Department of Social Science
Susana L. Gallardo, Ph.D.
Lecturer in Women's Studies
CV | Education | Courses Taught | Publications | Service | Presentations | Honors
"This is an exciting time to be teaching, and SJSU is an amazing place to be teaching," says Dr. Susana Gallardo, to the department of Social Science. Students in her introductory women's studies classes "just have a lot on the ball, soaking in new information, asking great questions, bringing their own experiences to course material in a way that makes the class come alive."
Professor Gallardo draws on an interdisciplinary background in her teaching and research. She recently filed her dissertation in Religious Studies based on ethnographic fieldwork done here in San Jose, around the historic Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic community on San Antonio Street ("Sal Si Puedes"). She studies the fluidity of the Chicana/o Catholic religious tradition, and the experiences of a particular generation of Chicana and Chicano activists who confronted contradictions in their political and religious identities. Her dissertation was titled “I Never Left the Church”: Redefining Chicana/o Catholic Religious Identities in San Jose, California.”
Professor Gallardo holds a Masters in Theological Studies from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Stanford University. She is multilingual in English, Spanish, French, and basic biblical Greek.
A third/nth generation Chicana from Southern California, Professor Gallardo defines herself as a Chicana feminist and ardent webgeek. She is most proud of creating http://chicanas.com, a public educational resource about Chicana feminisms and Chicana/o culture.
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Education
Ph.D., Department of Religious Studies,
Stanford University, Stanford, California, 2012.
M.T.S. (Masters in Theological Studies), Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1989
A.B., Religious Studies, Occidental College, Los Angeles, California, 1987
Courses Taught:
WOMS 10. Perspectives in Sex & Gender
WOMS 101. The Study of Women
WOMS 131/RELS 131. Religion, Sexuality & Gender
SOCS 195. Theory & Practice in the Social Sciences
Most Recent Publications:
“’Tía María de la Maternity Leave:’ Reflections on Race, Class & the Natural Birth Experience,” Mothers' Lives in Academia, eds. Mari Castaneda and Kirsten Isgro. In process, Columbia University Press.
“Seven Different Words for ‘Cookie:’ Latina/o Identity in the United States,” National Catholic Reporter, Sept 30, 2009.
“Feminisms.” In Encyclopedia of Religion and American Cultures, ed. Gary Laderman and Luis Leon. Santa Barbara: ABC-Clio Press, 2003.
“Redefining Catholic Identities: Chicana Religious Traditions.” Edited chapter, In the Shadow of Desire: Chicana Identity Formation. Edited by Rosalia Solorzano Torres and Francisca James Hernandez. Forthcoming, University of Arizona Press.
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Professional & Community Service
Historian & Webjefa, Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social (Chicanas/Latinas Active in Letters & Social Change) at http://malcs.net
Creator of public educational resource, “Making Face, Making Soul: A Chicana Feminist Website” at http://chicanas.com, 1996-present
Creator, Gloria Anzaldua Online Memorial Altar, http://gloria.chicanas.com
Certified Minister, Federation of Christian Ministry (Catholic)
Recent Talks & Presentations
“From Priest to SJSU Professor: The Chicano Religious Identities of Anthony Soto,” Spring 2011 Speaker Series, Division of Interdisciplinary Race and Gender Studies (DIRGS), San Jose State University, March 16, 2011.
"In Memory of Gloria Anzaldua: excerpts from Gloria's online altar" (plenary panel), Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social Annual Summer Institute, August 20, 2004.
“Redefining Catholic Identities,” Regional FOCO, National Association of Chicana and Chicano Studies, San Jose State University, December 2, 2000.
“Making Religion: The Altarcito Tradition as Religious Practice,” American Studies National Conference, Detroit, Michigan, October 12, 2000.
“Making Face, Making Soul, Making Websites: Chicanas.com as Public Feminism,” Images of Women conference, Southwest Texas University, March 25, 2000.
“Assessing Educational Technology in The Word & the World” Stanford Learning Lab, Stanford University, October 6, 1999.
“Changing the Subject: Chicana/o Catholicism as ‘The Mexican problem’” Occidental College, Los Angeles, October 20, 1998.
“Sal Si Puedes”: Reform & Resistance in a Chicano Catholic Parish,” New Ethnic & Immigrant Congregation Project Conference, New York City, August 17, 1996.
Honors & Awards
CSU Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Fellowship, May 2011.
Social Science Summer Research Grant, College of Social Science, San Jose State University, May 2011
UCSB Chicana Dissertation Fellowship, Department of Chicano Studies, UCSB, 1995-96
Charlotte W. Newcombe Dissertation Fellow, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation (Honorary; fellowship declined), 1995-96
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