In December 2022 – a few days shy of the new year – the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee (MMMRC) and Department of State Health Services released a joint Biennial Report on maternal mortality and morbidity rates in the state. They use term “maternal mortality” to describe the death of a childbearing person… Read more →
Udodiri R. Okwandu
Udodiri R. Okwandu
Contributor
Udodiri R. Okwandu is a doctoral candidate in the History of Science Department and Presidential Scholar at Harvard University. Broadly, her research examines how scientific and medical disciplines facilitate the production of hierarchies of race, gender, and class in the United States from the late 19th century to the present. She explores these issues in her dissertation, which traces how medical understandings of maternal mental illnesses — such as postpartum depression and psychosis — have produced racialized and classist distinctions between “good” and “bad” mothers. Her work has been supported by various organizations, including the Consortium for History, Science, Technology and Medicine, Commission on Women and Gender Studies, Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History. In addition to being a doctoral student, Udodiri serves as a Cultural Sensitivity Consultant at Ancestry and a Racial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Science Education (RDEISE) Research and Content Development Consultant at LabXChange, a free online science education platform. Outside of her studies and work, Udodiri is an avid concert goer, poetry writer, and fitness lover.