Point of Contact
Prof. Nadia Brown, Director, nb865@georgetown.edu.
Philosophy of research
Women’s and Gender Studies Program defines research as a critical exploration of society and culture. Being interdisciplinary and intersectional by definition, research in women’s and gender studies should be, and is, about experiential learning and intellectual collaboration. In practical terms, women’s and gender studies defines undergraduate research as a scholarly investigation that contributes to the production of new knowledge undertaken with the guidance of a faculty mentor. Such research should provide students with opportunities to improve in their critical thinking, problem solving, coherent analysis, and synthesis of ideas. Students are expected to obtain competence as feminist researchers by becoming adept at quantitative and qualitative research methods and to develop their own methodology based on such familiarity. Most importantly, students are urged to embrace diverse perspectives and to challenge existing ideas.
How to get started
The definition/concept and methods of research are introduced to students in our program’s two introductory courses, Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies and Introduction to Sexuality Studies. Students explore the genealogy and various traditions of feminist research in the next tier of foundational courses, Feminist Thoughts I and II. In the final required course for our majors and minors, Senior Capstone, our students learn to conceptualize and design their own research project and, with the guidance of a faculty mentor, complete their senior thesis. In each step of researching and writing the thesis, assignments are scaffolded so that students learn how to break a complex research project into smaller, manageable parts.
How to get connected with a faculty mentor
Students interested in research are encouraged to reach out to potential faculty mentors who share their research interests. When possible, we try to match students with one of our core faculty, but in instances when we need to reach out to experts outside the program, faculty members work with students to match them with those scholars with an expertise in the research area. In order to facilitate the process, the program compiles a list of faculty who have worked with our majors and minors in the past, and encourages students to consult the list before they finalize their mentor. Most importantly, we are committed to creating the environment of inclusive and equitable mentoring practices. Excellent research mentors appreciate students’ lived experience, nurture their strengths, and provide supportive environments in which student researchers find an intellectual home.
Earning credit for undergraduate research
Beyond for-credit courses involving research, students can petition to receive one credit for a semester-long “Tutorial” with a program faculty.
Getting paid for research
A student can work as a paid research assistant as long as the faculty member the student is working for has independent funding available. The arrangement usually comes about when students and faculty identify matching research interests in instructional settings. At the moment, the program’s budget does not financially support such arrangements.
Thesis or capstone research
Students conduct research for their Senior Capstones.