Sharlene Voogd Cochrane

I grew up in the midwest--Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. After an undergraduate degree from Hastings College, I came east, teaching in New York and Boston, and earning an M.A. in American studies from New York University and a Ph.D. in American history from Boston College. My current research and writing focuses on cultural identity and responses to institutional racism, especially the interplay of gender, race, class and religion in women's lives. My article, "Compelled to Speak: Women Confronting Institutional Racism, 1910- 1950," addresses these dynamics as they apply to the YWCA. I have been teaching at Lesley for twenty years, am active in the Women's Studies Resource Group, and have served in various roles linking Lesley and the Boston Public Schools. I also facilitate "Courage and Renewal" retreats for teachers and other educational leaders.

Women's Studies

The Women's Studies specialization in the Interdisciplinary Studies Program provides a broad array of course and fieldwork options in a individually-designed degree plan, with an emphasis on feminist research methods, and interdisciplinary and global perspectives. My work in gender, race, and religion informs several courses I teach, and the Women's Studies Resource Group at Lesley provides a way for faculty across the university to come together and to support a variety of events and curricular initiatives.

Courage to Teach/Courage to Lead

Courage to Teach, based on the work of Parker Palmer, is a retreat series for educators, that invites us to reflect on the connections between who we are and what we do. I am a facilitator for retreats, which include two-year, eight-session series, one day and one weekend opportunities, and collaborations with schools around teacher support and professional development. The national site for Courage to Teach and Courage to Lead is the Center for Courage and Renewal, in Bainbridge Island, WA. Further information about regional offerings is available at Center for Courage and Renewal Northeast.

Courses

I teach a variety of courses, and am interested in the way place informs our understanding and appreciation of history. I'm also aware of the many perspectives we bring to our learning, and am happiest when the courses can be experiential, collaborative, and multifaceted. These courses include "People and Place," one of the core courses in the Interdisciplinary Studies Program, and the "Traditions and Cultures Institutes" in Santa Fe, Martha's Vineyard and Boston.