Distinguished Professor Emerita Mary Jo Bona, who joined Stony Brook University in 1999, has established a lecture series in the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS). Originally recruited to develop Italian American Studies, Bona’s interest in women’s studies led her to contribute significantly to the WGSS department.
Over her 25-year career at Stony Brook, Bona played a crucial role in transforming a single course into a full-fledged department offering both undergraduate and graduate programs. Her leadership and advocacy were instrumental in this development.
In collaboration with her spouse Judith Pfenninger, Bona has now created the Bona Distinguished Lectureship. “We thought about ways we could support the department in the future after I retired,” said Bona. She expressed hope that the lecture series would attract attention from senior scholars and enhance the university’s profile.
The lectureship fund was inspired by New York State Endowment Match program and Simons Infinity Investment Match Challenge. It aims to increase the department’s visibility by hosting an annual public lecture featuring a distinguished speaker within its interdisciplinary field.
Bona remarked on her motivation: “I’ve spent my life in school, and I wanted to leave something to the institution of education where I spent so much time supporting, believing in and interconnecting with.”
Further details can be found in Christine McGrath’s article in SB Matters.
