New scholarship honors Peg Strobel’s impact on gender and women’s studies

In 1980, Margaret “Peg” Strobel’s book, “Muslim Women in Mombasa, 1890–1975,” earned one of the highest honors in African studies, the Herskovits Award from the African Studies Association. The recognition affirmed what many colleagues already understood, that Strobel was reshaping the historical narrative by centering voices long excluded from it.

Now, Strobel’s nationally recognized scholarship and decades of mentorship will shape future generations in a new way. University of Illinois Chicago alumna and former Board of Visitors Chair Cheryl Ganz has established the Margaret (Peg) Strobel Scholarship Fund, providing direct support for students whose academic work reflects the intellectual rigor, global perspective and commitment to justice that defined Strobel’s career. The fund ensures the impact of a scholar whose work earned international honors and campuswide recognition will continue in classrooms and communities for years to come.

“I wanted to honor someone whose scholarship and teaching opened doors, intellectually and institutionally, for so many people,” Ganz said. “Peg Strobel didn’t just study history; she helped change how it was written and who it included.”

Hired in 1979 as UIC’s first faculty member in women’s studies, Strobel helped build what would become a nationally respected gender and women’s studies program in UIC’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. At a time when the field was still emerging, she guided the program’s growth and helped establish graduate study, shaping its direction for decades to come.

Her scholarship consistently pushed boundaries. By centering African women’s lives within broader histories of empire, religion and race, Strobel expanded the scope of both women’s history and African studies. She later served as president of the Coordinating Council for Women in History, advocating nationally for women scholars and feminist research.

On campus, Strobel was equally known for her impact in the classroom and across the university community. She received UIC’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1993-94 and was named UIC Woman of the Year in fall 1997 by the Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Women, honors that recognized her mentorship and her leadership.

For Ganz, a historian and proud UIC alumna, establishing the scholarship was both a tribute and an investment in the university’s future.

“Peg Strobel changed the intellectual landscape at UIC,” Ganz said. “I wanted to ensure that students who share her passion for justice and global inquiry have the support they need to thrive.”

Ganz, who has long supported UIC through her leadership and philanthropy, said creating a named scholarship felt like a meaningful way to honor a professor whose influence extended far beyond a single discipline. By funding students directly, the Strobel Scholarship transforms admiration into opportunity, linking one scholar’s groundbreaking work to the next generation of changemakers.

The Strobel Scholarship Fund joins a growing number of scholarships in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences that help reduce financial barriers and expand opportunities for UIC students, strengthening a diverse and inclusive campus community rooted in Chicago.

Learn more about giving to College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, including opportunities to give to funds like the Margaret (Peg) Strobel Scholarship Fund.