Pepperdine Celebrates 25 Years of Women's and Gender Studies

Program marks milestone with archival project and alumni stories

Apr. 17, 2026 at 1:02am

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A vibrant, high-contrast silkscreen print featuring a repeating grid of feminist books and academic journals in a bold, neon color palette, conceptually representing the interdisciplinary nature and lasting impact of Pepperdine's Women's and Gender Studies program.The 25-year history of Pepperdine's Women's and Gender Studies program is celebrated through a pop art-inspired illustration of the academic materials that have shaped its interdisciplinary curriculum.Malibu Today

Pepperdine University recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Women's and Gender Studies (WGS) program, honoring a quarter-century of feminist teaching, interdisciplinary learning, and student transformation. The event combined history, student and alumni testimony, and the unveiling of a new archival initiative to preserve the program's legacy.

Why it matters

The WGS program at Pepperdine is an interdisciplinary minor that draws courses from five academic divisions, allowing students to analyze how race, class, ethnicity, ability, religion, and nationality intersect with gender identity. The celebration highlighted how the program has evolved over 25 years, cultivating critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and a commitment to social justice among its students.

The details

The event was cohosted by the WGS program and Pepperdine Libraries, focusing on recovering the program's fragile history. Through interviews and research, the archive team confirmed that the founding coordinator was alumna and English professor Erika Olbricht ('91), who helped establish the program as a minor in 2001. The emerging archive includes original proposals, syllabi, student letters, and promotional materials, providing a window into the program's early days and student advocacy.

  • The WGS program was established as a minor at Pepperdine in 2001.
  • The 25th anniversary celebration took place in April 2026.

The players

Katie Frye

WGS coordinator and associate professor of English at Pepperdine University.

Erika Olbricht

Alumna and English professor who helped establish the WGS program as the founding coordinator in 2001.

Bailey Berry

Librarian for digital conversion, publishing, and curation at Pepperdine Libraries.

Christopher Miehl

Archivist for Special Collections and University Archives at Pepperdine Libraries.

Kyra Hatton

Former WGS student who assisted with the archival project.

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What they’re saying

“Preserving the program's material culture and its digital footprint so that this piece of women's history at Pepperdine is not erased . . . to that end, I am deeply grateful and proud of the work that we've all done.”

— Katie Frye, WGS coordinator and associate professor of English

“This program—and now the archive—has been and continues to be a collective of scrappy and resilient women.”

— Katie Frye, WGS coordinator and associate professor of English

“The class 'really pushed me academically while nurturing my studies in a way that made me feel confident in other courses going forward, and the critical-thinking skills I learned there still inform my work ethic postgrad.'”

— Sofia Reyes, Alumna who double-majored in English and film

What’s next

The WGS program plans to continue expanding the archival collection and making it available online for students, faculty, and the broader community to access.

The takeaway

The 25th anniversary celebration of Pepperdine's Women's and Gender Studies program showcased how the interdisciplinary minor has evolved over the decades, cultivating critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and a commitment to social justice among its students. The new archival initiative will help preserve this important piece of the university's history for future generations.