Shannon Winnubst

Shannon Winnubst is a Professor in the Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies department at Ohio State University who uses they/she pronouns. With over two decades of academic experience, Winnubst has established themselves as a leading voice in critical intersections of queer theory, race studies, and continental philosophy, maintaining an active research and teaching profile.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Philosophy from Pennsylvania State University (1994)
• M.A. in Philosophy from Pennsylvania State University (1991)
• B.A. from University of Notre Dame's Program of Liberal Studies (1988)

Winnubst's research critically examines the ontological dimensions of whiteness, anti-Blackness, and neoliberalism through frameworks drawn from queer theory, feminist philosophy, and twentieth century French thought. Their scholarship consistently interrogates how power operates through seemingly neutral concepts and how these mechanisms maintain racial and gender hierarchies. Central to their work is the exploration of abstraction as a tool of white supremacy and the examination of how foundational violence of anti-Blackness and coloniality shapes contemporary thought.

Winnubst's recent publications demonstrate an increasingly sophisticated engagement with Black feminist thought and Afropessimist critiques, particularly examining how abstraction functions within neoliberal epistemologies. Their work connects feminist, queer, and critical race theories to develop frameworks for understanding the persistent violence of colonial and racial formations, with particular attention to the works of Dionne Brand, Hortense Spillers, and Saidiya Hartman.

Scientific Awards:

• 2007 Choice Outstanding Academic Title for "Reading Bataille Now"

After seven years as department chair, Winnubst is completing a manuscript titled "Whiteness in The Door of No Return" solicited by Duke University Press, which weaves Dionne Brand's work with Frank Wilderson's Afropessimist critique. Their teaching emphasizes radical learning approaches using close reading as a critical strategy for feminist classrooms, particularly when addressing anti-Blackness and coloniality, challenging students to confront unconscious habits and motivations related to race and gender.