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Women's & Gender Studies Program


The mission of the Women’s Studies Program is to provide the interdisciplinary study of women's experiences, emphasizing historical, contemporary, and future issues concerning women and men; to foster the development of gender equality in scholarship and the workplace; to help students better understand how knowledge, discourse, and values take different forms depending on multiple inequalities, especially for women of color and women on the US – Mexico border.

EVENTS AND NEWS

  • Click here for UTEP Women's History Month 2026 Events
  • INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY: Fitness for all Women - March 7th, 9am - 12pm - Click here for more information
  • Performance by Ramón Griffero, followed by an audience Q&A with the playwright. FREE and open to the public (open seating on a first come, first served basis)
    • Wednesday, March 11 and Thursday, March 12, 7:30pm - 8:30pm
    • June Sadowski Kruszewski Studio Theatre, UTEP Fox Fine Arts Building

  • Black History Month Keynote Speaker: Fiday, March 6th, 7:00 pm, Undergraduate Learning Center (UGLC), Rm. 126

    • Join the African American Studies Program for their Black History Month Keynote featuring Ashley Farmer. Dr. Farmer will present Rebel Archives: The Life and Legacy of Queen Mother Audley Moore.
       
  • The CASA Prescott Singing Tree of Family, Faith and Serving Others
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  • Women’s Equality Day 2022 -  In partnership with UTEP Women and Gender Studies, and The El Paso Independent School District, WGS Director Dr. Hilda Ontiveros joins EPISD Superintendent Diana Sayavedra and the Campus Teaching Coach, Viviana Favela in promotion of, Women’s Equality Day 2022.

In partnership with UTEP Women and Gender Studies, and The El Paso Independent School District, WGS Director Dr. Hilda Ontiveros joins EPISD Superintendent Diana Sayavedra and the Campus Teaching Coach, Viviana Favela in promotion of, Women’s Equality Day 2022.

FEATURED NEWS


UTEP has named Marc Knecht, Ph.D., the new dean of the College of Science. In this role, Knecht will oversee academic programs, faculty development, research initiatives and student success efforts across the College of Science, advancing UTEP’s reputation as America’s leading Hispanic-serving university. In Fall 2025, more than 3,500 students were enrolled in the college.

UTEP Names Marc Knecht Dean of the College of Science

EL PASO, Texas (Feb. 26, 2026) – The University of Texas at El Paso has named Marc Knecht, Ph.D., the new dean of the College of Science. In this role, Knecht will oversee academic programs, faculty development, research initiatives and student success efforts across the College of Science, advancing UTEP’s reputation as America’s leading Hispanic-serving university. In Fall 2025, more than 3,500 students were enrolled in the college.

Krystia Reed, J.D., Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at The University of Texas at El Paso, led a study published in the journal Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, which found that eponymous bills – those named for victims – receive more public backing than identical bills without a name or story.

Why Laws Named After Tragedies Win Public Support

EL PASO, Texas (Feb. 24, 2026) – When lawmakers name bills after victims of tragedy – think Megan’s Law or the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 – public support surges, but this emotional boost may come at the expense of sound policymaking, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

STAY CONNECTED

Connect With Us

The University of Texas at El Paso
W&GS Program
Old Main 106 and 108
500 W University
El Paso, Texas 79968

E: oleyserwhalen@utep.edu
P: (915) 747-6587