Carol Gill, DHD professor emerita, passes away
Dear AHS colleagues,
I am writing to share the sad news that our beloved colleague Carol Gill passed away the morning of Sept. 3 after a six-week illness. Carol’s family will be holding a memorial service in the coming months. I will update you when more details become available.
Carol was a founder of disability studies not only in our department but nationally and internationally. She was a leader in the development of disability ethics and fiercely argued for the value of lives lived with disability. Her work greatly impacted disability policy, disabled women’s health, and how we think and organize around disability identity and culture. We benefited immeasurably from her scholarship, leadership and friendship.
Personally, I am so grateful for her mentorship, guidance and support; my collaborations with her brought me to UIC’s Department of Disability and Human Development. As a role model, she taught me how to be a disabled woman in academia, and I will continue to implement the lessons I learned from her in my role as your DHD interim head. Every day I come to work in room 236, which was her office for many years, I think about her. I have so many fond memories and had formative career experiences collaborating with her in that space, and it seems fitting to carry out her legacy there.
Bests,
Carrie Sandahl