Sara Matthiesen

Sara Matthiesen (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor of History and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at George Washington University. Her work focuses on 20th-century U.S. history, gender, sexuality, and reproduction, with an emphasis on marginalized communities. She received her Ph.D. from Brown University in 2015.

Her first book, Reproduction Reconceived (2021), examines how state neglect exacerbated systemic inequalities for queer, Black, poor, and criminalized families post-Roe v. Wade. It won the 2022 Sara A. Whaley Prize for gender and labor studies. Her current project traces multi-racial feminist abortion activism post-Roe. She also publishes in Signs, Feminist Review, and popular venues like The Boston Review and The Nation.

Teaching awards include the Kenny Teaching Prize for her foundational course Introduction to Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Her research intersects reproductive justice, healthcare inequities, and carceral systems.