Sandra Harding, a former distinguished professor of education and gender studies, died March 5. She was 89.

Internationally recognized for developing “standpoint theory” – which frames science as shaped by cultural and social contexts rather than as purely objective – Harding’s work critiqued classic academic theories that often overlooked the impacts of race, gender and ethnicity on knowledge production and the practice of science.

Harding’s approach to philosophy reshaped feminist thought by uplifting the experiences of those historically excluded from academic discourse, said Elizabeth Marchant, chair of gender studies at UCLA.

Marchant, one of Harding’s colleagues, said Harding was part of the faculty advisory committee for UCLA’s women’s studies interdepartmental program. Once the program transitioned into what is now the gender studies department, Harding mentored some of its first doctoral students.

Harding – who first came to UCLA in 1996 after teaching at the University of Delaware for more than two decades – served as director of UCLA’s Center for the Study of Women for three years, according to UCLA Social Sciences.

Marchant added that Harding was instrumental in drawing faculty into the center and nurturing a collaborative environment that bridged interdisciplinary boundaries.

“She was really a presence from the moment she came to campus,” Marchant said.

Over the course of her career, Harding wrote or edited 18 books and published more than 100 articles and book chapters.

Her work includes the award-winning books “The Science Question in Feminism” and “The ‘Racial’ Economy of Science: Toward a Democratic Future,” which were among the many contributions recognized when Harding received the John Desmond Bernal Prize from the Society for the Social Studies of Science in 2013.

“She was one of the main philosophers that revealed how philosophy could be at the heart of social change,” said Alisa Bierria, an assistant professor of gender studies at UCLA.

Harding also co-edited Signs, an interdisciplinary women’s studies journal. She oversaw submissions from a wide range of academic disciplines while in the role, said Ann Garry, a professor emeritus of philosophy at California State University, Los Angeles and one of Harding’s longtime colleagues.

Garry, who has held multiple visiting appointments at UCLA over the past 50 years, said she admired Harding’s intellectual contributions – as well as her directness and courage.

Harding’s bold approach often made her a target for criticism, Garry said, adding that her work landed her on conservative political commentator Rush Limbaugh’s list of enemies. Limbaugh, Garry added, frequently used the term “feminazi” to disparage feminists.

Garry also said Harding’s works challenged the foundations of mainstream philosophical thought, which had been predominantly shaped by white male scholars.

Marchant said that even while balancing other responsibilities, Harding remained a constant source of support for her colleagues – adding that she met weekly with another colleague to help her finish her book.

“She really took care of her colleagues and helped them further their own careers,” Marchant said. “She was incredibly generous in that way.”

Sharon Traweek, an associate professor of gender studies and history at UCLA as well as one of Harding’s former colleagues, said Harding often approached publishers with proposals that included emerging or lesser-known researchers.

“There are hundreds of us around the world who are indebted to her for helping us get our careers launched and maintained,” she said.

Bierria said that although she joined UCLA’s Department of Gender Studies after Harding had retired, Harding’s legacy shaped the field she entered.

Bierria added that many of Harding’s approaches, including an emphasis on the importance of developing ideas that could be put into practice, transformed how she thought about the field of philosophy and inspired her own work.

“I will forever be grateful for her incredible body of work,” she said.

Harding also gave hundreds of lectures across six continents and consulted for international organizations such as UNESCO and the United Nations Development Fund for Women, according to UCLA Social Sciences.

After leaving UCLA, Harding collaborated with Latin American scholars to launch Tapuya: Latin American Science, Technology and Society, a journal dedicated to elevating voices from the Global South, according to UCLA Social Sciences.

“She was a fighter, and she was a fighter for people … who have been excluded from knowledge-making,” Marchant said.