Table of Contents
Welcome from the Department Head
Dear Alumni and Students, Friends, and Faculty:
Welcome to the spring 2026 Newsletter from the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) at Penn State. Our department head, Alicia Decker, is on a twelve-month sabbatical through 2026, so I have been keeping the ship afloat for the last five months. It’s been as busy a time as I can remember; no wonder some people call the department head position “the hardest job on campus.” But the rewards are many—and that is what this newsletter is about: the accomplishments of our students, and especially our graduating seniors; the awards and grants won by our faculty; the recognition of teaching and advising; the ongoing generosity of donors and friends of the department; the publications of students and faculty alike; another successful graduate-student run conference. All this is documented here—and was celebrated at the 2026 WGSS Annual Awards Ceremony.
A perennial challenge is to keep up the number of majors, and this is especially the case when both the financial and the political environments of higher education are less than optimal. With more and more students double-majoring, however, we see an opportunity! The department is thinking strategically about how to reach undergraduates who might not have thought about the advantages of understanding gender in relation to their chosen careers. Because we are a so-called “discovery major,” we need to make sure students “discover” us sooner rather than later! To that end the department commissioned a set of videos that could be linked on websites and in newsletters such as this one! One of these videos, “Inside WGSS: The Student Experience” won the “Gold Medal” Telly Award—a prestigious honor! Our faculty will be showing these videos our classes—particularly the introductory-level courses—and inviting students to speak with our director of undergraduate studies about doing a double major, a minor, or our certificate program in diversity studies. And given that two of the videos just won a Gold and a Bronze—we are optimistic that they and other communications efforts in the works will attract more undergraduate majors.
We are also creating a set of advising guides to draw students from “traditional” disciplinary majors into this interdisciplinary major by explaining how a WGSS double-major or minor can not only “dovetail” with that work, but also enhance their career readiness by adding the WGSS degree. We will disseminate these are the new-student orientations take place later this summer!
“More students” is not a problem at the graduate level! Our dual-title graduate degree program continues to attract M.A. and Ph.D. students from literally across the globe: right now we host students from China and South Asia, Latin America and Mexico, Turkey and Iran, Saudi Arabia and Africa. With the five students we recently admitted, we boast at least seventy-five graduate majors and minors.
The spring 2026 semester has gotten the department of WGSS off to a good start this year. We are working hard to scale up our undergraduate majors; we are continuing to train an exceptional cohort of graduate studies in the interdisciplinary dual-title program, which draws from fourteen partner departments across the University. These students will carry on our tradition of placing doctoral students in excellent tenure-track jobs and post-docs.
Our faculty continue to publish articles and books with top journals and publishers: the spring 2026 additions to the department’s research portfolio are detailed below.
Nor do things stop over the summer! As I write, one faculty member, Susanne Klausen, is leading a group of undergraduates on a Maymester course on reproductive justice in Cape Town, South Africa. This course was initially run in 2024 and judged such a life-changing experience for the students that Klausen agreed to do it again. Gabeba Baderoon, who in April of this year received an honorary doctorate from Nelson Mandela University.
Hil Malatino and Sam Tenorio are leading a cohort of ten early-career faculty from a variety of universities to San Francisco for a research trip to the largest archive of transgender materials in the country. Their work is supported by the previously reported $500,000 Mellon Foundation grant, “Widening the Arc of Trans History: Archival Research for Public Storytelling.” The project ends next year with a major conference to be hosted at Penn State next academic year.
In the broader political and economic environments, most humanities departments and especially the so-called “discovery majors” such as Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, have taken a hit. Compared to a department like Psychology or Criminology or Business, our number of majors is small, just the kind of department for which a quantitative assessment model is not designed. Since WGSS opened at Penn State in the 1970s it has always enjoyed very strong college support. Our growth throughout these years reflects that institutional support as well as the student and faculty commitment to social justice that fuels our research and teaching.
As the University currently is reviewing all of its undergraduate programs, WGSS reached out to current and former students, alumnx, and community partners to gather statements of support to share with administrators. These statements indicate something that quantitative assessment metrics fail to even touch on: why a department with a stated commitment to study the history of gender and race inequality, and to advance social justice today for all persons, everywhere, has “value” beyond the financial sense of that word. One faculty member (unsurprisingly) went straight to the research, highlighting two recent articles, one on the value of the WGSS degree, the other on why University leaders must continue to support WGSS. Another faculty member stresses that metrics counting numbers of majors and minors and the kinds of jobs received post-graduation (and their salaries!) essentially discount “the value of such an education, particularly in our current moment when the rights of women, sexual and gender minorities, and other minority groups are in great peril.”
