For Danielle Egan, teaching and research are intertwined. The associate professor of gender studies is currently researching the history of childhood sexuality in the mid-19th to early 20th centuries in America, England and Australia.  Along with her co-author, Gail Hawkes, she is exploring how particular institutions and social movements such as pediatric medicine and the social purity campaigns created ideas about the child and its sexuality.  She had what she calls “the privilege” of presenting their work as the Piskor Lecturer on campus last spring. 

First and foremost, however, Egan is a teacher, and that is what brought her to St. Lawrence seven years ago. “The University’s emphasis on teaching is why I came to St. Lawrence, and it is what I find most rewarding,” she says.  “For me, teaching and research are intertwined and I have found that my passion for teaching grows by integrating my research ideas into the courses I teach.  My teaching and research have developed, grown and changed because of my interactions with my students in the classroom.” 

What she loves most about her work is those interactions with her students.  “I love the energy and excitement that comes with learning new ideas,” she says. “There is nothing better than coming together with a class and having a great discussion about a particularly challenging text.” 

When she’s not working, Egan is often mountain biking or hiking in the Adirondacks.  She also enjoys cooking. She earned her Ph.D. at Boston College.