Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social

Vicki L. Ruiz, a UC Irvine historian specializing in Chicano/Latino studies, has been named dean of the UCI School of Humanities, effective immediately.

The UC Regents confirmed Ruiz’s appointment today at their meeting at UC San Francisco.

Ruiz, 52, will lead a school renowned for its range of scholarly contributions and its commitment to innovative and interdisciplinary education. The School of Humanities is home to more than 2,600 students and 180 faculty members in more than 100 research specialties. Many programs within the School of the Humanities are among the highest ranked in the country, including literary criticism and theory, English, comparative literature, French and philosophy.

“Professor Ruiz is a pioneer in her field and has spent her entire career breaking down barriers for Latinos in academia,” UCI Chancellor Michael V. Drake said. “She has an impressive record in scholarly and administrative roles and will lead the School of Humanities to the next level of excellence.” (more…)

On February 22nd, 2008, University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science and the Arts (LSA) issued a negative tenure recommendation for Assistant Professor Andrea Lee Smith. Jointly appointed in the Program in American Culture and the Department of Women’s Studies, Dr. Smith’s body of scholarship exemplifies scholarly excellence with widely circulated articles in peer-reviewed journals and numerous books in both university and independent presses including Native Americans and the Christian Right published this year by Duke University Press.

Dr. Smith is one of the greatest indigenous feminist intellectuals of our time. A nominee for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize, Dr. Smith has an outstanding academic and community record of service that is internationally and nationally recognized. She is a dedicated professor and mentor and she is an integral member of the University of Michigan (UM) intellectual community. Her reputation and pedagogical practices draw undergraduate and graduate students from all over campus and the nation. (more…)