Department of American Studies, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

"I really would put my graduate training up against anybody. I mean, I feel that my graduate training prepared me for every aspect of my job," says Karla Erickson (PhD ‘05, American studies, minor in feminist studies).

Read the full Department of American Studies, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities graduate reflection here: https://ow.ly/Vau050Z8Yir

Dr. Chia Youyee Vang (Ph.D. ’06) is nothing short of a trailblazer. Vang was both a first-generation college student and the first Hmong American to complete a doctoral degree in American Studies at the University of Minnesota. She sees her time in the American Studies graduate program and research on Hmong refugee community-building reflected in her present work as Vice Chancellor for Community Empowerment and Institutional Inclusivity at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

When discussing the discipline, Dr. Vang notes, “What I value most about American studies is that it allows students to bring their own identities and experiences into their academic work. In doing so, it creates space for scholarship that is both meaningful and connected to real-world issues. It is a field where my own community’s history and experiences are not only acknowledged, but studied with depth and respect.”

Visit the link to read Dr. Chia Youyee Vang’s reflections on navigating graduate school while raising children and the ways in which motherhood informed her understanding of scholarship, leadership, and community.

This story was edited by Deborah Sventek, an undergraduate student in CLA.

American Studies PhD to Distinguished Scholar and Vice Chancellor: A Reflection by Chia Youyee Vang Vang shares how her experiences and lessons learned from the American studies graduate program at UMN have shaped her work today.

What makes a graduate experience transformative long after graduation? In a recent CLA profile story, American Studies graduate alum Karla Erickson (Ph.D. ’05) reflects on the lasting impact of mentorship, interdisciplinary learning, and what she describes as a commitment to “whole-person education.”

Erickson highlights the profound influence of two faculty mentors during her time in the Department of American Studies: Dr. David Noble, whose teaching and mentorship shaped her early years in the program and whose lessons continue to inform her work today, and Dr. Jennifer Pierce, who became her dissertation advisor and played a foundational role in Erickson’s feminist scholarship.

Looking back more than 25 years later, Erickson describes their support as formative to both her intellectual and professional life: “These are still people that I refer to as my North Star about what the Academy can be like… I want my students to have a piece of what I experienced in graduate school. When you’re in the hands of a powerful teacher, it feels like magic.”

Visit the link read Dr. Erickson’s feature: https://cla.umn.edu/american-studies/news-events/story/whole-person-education-karla-ericksons-american-studies-graduate-experience?utm_source=cla_marcom_amst_social&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=amst_erickson

This story was written by Caroline Miltich, an undergraduate student in CLA.

cla.umn.edu

Thank you to everyone who came out to our first Scott Hall Hub book open house! 📚 Seeing so many of our fellow community members and bookworms made this event so special. We’re fully booked with gratitude!

And a very special thank you to our SHH staff for organizing this community-engaged event series! 💛

📢 ONE WEEK AWAY!

Join the Department of American Studies for the 2026 David Noble Lecture, titled “Auntologies: Q***r Aesthetics and South Asian Aunties” by Dr. Kareem Khubchandani. ✨

This year’s Noble Lecture draws on the tools of q***r studies to demonstrate how the study of aunties can elucidate important questions of gender, sexuality, and normativity.

📅 Thursday, April 9
⏰ 6:00pm-7:30pm
📍 Cowles Auditorium (), University of Minnesota & Zoom
🔗 Register here: z.umn.edu/aunties

Reception catered by + books available to purchase from (with the opportunity to have your books signed by Dr. Khubchandani 👀) after the lecture.

All are welcome!