Jennifer Scanlon

Jennifer Scanlon is the John S. Osterweis Professor of Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies and Senior Vice President and Dean for Academic Affairs at Bowdoin College. Her scholarly work bridges U.S. women’s history, consumer culture, and feminist pedagogy.

• PhD in History, Binghamton University (1989)
• MA in History, Binghamton University (1986)
• MA in English, University of Delaware (1982)
• BS in English/Secondary Education, SUNY Oneonta (1980)

Her research explores intersections of gender, consumerism, and political activism. Key themes include:

• Biographical analysis of civil rights leader Anna Arnold Hedgeman
• Critiques of Helen Gurley Brown’s feminist contradictions
• Historical evolution of thrift and consumer ethics
• Representation of women in media and popular culture
• Feminist pedagogy in classroom activism

Scanlon's publications reveal trends in consumer culture’s influence on gender identity, from 1920s advertising to 21st-century chick lit. Her work often reinterprets historical narratives through feminist frameworks, addressing topics like suburban landscapes and corporate commodification of patriotism.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Distinguished Lecturer, Organization of American Historians (2011-2017)
• Outstanding Academic Book, Choice Magazine (1999)
• Emerald Literati Award for Excellence (2013)

As a public intellectual, she contributed to the New York Times, Washington Post, and BBC documentaries, advocating for women’s historical agency and nuanced feminist discourse in both academic and mainstream media.