College of Humanities Welcomes New Department of Ethnic, Gender & Disability Studies

The College of Humanities extends a warm welcome to the students, faculty, and staff joining our college in the newly-formed Department of Ethnic, Gender & Disability Studies.

Through a process of faculty and campus level discussion and approvals, a difficult yet important decision was made to move the academic disciplines formerly housed in the School for Cultural & Social Transformation (Transform) into Humanities. Throughout the process, the college and department leadership teams have looked to the guiding principles of student success, research success, and disciplinary integrity. This reorganization ensures the crucial curriculum, programming, and productive interdisciplinary energy of Ethnic Studies, Pacific Island Studies, Gender Studies, and Disability Studies remain available at the University of Utah.

Wanda Pillow, dean of the College of Humanities, and professor in the newly formed department, says, “I want to personally welcome our students and colleagues in the new EGD Studies department. The decision to reorganize these academic units into a department improves student success and access for all students. This merger retains the disciplinary integrity of Ethnic and Gender Studies and brings interdisciplinary faculty excellence into the College of Humanities.”  

Since the faculty from Humanities and EGD Studies voted 94% in favor of a merger in May 2025, both college and department administration have been working tirelessly to ensure a smooth transition for students.

Says Ella Myers, chair of the Department of Ethnic, Gender & Disability Studies, “We have been thinking of students every step of the way. We have preserved all of the majors, minors, and certificates that were part of Transform to ensure that students have access to these vitally important fields of study.  We've updated the majors so that they are a bit more flexible in order to help students complete their degrees.  And now that we're a part of the College of Humanities, our students will have access to all of their college resources as well, such as scholarships, learning abroad programming, and student success coaching.”

Karen Marsh Schaeffer, director of student success for the College of Humanities, agrees, saying, “Both units have been collaborating weekly since June to discuss student needs and support throughout the transition. Transform was renowned for a culture where faculty really championed their students, and in moving to a much larger college, we wanted to ensure that students don’t have any disruption in their progress toward graduation.”

Marsh Schaeffer notes that a few specific advantages for students include increased access to leadership, internship and research opportunities as well as additional scholarships that are open to Ethnic and Gender Studies majors under the College of Humanities.

Leadership also anticipates that faculty in the new department will benefit from the outstanding research infrastructure of the College of Humanities, robust teaching support, and increased scholarly engagement.

The college will be hosting a welcome event for the new department (details forthcoming) and encourages all Humanities students, faculty, and staff to attend.  

A hearty Humanities welcome to our new students and colleagues in the Department of Ethnic, Gender & Disability Studies!