Lynn Comerford, Ph.D. Faculty Profile

Photo of Lynn Comerford

Lynn  Comerford, Ph.D.

Professor, Director, Women's Studies

Department of

Lynn Comerford, Professor, Human Development & Women's Studies

Director, Women's Studies

Education:

Ph.D.    State University of New York, Albany (2001) - Sociology

Dissertation: "Doing Co-Custody: Conceptualizing Parenting, Childhood and Citizenship in Light of State Intervention Practices" (Chair, Steven Seidman)

Examination Fields: sociological theory, sociology of gender, research methods

Research and Teaching Fields: social theory, gender, sociology of the family, research methods

M.A.               Fordham University                    

B.A.                Fordham University

Lexington High School, Lexington, MA         

Academic Positions:

Professor, Department of Human Development and Women’s Studies, Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV, Fall 2012 -

Director, Women’s Studies, Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV, Fall 2009 - present

Associate Professor, Department of Human Development and Women’s Studies, Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV, Fall 2006- Spring 2012

Assistant Professor, Department of Human Development and Women’s Studies,   Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV, Fall 2001- Spring 2006

Lecturer, Department of Sociology, University of La Verne, Fall 1999, Fall 2000 - Spring 2001

Lecturer, California State University, Bakersfield, Fall 1997 - Summer 1998

Lecturer, University of San Diego, San Diego, Fall 1996 - Spring 1997

Lecturer, Corrections Program, Sage Jr. College of Albany, Fall 1992 - Spring 1995 (Greene Medium Security Prison, Hudson Medium Security Prison, McGinley Medium Security Prison)

Lecturer, State University of New York, Albany, Fall 1991 - Summer 1995

Retention Tutor, Hostos Community College, City University of New York, Spring 1987

 

CSUEB Courses:

WOST 101 Perspectives on Women

HDEV 301 Theories of Human Development

HDEV 302 Research Methods in Human Development

HDEV 321 Gender, Race & Class in Human Development

WOST 401 Feminist Theory

HDEV 401 Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAVing Theory & Methods in Human Development

HDEV 413 Children in Families and Communities

HDEV 499W Senior Research Seminar 

 

 

 

 

 

Not teaching this semester.

Current Project:

Book: Theories of Human Development. Catherine Dombrowski publishing contact, Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, Dubuque, IA.

Book:

(With Heather Jackson and K. Kosior, editors) Feminist Parenting. Ontario, Demeter Press, December, 2016.

Articles, book chapters, book reviews:

"Introduction." In Lynn Comerford, Heather Jackson, K. Kosior, editors, Feminist Parenting. Ontario, Canada, Demeter Press, 2016, pp. 1-21.

"The Potential for Feminist Parenting." In Lynn Comerford, Heather Jackson, K. Kosior, editors, Feminist Parenting. Ontario, Canada, Demeter Press, 2016, 63-88.

"Before You." In Lynn Comerford, Heather Jackson, K. Kosior, editors, Feminist Parenting. Ontario, Canada, Demeter Press, 2016, pp. 89.

"State disciplinary practices and the emergence of co-parenting families." More than Blood: Today's Reality and Tomorrow's Vision of Family, editors Sherilyn Marrow and Dennis Leoutsakas, (Kendall Hunt Publishers, 2013), pp. 104-113.

“The White Ribbon Alliance for safe motherhood: Confronting maternal mortality as the health scandal of our time.” In Andrea O’Reilly, editor, The 21st Century Motherhood Movement (Demeter Press, 2011), pp. 108-119.

“State power and the reconstitution of parental rights in U.S. child custody mediation.” In Michael Huspek, editor, Oppositional Discourses and Democracies (Routledge Press, 2009), pp. 103-117.

“Catherine MacKinnon on the paradox of legal sex equality guarantees and persistent inequality.” Journal of Family Theory & Review 1, (2009), pp. 56-68.

“Custody and parental rights.”  In Amy Lind and Stephanie Bruzy, editors, Battleground: Women, Gender and Sexuality (Greenwood Press, 2008), pp. 67-73.

“Power and resistance in U.S. child custody mediation.” Atlantic Journal of Communication 3, (2006), pp. 173-190.

