María C. González
María C. González | |
|---|---|
| President of the National Women's Studies Association | |
| In office 2002–2003 | |
| Preceded by | Magdalena García Pinto |
| Succeeded by | Colette Morrow |
| President of the National Association of Chicana and Chicano Studies | |
| In office 2022–2023 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 22, 1959 |
| Occupation |
|
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | |
| Thesis | Toward a Feminist Identity: Contemporary Mexican-American Women Novelists (1991) |
| Doctoral advisor | Marlene Longenecker |
| Academic work | |
| Institutions | University of Houston |
María Carmen González[1] (born May 22, 1959) is an American LGBT studies scholar and rights activist who was president of the National Women's Studies Association (2002-2003) and the Houston GLBT Political Caucus (2005-2006) and chair of the National Association of Chicana and Chicano Studies (2022-2023). A professor at the University of Houston, she has published one book, Contemporary Mexican-American Women Novelists: Toward a Feminist Identity (1996).
Biography
González was born on May 22, 1959, to Luis N. and Carmen A. Gonzalez,[2] and raised in El Paso.[3] She obtained her BA (1981) and MA (1983) from Our Lady of the Lake University.[4] Originally planning to be a lawyer while a student, she instead decided to go to Ohio State University,[3] where she got her PhD in 1991.[4] Her doctoral dissertation Toward a Feminist Identity: Contemporary Mexican-American Women Novelists was supervised by Marlene Longenecker.[1]
In 1991, she joined the University of Houston Department of English as an assistant professor.[4] She was later promoted to associate professor in 1997.[4] At UH, Gonzalez has served as a faculty senator and as director of graduate studies.[5]
In 1996, she published the book Contemporary Mexican-American Women Novelists: Toward a Feminist Identity,[6] based on her Ohio State dissertation.[3] Elizabeth Rodriguez Kessler praised the book for its focus on Chicana issues but criticized its lack of coverage of Chicana sexual identity, while also considering it "a foundation piece for a Chicana or Mexican American literature course".[7] She was president of the National Women's Studies Association from 2002 to 2003,[8] and later chair of the National Association of Chicana and Chicano Studies from 2022 to 2023.[9]
An LGBT activist, she came out during her early years at UH, recalling that "[her colleagues] took it well".[3] She was part of Annise Parker's campaign staff in 1999, and she was president of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus from 2005 to 2006.[3] She was part of Houston's LGBT Advisory Board during Sylvester Turner's mayoralty.[3] She also successfully advocated for the establishment of UH's LGBT minor.[3] In 2009, she was featured in a Women's History Month article on Voice of America.[10]
References
- ^ a b González, María Carmen (1991). Toward a Feminist Identity: Contemporary Mexican-American Women Novelists (PhD thesis). Ohio State University.
- ^ Randall, Henry Pettus (1984). Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. Vol. 50. p. 544.
- ^ a b c d e f g Velazquez, Andrea Fernandez (November 10, 2016). "Professor, author fosters inclusivity with LGBTQ activism". The Daily Cougar. Archived from the original on June 2, 2025. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "María C. González" (PDF) (Curriculum vitae). University of Houston. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
- ^ "Maria C. Gonzalez". University of Houston. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
- ^ "Contemporary Mexican-American Women Novelists". Peter Lang. Archived from the original on June 2, 2025. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
- ^ Kessler, Elizabeth Rodriguez (1998). "New Texts in Chicana Sudies". NWSA Journal. 10 (3): 208–215. ISSN 1040-0656. JSTOR 4316615.
- ^ "Governing Council". nwsa.org. Chicago, Illinois: National Women's Studies Association. 2022. Archived from the original on April 19, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
- ^ Work, Sustainability, and Resilience in the Post-Pandemic. National Association of Chicana and Chicano Studies. 2023. p. 2.
- ^ "Varying Opinions Bring Different Perspectives to Women's Studies Programs - 2002-03-28". Voice of America. March 28, 2002. Archived from the original on April 21, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2025.