Gwendolyn Mink

Gwendolyn Mink writes and teaches about U.S. equality law, poverty policy, gender issues, and American politics. A graduate of UC-Berkeley (BA) and Cornell University (PhD), she was Professor of Politics at the University of California-Santa Cruz from 1980-2001 and the Charles N. Clark Professor of Women’s Studies and Government at Smith College from 2001 to 2007. Since 2008 she has been an independent scholar based in Washington, DC. Currently, Mink is collaborating with historian Judy Wu on a political biography of her mother, Patsy Mink. Besides her scholarly pursuits, Mink is engaged in social justice initiatives. She sits on the Board of the Institute for Public Accuracy, a media democracy project. She also chairs the Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation for Low Income Women and Children, a nonprofit organization that provides support to low income mothers who are pursuing education or training.