“The child custody mediation policy debate.” Family Focus: Report on Families and

Public Policy, National Council of Family Relations 28 (2006), pp. 7,12.

“Review of Nicholas Wolfinger’s Understanding the Divorce Cycle: The Children of Divorce in Their Own Marriages” (Cambridge University Press). Journal of Marriage & the Family, 68 (2006), pp. 770-772.

“Co-custody may have unintended consequences.”  Family Focus: Report on Family Diversity, National Council of Family Relation 26 (2005), pp. 28-29.

"Parenting as an effect of the power/knowledge discourse of child custody law: Foucault and the regulation of a gendered private sphere." Human Systems 8 (1997), pp. 153-180.

"Channel surfing for rape and resistance on Court TV.”  In Michael Huspek and Gary

Radford, editors, Transgressing Scientific Discourses: Communication and the Voice of Other (New York. SUNY Press, 1997), pp. 231-250.

(With Michael Huspek) "The subversion of science: The new penology and the counter discourse of prison inmates." Communication Theory 6 (1996), pp. 335-360.

“Review of Alison Young's Imagining Crime” (Sage Press). Contemporary Sociology 26

(1996), pp. 365-366.

Encyclopedia Entries:

“Fathers’ Rights.” Social History of American Families, editors Lawrence Ganong and Marilyn Coleman, (Sage Publishers, 2014), pp. 527-530.

“Roe v. Wade.” Social History of American Families, editors Lawrence Ganong and Marilyn Coleman, (Sage Publishers, 2014), pp. 1139-1141.

“Rational Choice Theory.” Social History of American Families, editors Lawrence Ganong and Marilyn Coleman, (Sage Publishers, 2014), pp. 1111-1113.

“The Office of Child Support Enforcement.” Social History of American Families, editors Lawrence Ganong and Marilyn Coleman, (Sage Publishers, 2014), pp. 970-972.

“Partner Rights.” In Mary Zeiss Stange and Carol Oyster, editors, Women in Today’s World (Sage Publications, 2011), pp. 1077-1079.

“Patricia Hill Collins.” In Andrea O’Reilly and Geoggrey Golson, editors, Encyclopedia of Motherhood (Sage Publications, 2010), pp. 230-233.

“Co-parenting,” In Andrea O’Reilly and Geoggrey Golson, editors, Encyclopedia of Motherhood (Sage Publications, 2010), pp. 251-253.

“Father’s rights movements,” In Andrea O’Reilly and Geoggrey Golson, editors,  Encyclopedia of Motherhood (Sage Publications, 2010), pp. 393-395.

“Single-parent households.” In Jodi O’Brien, editor, Encyclopedia of Gender & Society, Volume 1 (Sage Publications, 2009), pp. 794-799.

 “Fatherhood movements.”  In Jodi O’Brien, editor, Encyclopedia of Gender & Society, Volume 2 (Sage Publications, 2009), pp. 283-288.

Conference Proceedings:

“Potentials and pitfalls of “gender-neutral” child custody policy in the United States.”

Proceedings of the 36th World Congress International Institute of Sociology, Beijing, China, (July 2004): pp. 551-552.

“Parenting post-divorce/separation: Co-custody policy and egalitarian parenting.” Bridging Carework Research, Advocacy, and Policy, San Francisco, California, (August, 2004): p. 6.

“Subjectivity and Co-custody Policy.” Feminist Con/text: Feminist Scholarship, International Communication Association, (2004): 3.   

“The irony of “gender-neutral” co-custody policy: Patriarchal power.” Proceedings from

Family Forum, American Sociological Association, San Francisco, (August, 2004): 14-17.

“Mediation and co-custody.” Feminist Con/text: Feminist Scholarship, International Communication Association, San Diego, CA.  (May, 2003): 23-27.

"The circulation of private pain in public places: The case of child custody." Feminist

Con/text: Feminist Scholarship, International Communication Association, San Francisco, CA. (1999): 9.

(With Michael Huspek) "The subversion of science: The new penology and the counter discourse of prison inmates."  Proceedings from the International Communication Association Meetings, Albuquerque, NM. (1995): 14.

