Nancy J. Hirschmann

Nancy J. Hirschmann is the Stanley I. Sheerr Term Professor in the Social Sciences and Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania. She has held leadership roles as Director of the Program on Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies and the Alice Paul Center for Research on Gender, Sexuality and Women, and Vice Chair of the Department of Political Science. Prior to Penn, she taught at Cornell University for 12 years and Swarthmore College.

Research Interests: Hirschmann specializes in feminist theory, focusing on intersections of gender, freedom, and disability. Her work spans political theory, gender studies, public policy, and social justice, addressing themes like domestic violence, Islamic veiling, obligation, and citizenship.

Scientific Awards & Fellowships:

• Victoria Schuck Award (2004)
• Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton) fellow
• Bunting Institute fellow (Radcliffe Institute)
• Princeton University Center for Human Values fellow
• American Council of Learned Societies fellow
• National Humanities Center fellow (Fall 2017)
• Fernand Braudel Senior Fellow (European University Institute, Spring 2018)

Grants & Professional Experience: She received grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, American Council of Learned Societies, and two IREX grants for political theory development in Albania. Additionally, she worked for the Boston Globe and on Capitol Hill.