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WGSS is Celebrating 50 Years at OSU!

In Autumn 2025 semester, the Department of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies will be celebrating 50 years at The Ohio State University. To commemorate the milestone as one of the longest-standing WGSS programs, we will host a 50th Anniversary Celebration, including alumni panels, live performances, community art, dance reception, and more! We look forward to the gathering of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the community to celebrate five decades of contributions to feminist scholarship and the interdisciplinary studies of gender and sexuality. We hope you can join us for this exciting 2-day event!

Event Details

Dates: 

  • Friday & Saturday, September 19-20th, 2025

Location: 

  • The Ohio State University campus
    Columbus, OH 43210

Registration: 

  • Be sure to complete registration in order to RSVP for the event.
  • Register online or by phone at 800-762-5646. 

Cost: 

  • Dinner on Friday evening is $20 per guest. All other sessions and included meals are free of cost. 

Parking: 

  • Find info on how to park on campus through CampusParc. Please note that parking fees are not included with your registration. We will update with additional parking guidance soon!

Lodging: 

  • For guests from out-of-town, there are plenty of lodging options in the Columbus area. If looking to stay close to campus, feel free to reference this list of campus-area hotels to choose from. 

Schedule of Events

9:00-10:00am: Arrival & Check-in 

  • As you arrive to campus, be sure to stop by our check-in table, then enjoy some light refreshments as you settle in for the weekend celebration.   

10:00-11:30am: Alumni Panel #1 

  • We will kick off the festivities with a group of PhD alumni panelists, as they share their experiences of working in academia and their contributions to feminist scholarship.  

11:30am-12:00pm: Break 

12:00-2:00pm: Lunch & Networking 

2:00-3:30pm: Performance 

  • Experience Keya Crenshaw’s Mothers of the Movement, a staged reading that brings to life four mothers from different eras as they navigate the grief of losing a child to police violence. Their intersecting stories honor their legacy through remembrance, resistance, and a collective call for justice. 

3:30-5:00pm: Alumni Panel #2 

  • For our 2nd alumni panel, we will hear from a group of BA and MA alumni as they share how WGSS has shaped their professional work. 

5:00-6:00pm: Break 

6:00-11:00pm: Dinner, Reception, and Dance Party! 

  • Please join us for a banquet-style dinner and reception, and hear from leaders in the college and community. Stay for the full night of dancing and mingling amongst WGSS alumni, colleagues, and community members.

10:00-11:00am: Arrival & Light Breakfast 

  • A light breakfast will be available as we prepare for our 2nd day of the celebration. 

11:00-12:30: Alumni Panel #3 

  • For our final alumni panel, we will learn how WGSS studies have influenced the paths of another group of BA and MA alumni.   

12:30-1:30: Lunch 

1:30-2:45pm: Feminist Mural Workshop 

  • We are living in a difficult era characterized by attacks on feminist and progressive movements and a reassertion of power hierarchies. Please join us for the co-creation of a feminist mural that will help us heal and come together in challenging times. 

2:45-3:00pm: Closing 

 

Looking to extend your celebration of feminism?

Join some of our WGSS alumni as they host a rough cut screening of Free Beer Tomorrow! The film explores the relationship between the feminist movement for women’s liberation, alongside the formation of what would later become the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at OSU. A panel discussion of some of WGSS’ earliest leaders will follow the screening. Check out Free Beer Tomorrow’s website for more info and to get your tickets!

  • When: Saturday, September 20th, 4:30-7:00pm
  • Location: WOSU, Ross Community Studio, 1800 N Pearl St, Columbus, OH 43201

Questions?