Faculty Spotlight
Mary Jessup, Staff Writer
photo: Photo courstey Jan Wilson
Dr. Jan Doolittle Wilson is an associate professor of history at the University of Tulsa and director of the Women's and Gender Studies program.
When asked what drew her to the field of women's and gender studies, Wilson said she "stumbled into it, really."
Raised in Indiana, Wilson attended Indiana State University for her Bachelor's degree in history.
Wilson was inspired by her grandfather, an active union member, to pursue a Master's degree in U.S. history, specializing in American Labor and Social movements, also from Indiana State.
She considered taking a few years off to contribute social service in the PeaceCorps after graduation, but key coursework with an influential professor and a desire to answer questions about herself and her family peaked Wilson's interest in women's and gender studies.
She attended the State University of New York at Binghamton and completed her Ph.D. in U.S. Women's History in 2000.
After a winding road that led her through Grinnell College in Iowa, Fort Hays State University in Kansas and Central Michigan University, Wilson found that she missed the small classroom environment.
Additionally harboring an ambition to direct TU's women's and gender studies program, Wilson came to TU in 2007.
When asked about her favorite part of TU, Wilson's answer is quick and sure: the students.
She says the students are "close-nit, active and involved," and she enjoys watching them grow academically and personally.
Wilson appreciates working with her dedicated colleagues in both the history and WGS departments, and likes the interdisciplinary collaboration her field allows.
When it comes to instruction, Wilson prefers to teach using interesting stories from her own life, in an effort to make the material fun and tangible, while illustrating how important and relevant the issues are to everyday life.
She stresses how important it is to "help (her students) connect learning to life outside the classroom."
Currently, Wilson is working on her second book, detailing the history of the General Federation of Women"s Clubs.
The book focuses on divisive racial aspects regarding the inclusion of African Americans and American Indians at the turn of the 20th century.
Additionally, she is developing a book which compiles her own classroom experiences, surveys and discussions on developing perspectives on third-wave feminism.
Her immediate goals include further developing and expanding TU's women's and gender studies program into a major-granting department.
Recently, the university lost three key faculty members who regularly taught women's studies classes.
Wilson hopes to fill gaps she sees in the program, including more coursework in globalization, homosexuality, diversity and masculinity studies.
One of Wilson's most rewarding experiences as an instructor is being able to give students a language to describe hardships seen around the world and in everyday life, providing a listening ear and helping students access appropriate resources.
For now, Wilson is happy to do her best for the WGS and history programs, as well as being mindful of her family.
Wilson has a "tremendously supportive" husband who stays home full-time with their two young children.
She enjoys going to local theatre performances with her daughter, family trips to museums and the zoo and spending time with her family at home.
Dr. Wilson can be found in Chapman Hall, office 227.
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