Katherine A Phelps

Katherine A Phelps is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also serves as Alumni Engagement Coordinator. Her academic career includes teaching courses on body politics, feminist theory, fat studies, food politics, and global health since 2017.

• Ph.D., Sociology (2019), University of Massachusetts-Boston
• MA, Gender and Cultural Studies (2013), Simmons College
• BA, Women’s and Gender Studies (2009), Beloit College

Her research focuses on body politics, girlhood studies, digital sociology, and feminist pedagogies. Her 2025 book Digital Girlhoods explores youth identity in digital spaces. Recent work examines fat studies and social media activism. She has published in journals like Fat Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Body Weight and Society.

Publications span topics from YouTube trends to representations of fatness in domestic spaces, reflecting interdisciplinary engagement with gender, embodiment, and digital culture.

No formal awards listed, though her work has been featured in academic presses and blogs. She advises no named students in the provided data but contributes to pedagogical innovation in gender studies courses. Active in academic communities, she coordinates alumni relations and develops engaging curricula.