Brenda Stevenson named professor of women’s history at Oxford University

Brenda Stevenson, professor of African American studies and the Nickoll Family Professor in History, has been named the first Hillary Rodham Clinton Professor of Women’s History at Oxford University.

Stevenson, who will take a temporary leave from UCLA starting in fall 2021, will lead the field of women’s history on a global stage, encouraging more young scholars to pursue studies in women’s history.

An internationally leading historian, Stevenson focuses her work on gender, slavery, race, family and social conflict. Her many books and articles have explored the intersections of sex, race and politics, placing women — particularly women of color — at the center of accounts of political and social developments.

Stevenson’s research has garnered numerous prizes, including the James A. Rawley Prize from the Organization of American Historians for the best book in race relations for “The Contested Murder of Latasha Harlins: Justice, Gender and the Origins of the Los Angeles Riots,” and the Gustavus Meyer Outstanding Book Prize for “Life in Black and White: Family and Community in the Slave South.”