Retiree Spotlight: Mary Weismantel
Mary Weismantel Retires
By Shalini Shankar
As the 2025-26 academic year comes to a close, Northwestern finds itself in the unenviable position of bidding farewell to beloved colleague Mary Weismantel. An internationally renowned scholar of Andean Studies, sexualities, indigeneity, and material culture, Mary joined Northwestern from Occidental College in 1998 as an Associate Professor. From the start, she took on positions of leadership and helped establish the Latin American and Caribbean Studies program, which she directed from 1998-2004. Gender and Sexuality Studies, another nascent program, also flourished under Mary’s leadership as director during the early aughts. During these terms as well as when she served as chair of the Department of Anthropology from 2019-2022, Mary engaged in a robust program of research and publishing that yielded three original monographs and dozens of articles and book chapters, saying nothing of the myriad students she taught, mentored, and guided into their own careers.
On May 14, a beautiful retirement celebration served as a sendoff, replete with a live Andean band and moving tributes from faculty across the university. Mary kindly shared a few reflections on her intellectual trajectory, time at Northwestern, and next big adventure. Here are some highlights from our conversation.
Mary, what would you say is the highlight of your academic career? Or a few highlights…
I feel profoundly grateful to have this profession with its opportunities for creativity and autonomy. At the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign where I earned my doctorate, I was fortunate because there was a group of amazing researchers that worked with indigenous people in South America. Going and living in an indigenous community in South America as a young person totally changed my life, and that was great. Each of my projects has had their own moment.
When I was asked to chair the Department of Anthropology, I was still writing my last book and wanted to finish it first. I agreed to be Anthropology chair because I felt like it's everybody's job to take a turn if they're asked. When my term started, I felt like I could be a problem solver who could make things happen. I don't know if everybody felt that way at the time, but this is my impression, that I put my ego aside and focused on what is best for the Department. The Covid-19 pandemic shutdown and eventual reopening all happened during my term. It was hard in many ways, but also easier because things got done quickly on Zoom. Even when administrative work occupied the majority of my time, I still loved the intellectual work. I'm a slow writer, but I love gnawing away.
Covers of Mary Weismantel's three books.
What made you decide that now is the time to retire?
I feel like my writing projects have had a certain trajectory. When I was working on the last one, I became interested in writing a book that was more accessible and more readable. People talk about our current capitalist condition as simply human nature; I think we need the ancient past as a source of imagination for other ways to have a society, to be together. Following feminist scholars in classics who have reimagined Greek myths like Circe and Achilles into amazing novels, I’d like to write something fictional about the ancient Inca. While archaeologists have to be very careful about making certain claims, there can be room in speculative fiction to tell stories not based on the Greek and Western cannons. There's a perception that people don't read anymore; but young women, especially young women of color, read novels and fantasy novels. Now that I don’t have to do things within the academy anymore, it seems like a good moment to explore this direction.
How exciting, I would love to read that novel! So what’s next for you?
My partner and I wanted to follow the lead of others leaving the US but didn’t want to live in an expat community with only other Americans; we did want a place where my partner and I both spoke the language. We looked at different countries and chose Ireland due to its socialized medicine and its highly progressive government and anticolonial politics. Ireland has beautiful historic cities with modern conveniences and vibrant cultural traditions. I like the idea of writing a novel among other novelists in coffee shops.
Mary, Northwestern has become an immeasurably better place due to your leadership, your generous way of making introductions and convening people, and the kindness with which you treated everyone. Thank you for all you’ve done and go n-éirí leat ar do scor! (that’s Irish for “good luck on your retirement!). You will be missed tremendously.