New Faculty Focus: Sami Schalk

Title: Assistant Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies

Hometown: Southgate, Kentucky

Educational background: B.A. in Women’s Studies and Creative Writing from Miami University, 2008; M.F.A. in Poetry from University of Notre Dame, 2010; Ph.D. in Gender Studies from Indiana University, 2014.

Previous position (title and institution): Assistant Professor of English at University at Albany, SUNY

How did you get into your field of research?  I took an elective course as a sophomore in college called Women and Disability. I had never thought critically about disability before that class, but it set me on a path toward thinking about the relationship of race, gender and disability in our contemporary world.

What attracted you to UW–Madison? I was attracted to UW–Madison because of its status as a major research university and because of its location in the Midwest.

What was your first visit to campus like? It was lovely. The lakes were frozen over, and as we drove in from the airport there were all these people flying kites while standing on the lake. I had never seen anything like it!

What are you most looking forward to about working here? I’m excited to take advantage of all the amazing resources here and to make connections with new colleagues to develop interdisciplinary research projects that impact our world.

Hobbies or other interests?  I really like dancing and making homemade hair and body products.