UW News

April 16, 2012

Celebration of Life planned for Donna Gerstenberger

News and Information

Donna Gerstenberger

Donna Gerstenberger

A Celebration of Life for Donna Gerstenberger, former head of the UW English Department and Faculty Senate, will be at 4 p.m. on April 29 at the University Club. She died Jan. 16 of complications from a stroke while vacationing in Tucson, Ariz. She was 82.

Gerstenberger earned a doctorate at the University of Oklahoma and came to UW in the 1960s.  She was a nationally known scholar of 20th-century literature and, in addition to chairing the English Department and Faculty Senate, she served as dean of undergraduate education.

She was regarded as a mentor to many women faculty members and had a special interest in gender and women’s studies. She also helped found the literary magazine Seattle Review.

Gerstenberger moved to Medford, Ore., several years ago.

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