Jesse Waggoner

Jesse Waggoner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Gender & Women’s Studies and English at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Their research explores intersections of disability studies, queer studies, African American studies, and health activisms. They hold a joint appointment in the English department.

Research interests include Black American cultural production and early disability social movements, challenging historical narratives centered on white disabled male perspectives. Their work examines anti-psychiatric literatures, access technologies, and critiques of medical segregation. Recent publications focus on madness studies, queer disability, and Afro-modernist critiques.

Teaching includes courses such as 'Queer Bodies,' 'Gender and Disability,' and 'Cripping the Bildungsroman.' Their research has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Coordinating Council on Women in History, and other institutions.