Lynn Comerford, Ph.D. Faculty Profile
Lynn Comerford, Ph.D.
Professor, Director, Women's Studies
Department of
- E-mail: lynn.comerford@csueastbay.edu
- Phone: (510) 885-3076
- Office: MI 3055
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, California State University, East Bay, Fall 2012 -
Director, Women’s Studies, California State University, East Bay, Fall 2009 - present
Associate Professor, Department of Human Development and Women’s Studies, California State University, East Bay, Fall 2006- Spring 2012
Assistant Professor, Department of Human Development and Women’s Studies, California State University, East Bay, 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 Applying 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 East Bay’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
https://thepioneeronline.com/29541/opinions/women-vote-on-preference-not-gender
“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.
https://lynncomerford.substack.com/p/the-covid-19-vaccine-womens-menstruation
“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.
https://lynncomerford.substack.com/p/dr-james-lyons-weiler-was-censored
“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.
https://lynncomerford.substack.com/p/one-of-the-most-corrupt-companies
“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.
https://lynncomerford.substack.com/p/law-professor-francis-boyle-author
“Why I am Going to Read Professor Francis Boyle's Book: Biowarfare and Terrorism,” April 24, 2022.
https://lynncomerford.substack.com/p/why-i-am-going-to-read-professor
“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.
https://lynncomerford.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/52834680?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts
“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.
https://lynncomerford.substack.com/p/pure-evil-yesterday-the-fda-approved
“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.
https://lynncomerford.substack.com/p/college-administrator-its-come-to
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 East Bay 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, California State University, East Bay, 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:
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