Public Press:

 “Exclusive: She Made ‘The Real Anthony Fauci’ Required Reading for Her Students. Here’s What Happened Next.” Interview, Children’s Health Defense, by Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D., April 25, 2023.

 “Students Criticize HDEV Professor for Assigning Anti-Vax Readings.” Interview, CSUEB Pioneer, December 9, 2021

 “The Words of Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV’s Female Leaders: Their Personal Stories of Success and Challenges.” Interview, CSUEB Pioneer, April 17, 2021

 “Calling For an End to Racist Pseudoscience: An Interdisciplinary Critique of Eugenics and Intelligence Testing,” Steven Borish, Johh Bunce, Christina Chin-Newman, Lynn Comerford, Patricia Drew, Mariana Guzzardo and Keri O’Neal, CSUEB Pioneer, November 20, 2020.

 “Women Vote on Preference Not Gender.” Interview, CSUEB Pioneer, April 19, 2016

 “The case for preschool.”  Letter to the editor, Opinion page, San Francisco Chronicle, December 30, 2005

 “The case against Judge Roberts.”  Letter to the editor, Opinion page, San Francisco Chronicle, September 22, 2005

 “Mississippi murder trial must go on.” Letter to the editor, Opinion page, San Francisco Chronicle, June 20, 2005

 “Readers debate House races.” Letter to the editor, Opinion page, Stockton Record, October 12, 2010

 Substack Articles:

“The covid-19 vaccine, women’s menstruation irregularities & the need for conflict-of-interest-free research,” January 26, 2022.

 “Dr. James Lyons-Weiler was censored today: Please read what FaceBook didn’t want you to read about the Washington Post’s Ivermectin Lies,” January 30, 2022.

 “Update: Pfizer and Moderna Want You to Take a 6th Covid-19 Injection of their Shot with the Myocarditis/Pericarditis Warning on the Label,” March 14, 2022.

 “Law Professor Francis Boyle, Author of the U.S. Biological Weapons Terrorism Act of 1989, Links U.S. Bioweapons Facilities to SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) & Seeks Prosecutions in the U.S.,” April 9, 2022.

 “Why I am Going to Read Professor Francis Boyle's Book: Biowarfare and Terrorism,” April 24, 2022.

 “Under the Banner of ‘Health’: The Department of Defense Attacks the First Amendment's Protection Against Religious Meddling & the Fourth Amendment's Prohibition of Searches Without a Warrant,” April 25, 2022.

 “Pure Evil: Yesterday, the FDA approved Remdesivir, known by brand name Veklury, to include infants and children 28 days and older weighing at least 7 pounds as a Covid-19 treatment,” April 26, 2022.

 “College Administrator: It's come to my attention you've assigned The Real Anthony Fauci, by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to your class. In defense of assigning The Real Anthony Fauci and Plague of Corruption,” March 1, 2022.

 

 

 

 

2025 Fall            Sabbatical Award, CSUEB

2024 Fall            Recognized during Convocation for highest course enrollments across CSUEB

2022 Fall.            Demeter Press royalty award letter

2018 Summer    CITI Program Social & Behavioral Research ($1,000)

2016 Winter       Online & Hybrid Course Quality Transformation Grant

2015 Spring        Sabbatical Award, CSUEB

2013-2014           CSU Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV Critical Thinking Assessment Project

Fall 2012             CSUEB Service Learning & Community Engagement ($1,000.00 honorarium)