Other contributors comment on the department’s training in critical thinking and communication in terms of “career readiness” and the need for the so-called human skills—particularly “understanding different perspectives” (from a student)—to be understood as translatable work skills. A current graduate student who teaches our introductory courses notes that “Interdisciplinarity and multi-media literacy—that is, the ability to work across various relative fields and interpret public messaging from critical interpretive angles—are absolutely crucial skills for all job candidates of this generation, not just those who choose to specialize in WGSS.” Still others concur that the interdisciplinary nature of our work offers a model for today’s intercultural work environments. A Penn State alum who is also a current faculty member—in a different department!—writes that “more than nine in ten employers cite the importance of hiring graduates who have gained knowledge through interdisciplinary study and addressing ‘real-life’ problems while in college” (Baker et al., 2025). . . . If Penn State is committed to investing in career readiness and skill acquisition, then [WGSS] must be maintained and supported.”
By way of conclusion, I share just one more from a Penn State alum—because honestly I couldn’t have said it better:
We live in a time where so much of society seems to be looking backwards and regressing towards a more reductive, dismissive, and downright dangerous worldview regarding anyone who isn't a cisgender heterosexual white male. It is therefore more important than ever that academics look to the future and ensure that coming generations have the opportunity to learn about and support people of every gender, sexuality, race and faith. ... [Students need to] prepare themselves to face a world with an ever-growing problem with gender-based violence and inequal application of justice. Nor should they be kept blind about their own inherited prejudices about their fellow human beings. They should be taught the value of all peoples, and how diversity and varied experiences can only help us create a stronger and more healthy society. ... Penn State taught me much, and one of its most valuable lessons was the wisdom to know that there is always more to learn. Another was that there is nothing to be gained by closing one's eyes and ears to a chance to learn.
Jennifer A. Wagner-Lawlor
Acting Head of WGSS (AY 2026)
New Faculty Members and Faculty Promotions
Maggie-Rose Condit-Summerson (WGSS), Assistant Teaching Professor
We’re excited to announce Maggie-Rose Condit-Summerson as a new Assistant Teaching Professor in WGSS. Having graduated from our Dual-Title graduate program in Art Education and WGSS in December 2024, then joined the department as a Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow. Over the years, we have seen Maggie-Rose in action, using her expertise as a feminist art educator to get students excited about WGSS through creative assignments that speak to the material realities of living “gendered” in—or by—today’s world. She recently completed her first semester in her new position, and we cannot wait to see what else she accomplishes!
Aparna Parikh (WGSS), promoted to Associate Teaching Professor
Aparna has taught in the department since 2021. As an alumna of our Dual-Title Ph.D. program, she excels not only in teaching and mentoring both undergraduate and graduate students, but also in advancing her own research portfolio as an urban geographer. Congratulations, Aparna, for being promoted to Associate Teaching Professor!
Erin Hanses (CAMS / WGSS), promoted to Associate Teaching Professor
Erin has a doctorate in classical languages and literatures – but put away the idea that this is fusty stuff. Welcome to the world of classical conceptions of gender and identity ancient women and their sexualities—meeting feminist thinkers before there was such a word as feminism. (No wonder Erin’s Introduction to Classical Mythology is so popular). Congratulations, Erin, for being promoted to Associate Teaching Professor!
Funding Achievements
WGSS was especially pleased to accept an unexpected gift of $ 62,500 in March 2026, from Jennifer Hamer, professor of African American studies, and Clarence Lang, Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts. The Hamer-Lang WGSS Support Fund supports both undergraduate and graduate students’ experience within the department through programming support, honoraria for visiting scholars and lecturers, support for student conference participation, and emergency assistance for individual students in need. Thank you to the Hamer-Langs!
In collaboration with colleagues in the College of Engineering and the Eberly College of Science, Jes Matsick, the director of undergraduate studies and associate professor in WGSS and psychology, was awarded $700,000 from the Henry Luce Foundation in April 2026. This grant allows her to study how expansive, interdisciplinary definitions of academic excellence can support junior faculty to succeed at Penn State.
