Barbara Nelson, left, and Arvonne Fraser co-founded the Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy 40 years ago. This fall, the Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy (CWGPP) at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs celebrates 40 years of research, teaching, and leadership for gender equity. Amid this movement, Professor Barbara Nelson and Senior Fellow Arvonne Fraser founded the first-of-its-kind university research center focused on gender and public policy in 1985. Their goal was to combine scholarship with action and show students—especially women—that public policy was their arena. In spring 2026, CWGPP will launch a graduate minor in Gender, Intersectionality, and Public Policy, open to students across the University.