2009                    External reviewer nomination from Department of HDEV, CSU Long Beach

2009 Spring        WOST major development release time (4 WTU, CLASS, CSUEB)

2009 Winter       WOST major development release time (4 WTU), CLASS, CSUEB

2008 Fall            WOST major development release time (4 WTU), CLASS, CSUEB

2008 Spring       WOST major development release time (4 WTU), CLASS, CSUEB

2007 Summer     Faculty Travel Award, CLASS, CSUEB

2007 Fall            Sabbatical Award, CSUEB

2006-2007           Faculty Fellow Award, CLASS, CSUEB

2006 Spring        Faculty Travel Award, CLASS, CSUEB

2005 Spring         Faculty Support Grant, ALSS, CSUEB

2005 Winter         Faculty Travel Award, ALSS, CSUEB

2004 Winter        Faculty Travel Award, ALSS, CSUEB

2003 Fall              Faculty Travel Award, ALSS, CSUEB

2003 Spring         Faculty Support Grant, CSUEB,

2002 Fall               Probationary Faculty Activities Grant, CSUEB

2002 Spring         Faculty Development Grant, CSUEB

2001 Winter         RSCA Mini Grant, CSUEB

1995 Spring         Travel Grant - SUNY Albany Graduate Student Organization

1995 Spring         James Richard McNally Award for Excellence in Teaching, SUNY, Albany

1994 Spring         Alpha Kappa Delta Sociology Honor Society, SUNY, Albany

1994 Fall              Travel Grant – Graduate Student Organization, SUNY Albany

1994                     Summer Travel Grant - Graduate Student Organization, SUNY Albany

Spring 1993          Top graduate student paper, SUNY Albany/Howard University Conference

1993-1995            SUNY Albany Graduate Student Organization Grants Review Board

1992-1993            President, Graduate Student Organization, SUNY Albany, ($90,000.00 budget)

1986 Spring         Rockefeller Foundation Grant “Seize the Day”

 

 

Service to CSUEB:

Advisor, Yasmeen Qafaan, CSUEB HDEV 490 Independent Study: Fulbright Application to Turkey, Fall 2024

Member, Sweta Kaimal’s, CSUEB Masters Degree in Communication, 2023

Member, HDEV 499W Senior Research Seminar Course Guidelines Committee, 2023-present

Member, Department of Human Development & Women’s Studies Chair Advisory Committee (chair), December 2022-2023

Participant, Anti-Racist Syllabi Workshop, Alliance for the Black Community, CSUEB March 18, 2022

External Reviewer, Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State University, 2022-2023

External Reviewer, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, New Mexico State University, 2020-2021

Member, Department of Human Development & Women’s Studies Post-Tenure Review Committee, 2020-2021 (Chair), 2019-2020 (Chair), 2018-2019 (Chair)

Author, WOST 101 General Education Lower Division Area D overlay and syllabus, 2021

Author, HDEV 301, General Education Social Justice overlay and syllabus, 2021

Member, Department of Human Development & Women’s Studies Lecturer Range Elevation Review Committee 2020-2021 (Chair), 2019-2020

Member, Department of Criminal Justice, Retention, Tenure and Promotion Committee, 2019-2020

Member, Department of Human Development & Women’s Studies Committee Connections Among Current Students and Alumni, Summer 2019

Member, Department of Human Development & Women’s Studies Search Committee, Liberal Studies, 2018-2019

Author, CSUEB Human Development External Comparisons Report, Department 5-Year Review, 2018

Member, Department of Human Development & Women’s Studies Search Committee, Childhood Cognitive Development, 2018

Author, GE Diversity Overlays 2018 WOST 102, 301, 302, 303, 401

Author, GE Social Justice Overlay 2018 WOST 403

Member, University Tenure, Promotion, and Retention Committee, 2017-2019,

Member, CLASS Retention, Tenure and Promotion Committee, 2012-2013, 2013-2014 (Chair),

2015-2016 (Chair), 2016-2017 (Chair), 2024-2025

Member, Department of Human Development & Women's Studies Quarter-to-Semester Conversion Committee, Summer 2015-

Chair, Department of Human Development & Women's Studies Search Committee, Childhood, 2013-2014

Member, Department of Human Development & Women's Studies Search Committee, Childhood, 2011-2012

Organizer, Pushcart Prizewinning Poet Frances Driscoll Talk, CSUEB, May 4th, “The Rape Poems,” Spring Quarter 2011

Author, Fast Track Proposal for Online Major in Women’s Studies, 2010

Member, Department of Human Development & Women's Studies Retention, Tenure and Promotion Committee: 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012 (Chair), 2014-2015 (Chair),2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020 (Chair), 2020-2021 (Chair), 2021-2022 (Chair), 2022-2023 (Chair), 2023-2024 (Chair)

Member, Department of Human Development & Women's Studies Post-Tenure Review Committee 2007-2008 (Chair), 2009-2010 (Chair),

