Full Name
Sue Kiefer Hammersmith, Ph.D.
Job Title
Retired President
Company
Metropolitan State University
Speaker Bio
Sociologist Sue Kiefer Hammersmith has enjoyed a distinguished career in higher education. From her early work as a researcher at Indiana University’s Alfred C. Kinsey Institute for Sex Research to her retirement from the presidency of Metropolitan State University, Hammersmith has championed human diversity, social justice, and educational equity. Hammersmith recently finished writing a book, START HERE: To Understand Race in America, coauthored with Bob-e Simpson Epps. START HERE offers a comprehensive introduction to the history, nature, and dynamics of systemic racism in the US, including White supremacy in American education.
Hammersmith has a B.A. in anthropology and a Ph.D. in sociology from Indiana University. Her academic books have been translated into many foreign languages, ad she has appeared on Oprah Winfrey, The Today Show, and Good Morning, America! Hammersmith coauthored the groundbreaking Kinsey Institute report, Sexual Preference: Its Development in Men and Women, which documented that homosexuality simply reflects naturally occurring human diversity and does not result from choice, recruitment, dysfunctional family relationships, early sexual experiences, or psychological “pathology.” For years Hammersmith was active in public advocacy for gay rights and in public education and professional development to help people better understand sexual orientation and its implications for families, professions, and public policy.
Before serving as president of Metropolitan State University (2008-2014), Hammersmith was a tenured faculty member and administrator at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Dean of the University College at Ball State University, Dean of Arts and Sciences at Ferris State University, and Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. In each of these capacities, Hammersmith led, sponsored, or support initiatives that explicitly addressed problems of diversity, equity, and inclusion. These included innovations in curriculum, hiring, professional development, and student services. Among her proudest accomplishments were sponsoring the creation of Ferris State University’s Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia (www.jimcrowmuseum@ferris.edu), a nationally recognized treasure for both researchers and educators, and working at Metropolitan State University, a model for antiracist education.
In recent years Hammersmith has concentrated on antiracism education. She serves as a trainer, facilitator, and curriculum coauthor for ASDIC – Antiracism Study Dialogue Circles (www.asdicirle.org). Hammersmith also worked with FREC – the Facilitating Racial Equity Collaborative (www.overcomingracism.org) to develop the annual Racial Equity Leadership Institute for K-12 and higher education leaders. The book START HERE: To Understand Race in America is the result of this work and Hammersmith’s research into the history and dynamics of race, White supremacy, and education in the US.
Hammersmith has a B.A. in anthropology and a Ph.D. in sociology from Indiana University. Her academic books have been translated into many foreign languages, ad she has appeared on Oprah Winfrey, The Today Show, and Good Morning, America! Hammersmith coauthored the groundbreaking Kinsey Institute report, Sexual Preference: Its Development in Men and Women, which documented that homosexuality simply reflects naturally occurring human diversity and does not result from choice, recruitment, dysfunctional family relationships, early sexual experiences, or psychological “pathology.” For years Hammersmith was active in public advocacy for gay rights and in public education and professional development to help people better understand sexual orientation and its implications for families, professions, and public policy.
Before serving as president of Metropolitan State University (2008-2014), Hammersmith was a tenured faculty member and administrator at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Dean of the University College at Ball State University, Dean of Arts and Sciences at Ferris State University, and Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. In each of these capacities, Hammersmith led, sponsored, or support initiatives that explicitly addressed problems of diversity, equity, and inclusion. These included innovations in curriculum, hiring, professional development, and student services. Among her proudest accomplishments were sponsoring the creation of Ferris State University’s Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia (www.jimcrowmuseum@ferris.edu), a nationally recognized treasure for both researchers and educators, and working at Metropolitan State University, a model for antiracist education.
In recent years Hammersmith has concentrated on antiracism education. She serves as a trainer, facilitator, and curriculum coauthor for ASDIC – Antiracism Study Dialogue Circles (www.asdicirle.org). Hammersmith also worked with FREC – the Facilitating Racial Equity Collaborative (www.overcomingracism.org) to develop the annual Racial Equity Leadership Institute for K-12 and higher education leaders. The book START HERE: To Understand Race in America is the result of this work and Hammersmith’s research into the history and dynamics of race, White supremacy, and education in the US.
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