Jodi Wetzel, the first director of the women’s studies department at Metropolitan State College, died May 13. She was 66.
Wetzel came to Metro in 1986 to head the newly created Women’s Institute for Studies and Services. She retired in 2006.
She helped establish a major in women’s studies, set up a system to help “nontraditional-age women” re-enter the college scene and also taught, said Tara Tull, who was Wetzel’s associate director.
Wetzel also reached out to create relationships across campus with history, English and psychology departments so they could be involved in courses for the women’s studies major, Tull said. “She was committed to women and kept connected to alums.”
“The model of studies along with services (for women) is unusual” on campuses, said Tull, now assistant professor of human services.
Wetzel “was a wonderful manager,” said Annette McElhiney, who was the first faculty member Wetzel hired.
Wetzel started the Front Range Feminist Scholars Forum, a monthly wine and cheese meeting for women from various colleges, giving them a chance to share research and writing they were doing, McElhiney said.
She and four other women wrote and compiled a textbook, “Thinking Women: Women’s Studies” in 1993. It was used as a textbook for several years, McElhiney said.
Wetzel also helped financially back a project to raise awareness about how class, gender, race, sexual orientation and bullying affect a classroom, McElhiney said.
Joy Lynn (Jodi) Wood was born in Salt Lake City on April 5, 1943.
She had a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English literature from the University of Utah and a doctorate in American studies from the University of Minnesota. She taught freshman composition at the University of Utah and composition and American studies at the University of Minnesota.
She married David Wetzel on June 13, 1967.
In addition to him, she is survived by her son, Richard Wetzel of Kansas City, Mo., two grandchildren; her mother, Elaine Wood and her sister, Mitzi Wood-McIver, both of of Salt Lake City; and her brother, Ron Wood of Kelly, Wyo. Her daughter, Meredith Wetzel, preceded her in death.
Virginia Culver: 303-954-1223 or vculver@denverpost.com