Member, Cultural Groups & Women Committee, 2008-2014

Author, Women’s Studies Major Proposal, 2008

Author, Women’s Studies Major Curriculum, 2008

Member, Department of Human Development & Women's Studies Search Committee, Social Gerontology, 2007-2008

Member, Department of Human Development & Women's Studies Search Committee, Women’s Development, 2007-2008

Member, CSUEB Academic Senate, 2005-2007, candidate 2020

Chair, Department of Human Development & Women's Studies Search Committee, Adult Development, 2005-2006

Member, CSUEB Non-Grade Related Student Complaints Committee, 2004-2005

Member, Department of Human Development & Women's Studies Search Committee, Child Cognitive Development 2004-2005

Member, Department of Human Development & Women's Studies Search Committee, Child Social Development 2004-2005

Member, Department of Human Development & Women's Studies Search Committee, Adolescent Development, 2003-2004

Faculty Reader, ALSS Commencement, 2004, 2006

Member, CSUEB Basic Skills Requirements Appeals Committee, 2003-2005

Member, ALSS Curriculum Subcommittee, 2002-2003, 2003-2004

Interviewer, CSUEB Students Studying Abroad Program, 2002-2006

Member, HDEV Standards Committee for Liberal Studies, 2002-2004

Participant, CSUEB WASC “OUTCOMES,” Fall, 2002

Faculty Marshall, ALSS Commencement, 2003-2006

Faculty Marshall, Honors Convocation, 2003, 2007

Participant, CSUEB Center for Excellence in Teaching, 2003

Department Union Representative, CFA, 2001-2002, 2005-2006

Advisor, HDEV Online Majors, Fall 2010-present

Member, Human Development Chair Recommendation Committee, 2010

Co-Chair, Promotion, Tenure & Retention Guidelines Committee, 2009

Participant, HDEV Online Degree Program Orientation Design, Summer 2007

Participant, HDEV Online Major Committee, 2007-2008

Designer, HDEV Department Website, 2007

Member, Advisory Committee, CSUEB Women’s Studies, 2006-present

Co-Chair, Martin Feldman Scholarship Committee, Spring 2005, Spring 2022 (Chair), Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025

Parental Leave Substitute, Professor Rasmusson, Spring 2003

Unpaid Teaching Overload, HDEV 4890: Spring, 2002, Spring 2003, Fall 2003, Fall 2024

Department Advisor, Adolescence Option, Spring 2002, Spring 2003

Member, Special Major Committee: 2002-2003

Advisor, Child Development Option, 2001-2009

Member, HDEV Department Curriculum Committee, 2001-2007

Co-Coordinator, HDEV Assessment 2001-2006

Member, Lecturer Review Committee, 2001-2005, 2008-2009 (Chair), 2022-2024

Service to the Profession

Organizer, "Women & Gender Studies Conference," Department of Human Development & Women's Studies, Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV, Hayward, CA, April 19, 2024.

“Feminist Perspectives on Labor” panel, Southwest Labor Studies Association, Hayward, CA (May 14-15, 2009)

“Feminist Theory” panel, California Sociological Association meetings, Riverside, CA (November 7-8, 2008)

“Women, Work & Families” panel, California Sociological Association meetings, Berkeley, CA, November 16-17, 2007.

“Feminist Theory” panel, Women’s Western Association, Los Angeles, CA, April 13, 2007.

“Gender & Power” panel, California Sociological Association Sacramento, CA, November 11-12, 2005, Sacramento, CA

“Sociological Theory” panel, California Sociological Assoc., Riverside, CA, Oct. 15-16, 2004.

“Investigating Social Life” panel, California Sociological Association, Berkeley, CA,  November 7-8, 2003.  

Regular reviewer:

Family Relations

Journal of Family Theory and Review

Journal of Family Issues

Ad hoc journal reviewer:

Social Problems

Feminist Encounters

Journal of Teaching Marriage and Family

Journal of Applied Communication

Marriage and Family Review   

Regular book reviewer:

Rowman & Littlefield

Ad hoc book reviewer:

Demeter Press

Oxford University Press

Book Prospectus Reviews: Worth, Thousand Oaks

Sage Press

Conference paper peer reviewer:

National Council on Family Relations   

Pacific Sociological Association

International Communication Association

California Sociological Association