Center for Research on Women

Contact


Memphis, TN 38152-3530
Ph. (901) 678-2770
Fx. (901) 678-3652
http://www.memphis.edu/crow/
crow@memphis.edu
lynda.sagrestano@memphis.edu

The mission of the Center for Research on Women (CROW) is to conduct, promote, and disseminate scholarship on women and social inequality.
 
 
The Center for Research on Women has investigated issues of gender, race, class and social inequality for 30 years. An interdisciplinary unit within the College of Arts & Sciences, this thriving academic center is home to collaborative researchers committed to scholarly excellence and deep community involvement.
 
The Center is regarded as a national leader in promoting an integrative approach to understanding and addressing inequities in our society. The Center's approach to research, theory and programming emphasizes the structural relationships among race, class, gender, and sexuality, particularly in the U.S. South and among women of color.
 
This kind of action-oriented, community-based research strengthens the public's understanding of women's experiences and informs local, regional and national public policy. 
 
Locally, CROW has long-running relationships with the Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis, Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region, The Urban Child Institute, Choices. (formerly Memphis Center for Reproductive Health), and various governmental agencies. On campus, CROW collaborates with many other departments and centers, including the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy, the Department of Anthropology, African and African American Studies, the Department of History and the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change. CROW continues to host visiting scholars, women's research forums and academic networking events, as well as community issue forums. 

Recently Posted

Shelby County Teen Pregnancy and Parenting Needs Assessment Resource
Adolescent pregnancy significantly impacts the educational attainment, economic security, and...

Principal Staff

Lynda M. Sagrestano, Ph.D., Director
Ph. (901) 678-2780
E-mail: lsagrstn@memphis.edu

Lornette Stokes, B.S., Administrative Secretary
Ph. (901) 678-2770
E-mail: lwstokes@memphis.edu

Teresa A. Diener, M.A., Project Coordinator, Community Voice Evaluation
Ph. (901) 678-2293
E-mail: tdiener@memphis.edu

Naketa M. Edney, M.A., Research Associate, Community Voice Evaluation
Ph. (901) 678-2153
E-mail: nedney@memphis.edu

Jennifer Gooch, M.A., Research Associate, Women's Economic Security: Campaign
Ph. (901) 678-2642
E-mail: jgooch@memphis.edu

Areas of Expertise:

Affirmative Action, Awareness & Education, Higher Education, Women in STEM, Women's, Gender & Feminist Studies, Education & Education Reform, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Member Experts:

Lynda Sagrestano


Projects & Campaigns

CROW's brand of action-oriented, community-based research strengthens the public's understanding of women's experiences in Memphis and contributes to local, regional and national policy discussions.

Women's Academic Network
The Women's Academic Network provides women on our campus with an informal opportunity to meet new colleagues, socialize, and discuss topics of interest and relevance to women in academia.  

Women's Research Forum
The Center invites women scholars to present their work on campus in a public forum.  

Memphis Safe Campus Initiative
CROW is conducting research on campus safety, as well as working to prevent and reduce violence against women on the University of Memphis campus.

In addition to ongoing research, the Center:

* is heading a collaborative of over 50 Memphis organizations dedicated to reducing the numbers of teen pregnancy in our community.

* is working with other University of Memphis faculty, staff and students to create a Safe Zone for GLBTQ students on our campus.

Current Research Agenda for Spring 2010:

 

  • Families First and Tennessee's Single Female-Headed Households
    Research to assess Tennessee's TANF program, Families First, and its effectiveness in serving the state's single female-headed households. Sponsored by the Women's Foundation of Greater Memphis.
     
  • Sexual Harrassment of Teens in Memphis Middle and High Schools
    An investigation of the frequency, types, and long-term impact of sexual harassment experienced by teenagers in Memphis middle and high schools.  Supported in part by The Urban Child Institute and the University of Memphis Faculty Research Grant Program.
     
  • Infant Mortality in Memphis
    Evaluation of Community Voice, a new intervention to reduce infant mortality.   Supported in part by the Tennessee Governor’s Office of Children’s Care Coordination.
     
  • Campus Safety for Women
    Project to assess, reduce and prevent violence against women on University of Memphis campuses.
     
  • Preconception Health
    Project in development that would address pregnancy planning, timing, and preparation for healthy pregnancy among urban adolescent girls, with goals to prevent unintended pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes.
     
  • Supporting Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
    Project in development to systematically increase the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women faculty in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) disciplines at the University of Memphis.

    • Reports & Resources

    Extensive back list of working papers and bibliographies on Southern women and women of color. Contact CROW for list and order information.

    Examples of recent publications include:

    * Sagrestano, Lynda. 2009. Nowhere to hide: A Look At the Pervasive  Atmosphere of Sexual Harassment in Memphis Area Middle & High Schools.  

    * CROW. 2008. Center for Research on Women: 2007-2008 Annual Report.

    * Across Races & Nations: Building New Communities in the U.S. South, Published September 2006 by The Center for Research on Women, University of Memphis (TN); the Highlander Research and Education Center (TN); and the Southern Regional Council (GA). This 370-page report published in English and Spanish provides information to activists, philanthropists and others who seek to address immigration and the needs of immigrants as part of larger social justice agendas in the South. Includes project and participant overviews, case studies, glossaries of U.S. immigration terms and policies, economic fact sheets, maps, "Know Your Rights" workshop guides for immigrants, and other materials for popular education.

    * What Is a Living Wage in Memphis?, David H. Ciscel, working paper (2002).

    * Advocates for Girls: Promoting Success in Early Adolescence, Barbara Ellen Smith and Claire Porter (1998).

    * Profiles: A Report on the Women and Girls of Greater Memphis, Martha Schmidt (1997).

    Opportunities, Grants & Fellowships

    Opportunities:

     

  • Research Fellowships
  • Support for Visiting Scholars
  • Research experience and mentoring for graduate students in Women's Studies and other disciplines

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