Ellen 1948-2012

Ellen (1948-2012) was a scholar and a social activist. She co-founded the Duluth Domestic Abuse Intervention Project, an inter-agency collaboration model used in all 50 states in the U.S. and over 17 countries. A leader in both the battered women's movement and the emerging field of institutional ethnography, she was the recipient of numerous awards including the 2008 Society for the Study of Social Problems Dorothy E. Smith Scholar Activist Award for significant contributions in a career of activist research.

Pence died of breast cancer on January 6, 2012.

From her memorial announcement:

"When faced with recounting the legacy of Ellen the inadequacy of the written word is stark. She loved deeply, thought brilliantly, worked tirelessly, gave generously, and laughed so beautifully in every realm of her life. There is not one who met her (even for the briefest time) that could leave her presence without a smile and an insight into some aspect of themselves or others.

Ellen dedicated her life to ending violence against women: she led, supported, and enlisted so many of us in that struggle. We will miss so much her confident guidance, her keen wit, and her relentless vision that such violence could and will be ended."