Five College Women's Studies Research Center
Initiating and supporting projects that are dedicated to engaged, critical feminist scholarship from diverse perspectives.
The Five College Women’s Studies Research Center fosters cutting-edge feminist research and writing. A nexus of critical dialogue between feminist scholars across the Five College Consortium and visiting scholars from around the world, we are an inter-institutional research center located on the campus of Hampshire College.
About
The Five College Women’s Studies Research Center (FCWSRC) is the central node of feminist scholarship for Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Collectively, these institutions comprise the Five College Consortium, home to one of the largest concentrations of Women’s, Gender, Sexuality Studies scholars anywhere in the world. The FCWSRC welcomes researchers and writers of all genders and disciplines who investigate gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, disability, labor, and other facets of identity that help us make sense of local, national, and global constructions of power.
Founded in 1991 under the auspices of the Five College Consortium, the FCWSRC first took up residence on the campus of Mount Holyoke College. There, faculty and graduate students from across the consortium, local artists and activists, and visiting scholars from around the world developed leading feminist thought over the course of three decades. In 2021, the FCWSRC relocated to its current home on the campus of Hampshire College, the geographic epicenter of the Five College Consortium, where we continue to organize programming and events that invite cross-campus feminist collaboration and exchange.
The FCWSRC cultivates feminist inquiry through three signature programs. Our Feminist Writing Community hosts write-togethers, works-in-progress sessions, and book salons through which feminist scholars develop pathbreaking feminist thought. Our Research Associate Program offers semester and year-long residencies to faculty on sabbatical, PhD candidates completing dissertations, and writers from around the world. Additionally, we convene workshops, working-groups, and events in response to the needs and interests of our community.
People
Li Cornfeld
Li Cornfeld, PhD (she/they) is a scholar of feminist media studies. As Director of the FCWSRC, she devises programming that bridges feminist inquiry across the disciplines, departments, and campuses of the Five College Consortium. She also leads our annual cohorts of Research Associates, integrates short-term visiting scholars into the Five College community, and facilitates the development of feminist writing from inception through publication. In addition to her work at the Center, she teaches in the Department of Film Media Theater at Mount Holyoke College.
Beth Mattison
Beth (she/her) joined the FCWSRC as Program Coordinator in October 2025. As Program Coordinator, she oversees the day-to-day functions of the Center, including managing the Research Associate Program, supervising undergraduate interns, and supporting programming- and events-planning.
Laura Ciolkowski
Senior Lecturer
Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies
UMass Amherst
Sony Coráñez Bolton
Associate Professor & Chair
Spanish and English & Latinx and Latin American Studies
Amherst College
Susana Loza
Associate Professor of Critical
Race, Gender, and Media Studies
Hampshire College
Lynda Pickbourn
Associate Professor & Chair
Gender Studies
Mount Holyoke College
Loretta Ross
Associate Professor
Study of Women, Gender & Sexuality
Smith College
Ray Rennard
Director of Academic Programs
Five Colleges, Incorporated
Each year, the FCWSRC hosts a cohort of visiting scholars as part of our Research Associate Program. Learn more about our current cohort here.
Programs & Initiatives
Five College Area Resources
Rich in feminist history and scholarship, Western Massachusetts is home to five academic institutions—each with extensive archival and special collections—as well as teaching museums, cultural venues, performance spaces, and more.
Contact
Email: fcwsrc@fivecolleges.edu
Phone: (413) 559-6247
Mailing Address
893 West Street
Box 5CW
Amherst, MA 01002