The College of Humanities and Social Sciences has named Traci Brynne Voyles head of the Department of History, effective July 1.
Voyles currently serves as professor and chair of women’s and gender studies at the University of Oklahoma.
“Traci brings an impressive record of service and scholarly acumen to the college,” says Deanna Dannels, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. “We are thrilled to have her join the college’s leadership team and look forward to the interdisciplinary expertise and leadership skills she’ll bring to the history department.”
In her current position at the University of Oklahoma, Voyles tripled the size of her department and led the creation of new processes to uphold academic integrity and internal governance. Along with her duties as chair, Voyles also served as director of the Women’s and Gender Studies Center for Social Justice.
Her previous administrative roles include serving as chair of the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at Loyola Marymount University. At Loyola, Voyles also served as vice chair of the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts College Council, as well as interim director of the environmental studies program.
Voyles has also maintained an impressive teaching record, leading courses in contemporary feminist thought, environmental racism and gender, sexuality and environmental justice, among many others.
An award winning author, Voyles received the Caughey Prize for best work on the American West by the Western History Association for her book, The Settler Sea: California’s Salton Sea and the Consequences of Colonialism in 2022. She also was awarded the Southwest Book Award from the Border Regional Libraries Association for her book Wastelanding: Legacies of Uranium Mining in Navajo Country in 2015.
Voyles’ research interests span from the impacts of colonialism on the environment and native people, to the role that nature and environment played in childbirth in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Her research has been featured in a variety of academic publications as well as media outlets such as The Nation and The Atlantic. She’s also delivered public talks and presentations at conferences and institutions across the nation.
Voyles received her Ph.D. in ethnic studies from the University of California San Diego in 2010, where she also earned her M.A. She holds a B.A. in ethnic studies from the University of Colorado Boulder.
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