Erin Cassese, an associate professor of political science at West Virginia University, has been named the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences’ first Harriet E. Lyon Professor in Women’s and Gender Studies.  

The first-of-its-kind professorship recognizes the interdisciplinary role of women’s and gender studies on the WVU campus. It is designed to support the dissemination of knowledge sensitive to gender and places women's concerns, ideas, perspectives and interests at the center of the scholarly and teaching enterprise.

“We are thrilled to be joined by such a prolific and respected researcher and teacher,” said Cari Carpenter, interim director of the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies. “(Cassese) promises to bring new energy to the Center with her timely, important work on feminist perspectives of the American political system.”  

In this role, Cassese will bring a novel disciplinary perspective to the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies while teaching and conducting research as an integral member of the Center.  

“The Lyon Professorship is an exciting opportunity to build new relationships on campus and to promote further inquiry into the political implications of gender. I hope to start new conversations and build new relationship among people working toward common goals on campus,” Cassese said. “The professorship will enable me to further my scholarship on women as voters and candidates in American elections and to build new relationships with campus partners interested in issues of gender equity.”

Cassese’s research explores the intersection of gender, race and class in American politics. The professorship will support her ongoing research on women as voters, including a project about support for President Donald Trump among white women voters. It will also support her work on the role of gender in negative campaigning and allow her to start a new project about the online harassment of women in political life.  

Cassese’s research has appeared in Politics and Gender, Sex Roles, Legislative Studies Quarterly and The Journal of Politics. Her article “American Party Women” was selected as the best paper published in Political Research Quarterly in 2017.

“Cassese’s research and its ongoing focus on politics, gender and intersectionality make her one of the most important gender scholars in American political science today,” said John Kilwein, interim chair of the Department of Political Science. “I can think of no better individual to fill the Harriet E. Lyon Professorship in Women’s and Gender Studies.”  

Cassese is planning three major events as part of her new role. This fall, she will give a public talk about the gender outlook for the 2018 election cycle and her work with Gender Watch 2018. In 2019, she will be organizing an interactive workshop on early childhood political socialization with Angela Bos from the College of Wooster. She is also partnering with Ready to Run to design an interactive event aimed at cultivating political ambition in college-aged women.

“The professorship contributes to the reputation, visibility and legacy of the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies and also advances WVU’s reputation for academic excellence,” Cassese said. “Gifts to the professorship support unique events and scholarship that couldn’t be conducted otherwise. They also affirm the community’s commitment to working toward gender equity.”

Cassese’s teaching interests focus on women and politics as well as quantitative political methodology. She received the New Research on Gender and Political Psychology Teaching Innovation Award for the development of the WVU course POLS 340, Social Movements in Fiction and Film.   

“I will be offering courses on topics including women in campaigns and elections; gender, activism and political behavior; and violence against women in political life,” Cassese said. “I look forward to working with women’s and gender studies students at the undergraduate and graduate levels and hope to provide new opportunities for applied research experiences that I wouldn’t be able to offer without the support of the professorship.”

The professorship is named in honor of the first woman to graduate from WVU, Harriet E. Lyon. It was endowed in honor of Judith Gold Stitzel, founding director of the WVU Center for Women’s and Gender Studies through the support of many generous donors.

"Our Women’s and Gender Studies program has a long and outstanding tradition of excellence that is in no small part due to the vision and efforts of Stitzel. She continues to enhance this great program through her efforts in establishing the Lyon Professorship,” said Gregory Dunaway, dean of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. “This professorship will provide great opportunities to promote gender scholarship, education and outreach. I am extremely proud that Cassese will be the inaugural Lyon Professor. She will, no doubt, fulfill the very high expectations that this great opportunity affords.”

To learn more about or contribute to the Harriet E. Lyon Endowed Professorship in Women’s and Gender Studies, visit give.wvu.edu/ecas-WomenandGenderStudies.