Global Gender and Sexuality Studies at UB

The Department of Global Gender and Sexuality Studies (GGSs) is the interdisciplinary home for research and teaching on feminism, women, gender and sexuality. Originally formed in 1972, we are one of the first women’s studies programs in the United States.

Department Highlights

Our students study with faculty experts from across the social sciences, arts and humanities.
Our program attracts students from all over the world – one-third of our graduate students come from abroad.
We do research in every world region and explore global patterns of gender inequality.
Our global emphasis allows students opportunities for hands-on experience with teaching, community engagement and policy development on a local, national and international level.
GGSs students have received scholarships from institutions such as the United Nations, the World Bank, the Fulbright Scholars program and the American Association of University Women.
Alumni successfully pursue careers in academia, government, media, international organizations and community service in many different countries.A degree from UB is one of the best in the United States for combining affordability and a high-quality education.
UB is located in Buffalo, N.Y., an international border city with a diverse population, boasting a comfortable and affordable lifestyle.

Meet Our Faculty

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"I look at how diverse forms of gender representations in advertisements, art, film, photography, music videos and protests are mobilized politically."
6/13/18
Jasmina Tumbas, PhD
Assistant Professor
1/30/26 Meet Our Faculty
"In my research, I deal with questions of justice, ethics and identity in the plays of Mexican writer Bárbara Colio."
6/13/18
Margarita Vargas, PhD
Associate Professor
1/30/26 Meet Our Faculty
"Being passionate about global democracy and social equality, my transnational research focuses on post-communist transitions, democratization and globalized development."
6/3/25
Barbara Wejnert, PhD
Professor
1/30/26 Meet Our Faculty
"How did Atlantic slavery and European imperialism define West African gender and sexual identities, and transform power relations between men and women?"
6/13/18
Ndubueze Mbah, PhD
Assistant Professor
1/30/26 Meet Our Faculty
"I am passionate about challenging women’s political exclusions in democratic societies. My research on Latin America examines how women’s activism in promoting institutional innovations promotes gender equality in states and political parties."
6/11/18
Gwynn Thomas, PhD
Chair
1/30/26 Meet Our Faculty
"I research and write about gender and race in twentieth century American cities."
6/11/18
Victoria Wolcott, PhD
Professor
1/30/26 Meet Our Faculty
"How do gender and sexuality shape the practice and politics of U.S. sport, psychiatry, LGBT life and disability?"
6/3/25
Susan Cahn, PhD
Professor
1/30/26 Meet Our Faculty
"My work is based in a profound belief in art and visual culture’s capacity not only to reflect the past and the present but also to imagine and shape a better future."
10/6/18
Elizabeth Otto, PhD
Associate Professor of Art History
1/30/26 Meet Our Faculty
"My research is about better lives for women working in economies affected by corporations and governments of the global North."
6/13/18
Marion Werner, PhD
Associate Professor
1/30/26 Meet Our Faculty
"I use queer theory and early modern English literature to ponder questions of reading and interpretation. My work unpacks the histories, affects, desires, and ontological assumptions at play in how readers make meaning from a text."
6/18/20
Christine Varnado, PhD
Assistant Professor
1/30/26 Meet Our Faculty
"I am passionate about feminist theories and practices of justice and democracy. In this context I investigate the role of arts and aesthetics in democratic politics."
6/11/18
Ewa P. Ziarek, PhD
Professor
1/30/26 Meet Our Faculty
"My goal as a researcher focused on issues of sexualized violence has always been to work myself out of that job. There should not be experts in this field or a field at all because there should be no sexualized violence (and all violence is sexualized). I always keep that in mind as a goal."
6/13/18
Carine Mardorossian, PhD
Professor
1/30/26 Meet Our Faculty
"My teaching and research in early modern literature explores the dynamics that animate art, including, centrally, sexuality and gender."
6/11/18
Barbara Bono, PhD
Associate Professor
1/30/26 Meet Our Faculty
"We need to create narratives about identity, interconnection, place and planet that are historically accurate, socially just and artistically visionary."
6/13/18
Kari Winter, PhD
Professor
1/30/26 Meet Our Faculty
"My work addresses the history of literature, particularly as it relates to the body, the emotions, and ethics."
6/11/18
Rachel Ablow, PhD
Professor
1/30/26 Meet Our Faculty
"My focus is on sexuality and the body in Jewish mysticism and magic, and in contemporary New Age Religion."
9/13/19
Marla Segol, PhD
Associate Professor
1/30/26 Meet Our Faculty

Degrees

Student Voices

The department is small enough for finding mentorship, but big enough for consistent learning.

Learn More about GGSs

Why UB?

UB is a place where you can challenge yourself, find your community and build a future. As New York’s flagship public research university, UB gives you the power of an R1 institution and the support of a campus that feels welcoming from day one.

What you’ll experience at UB

Affordable excellence: Earn a top-tier education at a cost that supports your goals.
Collaborative community: Learn from faculty and peers who care about your growth.
Built-in opportunity: Get experience through research, internships and student clubs.
A vibrant place to live: Buffalo offers friendly neighborhoods, a lively arts and food scene and easy access to Toronto and New York.

The UB difference
UB students get big-university advantages without losing the personal connections that make college meaningful. You’ll join a campus that encourages curiosity, celebrates different perspectives and gives you room to explore your path.

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