On March 31, the last day of Nation Women’s History Month, the University of Arizona College of Education announced in a Facebook post the “good news” that “Dr. Z Nicolazzo has been appointed as the Interim Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs for the College of Education!”
“Continuing today’s good news and in honor of Women’s History Month, we’re proud to feature Dr. Z Nicolazzo, Interim Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Associate Professor in Educational Policy Studies & Practice,” read the College’s Facebook next post.
According to Professor Watch, Dr. Z Nicolazzo is a biological male.
The professor “specializes in Trans Studies and is a member of the University of Arizona’s Trans Studies Initiative.”
“In an article titled Building Community Through A Syllabus, Nicolazzo discusses why he created a trans syllabus. The trans syllabus is “geared toward promoting the continuing work being done regarding trans* populations in higher education.” According to Nicolazzo, “the continued ignorance of trans* people, communities and knowledges underscores the ways in which cisgender (i.e., nontrans*) people do not (have to) think about gender due to their gender-based privilege.” People’s lack of understanding and knowledge of trans people and their ideas represents “epistemological trans oppression.” Nicolazzo states that he was inspired “by the recent practice of marginalized people creating publicly accessible social justice-oriented syllabi.” The syllabus is designed to fight against the marginalization of trans ideas and knowledge in academia and other environments.
Nicolazzo also took part in the drafting of an open letter to President Biden’s administration outlining what he calls attacks on trans youth.”
According to Dr. Nicolazzo’s faculty page, he is referred to as a she and a “passionate researcher and educator whose work focuses on gender, trans student and faculty experiences, and the impacts of grief and loss… “As a publicly-engaged scholar, Dr. Nicolazzo regularly shares her insights with broader audiences, including media outlets like NPR, USA Today, and Refinery29.
Graduating from non-competitive colleges, Roger Williams University (BA), and Northern Illinois University (MA), Nicolazzo received a Ph.D. in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Miami University (OH).
Next up is Dr. Z Nicolazzo! pic.twitter.com/ylClP3EKLg
— JCSHESA (@JCSHESA) June 28, 2021
A former female UofA student, speaking on condition of anonymity questioned “why with women still battling for acceptance in the white male dominated spaces of academia, the College of Education chose a white male to celebrate during Women’s History Month? These guys have taken over our bathrooms and locker rooms and now they need to take over our month? What are they going to take next? Our skin? I am not putting lotion on that is for sure.”