Andrea Miller is co-PI on a seed grant of $152,000 awarded in January 2026 from The Penn State Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence. The research team includes: Faculty members Sara Liao (COMM); Hil Malatino (WGSS); FemTechCultures lab manager (and Dual-Title Ph.D. alum) Fouz Aljameel; Humanities and Social Sciences Librarian Salah Seoudi (Penn State Libraries); and WGSS graduate students Cora Butcher-Spellman and Benji Davis.
The project, “Ambiguities and Tensions in Trans Crowdfunding: Viral Visibility Under Surveillance,” explores “how trans and gender non-conforming (TGN) individuals use online crowdfunding to relocate to safer regions while facing increasing scrutiny and surveillance. Using interviews and discourse analysis, the research examines how platform systems and AI-driven oversight shape the opportunities and risks experienced by TGN crowdfunders, aiming to provide new insight into survival strategies, care practices, and support needs for TGN communities” (Penn State Today). One of seven proposals to receive funding, this project “was evaluated by peers for its connection to the center’s mission, intellectual merit, and potential for securing external funding. The awards will support the formation of interdisciplinary research teams and early-stage projects that demonstrate strong potential to obtain external funding. Projects are expected to start spring 2026 and last one to two years.” Congratulations to Andrea and her team!
Miller’s FemTechCultures Lab was also the recipient of $50,000 anonymous gift, adding to seed grant described above for supporting this innovative, collaborate space. The FemTechLab hosts the collaborative work of students and faculty in both WGSS and Communications, and related fields. The young lab space is off to a great start!
2026 Alumnx and Student Leadership Awards and Recognitions
Every year in April the Department of WGSS celebrates its students, faculty, and “alumnx” (as we prefer to call our graduates) at its Annual Awards Ceremony with a catered banquet, a running slide show of people and places we went, awards and recognition—and a lot of flowers. Here are our awardees this year:
The Outstanding AlumnX Award
Carolyn Sachs is Professor Emerita of Rural Sociology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Penn State, having served as a much-loved department head of WGSS for many years. Sachs’ work has taken her around the globe to study the interrelationships of agricultural and environmental challenges to women’s lives—and to women’s leadership in responding to these challenges. She has engaged government agencies such as USAID, and NGOs such as the United Nations, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. Sachs has authored many books on women, gender, agriculture and environment, most recently, The Gender and Agriculture Handbook (2020) and Women and Small Holder Farming: Addressing Global Inequities in Agriculture (2025). Today, she is working on new editions of her previously published Gender and Agriculture Handbook and Rural Sociology Handbook.
The Emerging Feminist Award
*This award is new this year, to recognize early-career individuals and alumnx who have embodied and promoted our department’s social-justice commitment
María del Rosario Castro Bernardini graduated in 2017 with a Dual-Title Ph.D. in WGSS and Rural Sociology. She brought her passion for teaching and research to a position outside the academy, working for the last several years at Oxfam America as a senior researcher. Castro helped establish collaborative alliances with research centers, universities, academic associations, and multilateral organizations. She spearheaded the development of joint financing proposals, shaped development proposals for food security and aid, and authored publications on these projects. Castro is bringing these activities to a close as she seeks a new position more closely tied to an academic setting, where she can continue to tap her expertise in advocacy, and evidence-based research and program design – but also return to teaching once again.
Undergraduate Student Marshal
Olivia Podskoch is graduating with bachelor of arts degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Criminology and a certificate in Diversity Studies. During her time at Penn State, Olivia was a member of TRIOTA, the WGSS Honors Society, for four years and served as the president this past year. She was also a member of Gamma Sigma, a national service sorority, where she served as the organization’s THON Primary Chair and dancer in THON 2026. She interned for two summers with the Luzerne County Office of the Public Defender, which ignited her passion for criminal defense. After graduation, Olivia will be attending law school at the University of Pittsburgh. Olivia is honored to serve as the Student Marshal for WGSS at the spring 2026 Commencement Ceremony, and she is grateful for all the connections she made within the WGSS department during her time as a student.
2026 Undergraduate Awards
‘Morgan Phillips (’27 Social Studies Education) has been actively involved in LGBTQ+ advocacy and community work during their time at Penn State. As one of the founding members of Kaxom, Penn State’s first queer service organization, Morgan helped create a welcoming space focused on support, visibility, and community for LGBTQ+ students and allies. Their leadership and involvement reflect a strong commitment to inclusion, care, and social justice. WGSS is proud to recognize Morgan’s contribution and leadership.
