Professor Hui Wilcox, mission chair for women's education, is a founding member of Ananya Dance Theatre. Photo by Paul Virtucio.
Hui Wilcox has been an associate professor of sociology at Íæż½ã½ã’s since 2004. In August 2017, Provost Alan Silva named her the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Endowed Chair in Women’s Education, taking over the mission-focused position from Professor Allison Adrian. Wilcox is also a member of , a contemporary Indian American dance company comprised primarily of women artists of color. We sought her out to inquire about her new title, and learned just how much the position entails.
The following is an edited transcript.
Q: First, how did you end up teaching at Íæż½ã½ã’s?
A: I was born and raised in China, and I came to Minnesota in 1996 to get my Ph.D. in sociology. After I got my degree, I found a job at Íæż½ã½ã’s. It was mutual attraction, I believe. Íæż½ã½ã’s was looking for someone who could teach about race/ethnicity and also gender, and those happened to be my research and teaching expertise. I was also very excited about teaching at a small liberal arts college.