Peggy Heffington

Peggy Heffington is an Assistant Senior Instructional Professor and Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of History at the University of Chicago. She specializes in modern US history, the histories of women, gender, and feminism. Her PhD is from the University of California, Berkeley (2016), and her AB from Pomona College (2009).

Her research focuses on feminism, women’s movements, and motherhood, particularly the historical and cultural dimensions of non-motherhood. Her 2023 book Without Children: The Long History of Not Being a Mother examines global trends in childlessness, linking historical patterns to contemporary societal anxieties. Current work explores midwifery revival in the late 20th-century US and the intersection of birth practices with religion, politics, and social media.

Heffington’s writing appears in major outlets like the New York Times, Washington Post, and TIME Magazine, and she frequently engages in public speaking across media and corporate platforms. She collaborates with the Chair of Undergraduate Studies to oversee advising, curriculum development, and departmental events.