Bio
Dr. Ann M. Oberhauser is Professor of Sociology at Iowa State University. Her research focuses on feminist economic geography, gender and globalization, and critical development studies with an emphasis on rural economic strategies in Appalachia, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Midwest. She holds a PhD in Geography from Clark University and, before moving to Ames, Iowa, was Professor in the Department of Geology and Geography at West Virginia University.
Oberhauser’s SCHOLARSHIP draws heavily from interdisciplinary feminist research and scholarship that engages with livelihoods, community-based development, and gender issues in the Global South and Global North.
Her books include the co-edited Bridging Worlds – Building Feminist Geographies: Essays in Honour of Janice Monk (2022), the co-authored Feminist Spaces: Gender and Geography in a Global Context (2017), and a co-edited book with Ibipo Johnston-Anumonwo, Global Perspectives on Gender and Space (2014).
In collaboration with Sociology colleagues, Oberhauser has worked on projects exploring the political culture of the U.S. Midwest and specifically how populism and nativism are evident in recent pivotal elections. (The Sociological Quarterly 2019; Fast Capitalism 2022)
Ongoing work with colleagues in feminist geography include research on the role of mentoring among women academics and the impacts of neoliberalization in academia. (Geografiska Annaler 2019; Gender, Place & Culture 2019)
She has also engaged with critical pedagogy in her teaching and research. This scholarship and praxis explores the effectiveness of experiential learning or Global Service Learning (GSL) in programs she has led to Tanzania. (ACME Journal of Critical Geographies 2019)
Oberhauser has also been involved in a multi-disciplinary project on the use of social media among college students with colleagues in psychology and communication studies. This research analyzes how computer-mediated communication (CMT) impacts students’ attachment to family and friends. (The Psychology of Social Networking 2016)
Her TEACHING specialties include feminist theory and research, gender and globalization, development studies, and gender and work. These graduate and undergraduate courses are offered in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice and Women’s and Gender Studies at Iowa State University.
In OUTREACH AND SERVICE, Dr. Oberhauser is a member of the International Geographical Union Commission on Gender and currently serves as the treasurer of this organization. She is also active in the Feminist Geographies Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers. At Iowa State University, Oberhauser serves on several committees including the University Committee for the Advancement of Women and Gender Equity and the ISU Faculty Senate Pay Equity Working Group.