In Creole Son,' a white Berkeley mother explores impact of adopting a mixed-race child

"Kay arrived at what was then Sonoma State College in 1974 during the second wave of feminism that was transforming colleges and universities across the country. In 1980 she became coordinator of the pioneering Sonoma State Women's Studies Program and continued in this role with vision and verve for the next 20 years. Kay was known for her advocacy on behalf of women students, staff and faculty and was fearless in her efforts to integrate women into courses throughout the curriculum."

"She fought relentlessly for the hiring of more women faculty and helped create new classes focused on women, gender, and sexuality viewed through an intersectional lens. Before turning her primary academic focus on feminism and gender studies, Kay developed significant expertise on imperialism and published her first book Revolution from Above: Military Bureaucrats in Japan, Turkey, Egypt, and Peru. In her subsequent scholarship, Kay courageously drew on both her own lived experience and deep research."

Kay Trimberger, Ph.D., was Emeritus Professor of Sociology and Coordinator of Women and Gender Studies at Sonoma State University and a longtime Berkeley resident who died at age 85 on Oct. 21 surrounded by friends and family. She arrived at Sonoma State College in 1974 and became coordinator of the Sonoma State Women's Studies Program in 1980, serving in that role for twenty years. She advocated for women students, staff, and faculty, pushed for hiring more women, and created courses on women, gender, and sexuality with an intersectional lens. Her scholarship ranged from studies of imperialism to books on single women and behavioral genetics, combining research with personal experience.

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