Kimberly A. Williams, Ph.D.

Department of Humanities, Mount Royal University

"What each of us needs to do about what we don't know is to go look for it." 

~ Cherrie Moraga

Hello, and welcome.

Having earned my Ph.D. in Women's Studies from the University of Maryland in 2008, I'm currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Humanities at Mount Royal University in Calgary where I teach Women's Studies.

My teaching and research interests include:

    • Transnational feminist and queer theories and movements
    • Feminist theories of nationalism, militarization, and international relations
    • Men and masculinities in U.S. foreign policy and American nationalism
    • Gender and global restructuring
    • Visual, performance and media culture
    • Feminist and critical pedagogies

    My dissertation interrogated the gendered, heteronormative dynamics of U.S.-Russian relations in the twelve years between the demise of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. The revised book manuscript, entitled Imagining Russia: Toward a Feminist Analysis of American Nationalism in U.S.-Russian Relations, has recently been awarded the SUNY Press Dissertation/First Book Prize in Women's and Gender Studies.


    I'm currently working on a project exploring the intersection of government/elite discourse on and popular representations of "violence against women" in the United States as a category seperate and apart from other kinds of violence. 

     

    In addition to a Ph.D. in Women's Studies, I hold an M.A. in Women’s Studies from the University of Maryland, an M.A. in History from the University of Toronto, and a dual B.A. in history and theater from Rhode Island College in Providence.


    I'm also an avid winter knitter and an ardent fan of The West Wing, Top Chef, Project Runway, and British costume dramas, especially The Buccaneers, Cranford, The House of Eliott and Foyle's War. Whenever anyone asks me to cite my favorite film, I need only respond, "Is Emma Thompson in it?"


    In the warmer months, call me on my cell phone, as I'm always outside camping, hiking, biking, gardening, or just sitting in the shade with a good book. I also get a kick out of playing chase-the-bubbles with my feline friends, Alice and Franklin, whose simple pleasures serve to remind me that life doesn't always have to be so confoundedly complicated.


    You'll find lots of information on this site, including links leading to my curriculum vitae, sample syllabi, and current research interests. But you'll also learn about me. This site is always being updated and improved, so be sure to check back often. You can also e-mail me at kawilliams (at) mtroyal.ca.