents virtual dance concert 'Through the Lens'

The Texas Woman’s University Department of Dance will present its spring virtual dance concert, “Through the Lens,” on YouTube at 7 p.m. April 23. The livestream event will feature faculty- and student-created screen dances and original sound scores. The event also will incorporate diverse cultural perspectives, an array of performance environments and entertaining explorations of the human condition in the age of COVID-19.

TWU alumni Rikki Willingham and Sharmeen Jariullah launch 'Gray Matters' blog

"Gray Matters the Blog" was created on the impetus to bridge academia and activism by two TWU students and alumni, Rikki Willingham, who received her MA in Multicultural Women's and Gender Studies in 2019 and is currently working on her PhD in the program, and Sharmeen Jariullah, who received her MA in Multicultural Women's and Gender Studies in 2020. Gray Matters the Blog utilizes a website-based blog and podcast platforms to contribute to the digital humanities. The goal of Gray Matters the Blog is to make complex theory accessible, prompt conversations about uncomfortable topics, and provide tangible resources while centering disenfranchised voices and experiences. Gray Matters is an inclusive space for all backgrounds and abilities, examples of which are the episode transcripts available on the website and alternate text available on the website and social media pages. The website specifically features pages explaining different epistemologies and showcases the works of various literary and creative perspectives. Utilizing both a podcast and blog format, the audience has options in the ways they wish to connect with complex theories while social media provides broad-reaching access.

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National Endowment for the Humanities awards grant to TWU faculty

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) today announced that it awarded a Humanities Connections Grant of $99,426 to Texas Woman’s University. The grant will support the very first interdisciplinary and experiential learning initiative to integrate the history of Quakertown into courses at TWU. It will also enable the future development of a digital humanities archive of Quakertown-related research and reflection, which the project co-directors aim to connect to a public platform that will promote community engagement with Quakertown’s history for decades to come.

TWU's Wouter van Erve weighs in on civics education legislation

What Texas kids need to know in order to become responsible citizens is up for debate.

After Gov. Greg Abbott named strengthening civics education as one of his priorities for the legislative session, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle filed bills with that goal in mind. But some advocacy groups are concerned that the issue could become too politicized, potentially stymieing progress in Austin.

Wouter van Erve, a Texas Woman’s University political science professor, said it’s important to pay attention to the emphasis on patriotism within civics education bills.

“Patriotism is a feeling. It’s a feeling of pride. In civics education, you have to watch out,” he said. “It’s not about feelings — it’s about facts.”