Janice Jones Monk

1937 - 2024

Born in Sydney, Australia, Dr. Janice Monk came to the United States in 1961, choosing the University of Illinois because of her close relationship with her cousin, Nancy Duffin, who lived in Chicago. Jan earned her Doctorate at the University of Illinois in the field of Geography.



Jan married fellow Australian David Monk in 1964 on the campus in Champaign, Illinois, where they met, and Jan eventually became an assistant professor. Jan moved to a research position at the University of Arizona in 1980, joining the UA's Southwest Institute for Research on Women (SIROW). She served as SIROW's Executive Director from 1983 to 2004. Jan was also research professor of Geography and Development at the UA and served as President of the Association of American Geographers from 2001 to 2002. The Janice Monk Lecture in Feminist Geography is held annually at UA as well as at the annual meeting of the American Association of Geographers. Jan received Lifetime Achievement Honors, Association of American Geographers in 2000, an honorary doctorate from the University of Barcelona in 2013, and the Lauréat d'Honneur, International Geographical Union in 2012.



Jan's early work focused on indigenous communities in Australia and she is best known for her ground-breaking writing on Feminist Geography. She was a pioneer in her field and is remembered as a wonderful mentor and role model to geographers around the world. Jan was committed to supporting women and historically marginalized communities. Her research focused on issues related to the history of women in Geography and in the Southwest US, comparative international perspectives, landscape, health, and geographic education. Learn more about her work here: https://geography.arizona.edu/person/janice-monk.



Jan's close colleagues Anindita Datta, Janet Momsen, and Ann M. Oberhausen compiled a book of essays in honor of Jan, Bridging Worlds - Building Feminist Geographies, published in 2023.



Jan was predeceased by her parents, Edie and Harold Jones, her brother, Alan, and her husband, David. She is survived by her American cousins, Rosemary Fuhrman, Nancy Gorski, and Mike Duffin, and is remembered fondly and with gratitude by the many professional and academic colleagues with whom she worked, many of whom she mentored.



Jan touched the hearts of many people throughout her life, and she will be missed by all. Many thanks go out to her nurse advocate, Amy DuBois, her caregivers Leila Lopez and Olga Corella, and the staff at Hacienda at the River.



A celebration of Jan's life will be held this Fall. No date has yet been set. Please contact nicole@providiapartners.com for details. Gifts to the Jan Monk Lecture Series at the University of Arizona can be made here: https://give.uafoundation.org/janicemonk.