Jill Locke

Jill Locke is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Gustavus Adolphus College and holds the James McPherson Endowed Chair in American History within the Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies Department. She earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from Rutgers University (2001), preceded by an M.A. and B.A. from Rutgers and Whitman College respectively.

• Ph.D., Political Science, Rutgers University
• M.A., Political Science, Rutgers University
• B.A., Whitman College

Her research spans democratic theory, feminist theory, and affect studies, with particular focus on shame, gender, and transnational activism. Her 2016 book Democracy and the Death of Shame established her as a key thinker in affective dimensions of democracy, while her 2023 article Chronicle of The Girls' Bureau of Freedom and Uplift continues this trajectory through critiques of girl-led activism.

Locke's work has been recognized through prestigious fellowships including the Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation (1999-2000), Tulane University's Center for Ethics and Public Affairs (2006-07), and the Institute for Advanced Study's Egalitarianisms Seminar (2014-15). She received Gustavus' 2017 Faculty Scholarly Accomplishment Award and has held visiting positions at the University of Oslo (2022) and other international institutions.

She regularly engages media discussions on participatory democracy and reproductive rights, and is currently developing a course on 'Girl Power' politics while on leave for 2024-25.