Jen Ash

Jen Ash serves as a Lecturer in the Women’s and Gender Studies program and Black Studies Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), while concurrently holding the position of Executive Director at the Chicago Torture Justice Memorials Foundation (CTJM). In her leadership role at CTJM, she oversees foundation operations and directs the construction of the memorial for survivors of torture under former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge.

Her academic credentials include a Ph.D. in U.S. history earned at UIC in 2019, accompanied by a graduate concentration in Women’s and Gender Studies. This educational foundation directly supports her dual trajectory as both scholar and community organizer.

Dr. Ash’s research focuses intensely on African American Women's History and the History of Social Movements, with specialized expertise in reparations frameworks and torture justice advocacy. Her work uniquely bridges academic scholarship and grassroots activism, demonstrated through sustained engagement with CTJM—from participation in the Burge survivors reparations campaign to current memorial development. This integration of historical analysis and community-centered praxis shapes her pedagogical approach, emphasizing how historical memory fuels contemporary justice initiatives.

While her executive responsibilities at CTJM constitute her primary professional commitment, she actively contributes to UIC’s academic environment through teaching. Her lived experience in memorial construction and survivor advocacy enriches classroom discourse on historical trauma, systemic injustice, and community-led redress mechanisms, providing students with critical real-world context.