Sessions For: Institute for Research on Women & Gender

Established in 1997 by Ellen Agress, the Vivian R. Shaw Lecture is presented biennially by IRWG and Women’s and Gender Studies. The lecture was created to address “real world issues” related to women and gender and has brought distinguished scholars, writers, and public intellectuals to the University of Michigan for nearly three decades.

The Department of Women's & Gender Studies and the Institute for Research on Women & Gender (IRWG) are pleased to invite you to join us for an evening with Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, a private reception following this year’s Vivian R. Shaw Lecture.

The reception will feature hors d’oeuvres and drinks and offer an opportunity to continue the conversation with Honorée Fanonne Jeffers following her lecture. Guests will also have the chance to connect with colleagues and friends from across the University of Michigan and celebrate this special Vivian R. Shaw Lecture together.

We would be delighted to have you with us for this special evening.

You're invited to the 2026 IRWG/Rackham Community of Scholars Symposium! This symposium features interdisciplinary feminist scholarship from the 2026 IRWG/Rackham Community of Scholars fellows. The Community of Scholars is a two-month summer fellowship and the only feminist dissertation-writing workshop at the University of Michigan. It supports graduate students enrolled in any Rackham program on the Ann Arbor campus who are conducting scholarly or creative work related to women, gender, or sexuality.
Community of Scholars participates in a weekly seminar throughout May and June. Faculty in the Women’s & Gender Studies Department facilitate these sessions, which emphasize peer review and cross-disciplinary exchange. Facilitators offer mentorship, individualized feedback, and guidance on writing from a feminist perspective.
The fellows reconvene for the annual Community of Scholars Symposium to share the product of their summer’s work with each other and a broader audience.