CSWS is pleased to announce that Smadar Ben-Natan, assistant professor of global studies, and Hannah Thomas, assistant professor of dance, are the first recipients of a competitive new Faculty Research Fellowship that provides one course release for 2026-27 to pursue work on any aspect of the study of women and/or gender.
Ben-Natan's project, "Truth and Weaponization: The Polarization over Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Palestine/Israel after October 7," is a collaboration between two co-authors—critical feminist scholars who inhabit both communities—who employ the process-tracing method to examine the crisis and suggest ways to transcend it. According to Ben-Natan, "The project connects two theoretical frameworks: post-truth populism and transitional justice, which emphasizes a 'right to truth' of victims of mass violence, and connects truth to political transition, such as in truth and reconciliation committees. However, in the post-truth populist climate, social media and disinformation made truth increasingly unattainable and undermined its significance. The project aims to inform feminist and activist circles and support reconciliation processes."
Thomas's project is a residency-to-performance dance concert titled Joy in the City, which expands an ongoing body of creative research that explores sisterhood, liminality, and joy among Black women. Taking place over three to four weeks in Eugene, Oregon, Black women dance artists from across the country and students from the University of Oregon will participate in daily rehearsals and collaborative activities designed to generate movement, explore ideas, and shape choreography, culminating in the evening-length concert Joy in the City.
"The project deepens the understanding of dance as a tool for connection, healing, and cultural expression within Black communities and lays the foundation for a future project-based company devoted to creating and touring dance works by and for Black women, amplifying their stories and creative voices across the nation and the world," Thomas said.
CSWS Faculty Research Fellowships may be taken as a course buy-out (up to $20,000, not including OPE) or as research funds for the fellowship term (up to $15,000).
In addition, CSWS has awarded our 2026-27 Faculty Research Grants (up to $6,000) to Erin Beck, professor of political science, and Nissryne Dib, assistant professor of cinema studies.
According to Beck, the project, "Engaging Men and Shifting Masculinities to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls (VWAG)," builds on critical masculinities scholarship and "a decade of ethnographic research in Guatemala to examine how anti-VAWG efforts interact with diverse masculinities and how men perceive and respond to them, offering insights for theorizing changing masculinities and cultivating male allies."
Dib's project is a short film titled Natural, in which a Lebanese American teenager ashamed of her curvy brown body is unable to find a place to change privately after her swimming lessons, while her oblivious Lebanese mother speaks Arabic loudly and stares openly at the naked white women in the changing room.
"The film explores the immigrant experience and how to feel comfortable in your own skin," Dib said of her project. "I aim to build on my interests in framing women on screen through ethical camera and lighting choices to represent the experience of 'otherness' in public spaces."
CSWS faculty research fellowships and grant applications are due at the end of October for the 2027-28 academic year. Information: https://csws.uoregon.edu/faculty-funding.