ABOUT
SWG was created to envision and implement the next wave of theories and practices to improve well-being for LGBTQ individuals and women. SWG’s mission is to play a vital role in the creation of research initiatives, innovative curriculum, and institutional programming on campus and with partners beyond the Columbia University network. For more information: swgproject@tc.columbia.edu
Who WE ARE
The Sexuality, Women, and Gender Project (SWG) was co-founded in Fall 2012 by three professors in the Counseling and Clinical Psychology Department, Drs. Aurelie Athan, Melanie Brewster, and Riddhi Sandil with funding from a Teachers College Provost Investment Grant. Athan, Brewster, and Sandil originally came together in support of each other's independent efforts on the often marginalized subjects of sexuality, women, and gender. They were joined by Dr. Gregory Payton (Point Scholar and Lecturer at Teachers College) in 2015. The SWG founders each lead large and active teams of masters- and doctoral-level students in cutting edge research projects to promote the needs of LGBTQ individuals and women. SWG hopes to spur evolution in our most upheld and foundational theories of sex and gender (and power) in the field of Psychology and keeps a pulse on the integration of our mission throughout Teachers College. Our logo symbolizes setting blaze to outdated notions, obtaining new life from the old, and most of all inspiring our passion for excellence! Download our flyer here.
MISSION
The goals of SWG are threefold:
to promote learning through pedagogy
to provide intensive research mentorship and production
to apply gender and sexuality theories in practice (e.g., local schools, mental/health facilities, and community organizations)
SWG will work across departments within TC and schools of CU to promote the trans-disciplinary dialogues needed to solve complex, real-world problems. Students and faculty are welcome to join our mission and build these much-needed bridges.
OUR WORK THUS FAR
SWG's has organized numerous didactic lectures, events, and colloquia open to students, faculty, and the broader New York City community. We have planned and hosted large, well-attended (200+ people) events including a screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary How to Survive a Plague and panel discussion with director, David France, and world-renown HIV scholar, Dr. Perry Halkitis; this event highlighted community enthusiasm for LGBTQ issues. We also hosted Domestic Violence, Gender, and Culture: Shining a Light, which featured specialists in the field of violence against women including Sujata Warrier, Director of the NYC Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence; Jennifer DeCarli, Executive Director Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence; and mental health practitioners from the city.
Certificate and Concentration
SWG now offers a NY State Approved masters- and doctoral-level certification programs. Moreover, we actively collaborate with TC departments to integrate sexuality and gender lenses into course offerings, and networking with organizations outside of TC to establish new fieldwork and internship placements (e.g., Sakhi, Seleni, Museum of Motherhood). We also have an established MA concentration in Clinical Psychology and have developed the first graduate level course on transgender issues in NY state, as well as TC’s first permanent course on LGBTQ Issues and Maternal Psychology.
Looking to the Future
The long-term vision of SWG is to develop a Sexuality, Women, and Gender Center that will generate and disseminate theory as well as attract cutting-edge scholars who will teach new classes, lead workshops, conduct symposia, and engage our students in community-based research and service initiatives. Further, we would like to create scholarship programs and funding opportunities to student scholars invested in furthering the needs of LGBTQ individuals and women. Such initiatives would place Teachers College at the forefront of promoting these critical issues within social justice movements, mental health training, and education.