This fall, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, has launched a new gender studies major. The program is the first of its kind in southern New Jersey. The interdisciplinary 30-credit major examines the role that gender plays in the lives of heterosexual men and women as well as members of the LGBTQIA community.
Gail Caputo is the founding director of the gender studies major. According to her, the program “explores how each of us interacts with the world and how our particular identities – our gender, ability, religion, etc. – affect who we are, how we are viewed, what happens to us, how we think, and how we go about our lives.”
When creating the new program, Dr. Caputo wanted to include matters that affect Rutgers students, such as sexual violence, racism, and implicit bias. She also wanted to celebrate the accomplishments of those who’ve worked on behalf of marginalized individuals and to help students put their knowledge to work in the real world. According to her, the new program has already gained a significant amount of student interest.
Dr. Caputo holds a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and Ph.D. all in criminal justice from Rutgers University.