Shulamit Reinharz is a Professor of Sociology at Brandeis University
whose writing, teaching, and program development have focused on
women's lives. The author of four books, 60 scholarly articles, and
several books in progress, she has served on editorial boards, has
been a journal editor, and has recently created The International
Research Institute on Jewish Women, the only academic center of its
kind. She is a pioneer in the field of Jewish Women's Studies and has
created the only graduate degree program in the world on this
topic. At Brandeis, she created the first course in the country on the
history of women's contribution to sociology and published a
chronological chart on the topic. After promotion to full professor in
sociology at Brandeis (the first and only woman to hold that rank),
Reinharz became director of Women's Studies in 1992. The mother of two
young daughters, Reinharz chaired the National Commission on American
Jewish Women, an unprecedented study of the concerns of American
Jewish women. Dr. Reinharz handled all the administrative and academic
aspects of the class; she was our advocate to the administration. Her
fun nature, easy smile, and expert organizational skills made working
with her a pleasure and an honor.
