Lynne Benson

Lynne Benson is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Women/Gender/Sexuality Studies at UMass Boston. Her work bridges cultural history with interdisciplinary studies of gender and media.

• Education: PhD from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Research focuses on:

• Historical roles of women in higher education (progressive era to present)
• Evolution of home economics as an academic field
• Girls' series literature and its cultural impact
• Women's professional organizations
• Analysis of female TV heroines in mid-20th century media

Her notable publication includes the upcoming book Moxie and a Good Sense of Balance: Nancy Drew and the Power of the Teenage Girl (Hamilton Books, 2018), which examines youth literature's influence on gender identity.