Ann Heffernan

Ann Heffernan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science. Her research and teaching interests include contemporary political theory, disability studies, feminist theory, and American political development. Her current book project, “Disability: A Democratic Dilemma,” brings into view the significance of disability in mediating the relationship between citizens and the American state. Drawing upon historical and contemporary examples—including the rise of waged labor, the Flint, Michigan water crisis, the healthcare debate, and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic—she shows how the boundaries and defining features of political membership are stabilized and recast in and through disability.

She received her doctorate in political science from the University of Chicago where she was affiliated with the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality and the Pozen Center for Human Rights. From 2020-2022 she was an LSA Collegiate Fellow in the Department of Political Science. She teaches courses on disability studies, feminist theory, reproductive justice, contemporary democratic theory, and theories of work.