[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Boetzkes1.jpg”]The new face in the Women's Studies Program office belongs to Elisabeth Boetzkes. But Boetzkes is no stranger to McMaster University, having been with the Department of Philosophy since 1991. She is heading women's studies until the end of June.

Boetzkes, who attended the University of Calgary, specializes in feminist philosophy of religion, feminist ethics and women's health care. Her research has focused on new reproductive technologies, such as sex selection. She also served as a consultant for the Royal Commission for New Reproductive Technologies.

Boetzkes believes women's studies has an important role in university education. “As the demand for critical scholarship on gender is increasing in all academic disciplines, the workplace, and the community, women's studies offers a valuable resource for consultation, education, and collaboration.”

She is also an associate member of the nursing faculty and serves on a number of hospital committees.