Amy Schafer (’26 Public Relations/Advertising and Global and International Studies and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies) just graduated with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Global and International Studies, Advertising/Public Relations, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, with a minor in Spanish. She served as vice president of Triota and editor-in-chief of The Daily Collegian. After graduation, she plans to work in journalism before pursuing law school and a career in media law. Amy’s curiosity, leadership, and commitment to storytelling across cultures have left a lasting mark on the WGSS community, and we are excited to see where her path leads next.
Emma Duffy (’26 Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management], since starting at Penn State in 2022, has demonstrated a strong commitment to leadership, community engagement, and feminist values through both her academic and extracurricular work. Majoring in Community Recreation within Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management, with minors in Sexuality and Gender Studies and Sustainability, Emma has been actively involved with organizations including Kaxom, Penn State’s queer service organization, Alpha Delta Pi, Club Crew, and the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity.
Sarah Flynn (’26 Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies) is an accomplished performer, educator, advocate, and public speaker whose work reflects a longstanding commitment to feminist leadership, creative practice, and community engagement. Her work demonstrates how creative practice can open meaningful conversations around gender, equity, and social justice—values deeply connected to the mission of WGSS.
Emily Christian (’27 Political Science) has been actively involved in student leadership, civic engagement, and advocacy during their time at Penn State. Studying political science, Emily has worked with Project 26 Pennsylvania and has shown a strong interest in community organizing and public engagement. Their work reflects a commitment to inclusion, social justice, and creating positive change through both academic and community-centered involvement. The department is pleased to recognize Emily for her leadership and contributions.
Amy Schafer (’26 Public Relations/Advertising and Global and International Studies and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies) interdisciplinary work across Public Relations/Advertising, Global and International Studies, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies reflects a strong commitment to global awareness, communication, and feminist perspectives.
Judith Hardes Reproductive Justice Undergraduate Interns
Thanks to the very generous donation to WGSS by the late Judith Hardes, the department is able to offer internships to undergraduate students, as well as research support to graduate students. Judith Hardes’s passion was reproductive justice, and she directed her gift to support students who are similarly committed to that cause. Applications are vetted by the Department’s Reproductive Justice Committee, and students connected up with participating alumnx and supporters who have agreed to serve as mentors. The students receive course credit for their work, as they complete projects for the host organization. This year’s interns were:
- Eloise Emel (’27 Psychology) who interned at GOALS, a consultancy and media platform dedicated to growing women’s sports, under the mentorship of Penn State Alumna Caroline Fitzgerald, Founder and CEO.
- Sarah Flynn (’26 Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), who interned with the Global Network of Women’s Shelters, under the mentorship of Penn State Alumnx Cindy Southworth, Executive Vice President and interim CEO of the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV).
Judith Hardes WGSS Reproductive Justice Graduate Student Awards
The Judith Hardes WGSS Reproductive Justice Graduate Student Awards support research and activism projects centered on reproductive justice. This year’s graduate awardees are:
- Ashley Hay (Communication Arts and Sciences/WGSS Dual-Title)
- Yi-Fan Li (Curriculum and Instruction/WGSS Dual-Title)
- Maure Ortega (Curriculum and Instruction/WGSS Dual-Title)
- Samrat Sharma (Curriculum and Instruction/WGSS Dual-Title)
- Jude Sullivan (Psychology/WGSS Dual-Title)
- Katsumi Yamaguchi-Pedroza (Social Psychology/WGSS Dual-Title)
- Zhenyu Zhang (Communication/WGSS Dual-Title)
2026 Graduate Awards
The graduate awards are particularly difficult—because our graduate program is so large, and the students so good!
Laura Richardson Whitaker Memorial Graduate Award in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Jingyi Guo (Mass Communications/WGSS Dual-Title)
Sara Woods Graduate Fund in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies: Outstanding Graduate Student Award
Yi-Fan Li (Curriculum and Instruction/WGSS Dual-Title)
Sara Woods Graduate Fund in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies: Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award
Undergraduate Student Marshal
Olivia Podskoch is graduating with bachelor of arts degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Criminology and a certificate in Diversity Studies. During her time at Penn State, Olivia was a member of TRIOTA, the WGSS Honors Society, for four years and served as the president this past year. She was also a member of Gamma Sigma, a national service sorority, where she served as the organization’s THON Primary Chair and dancer in THON 2026. She interned for two summers with the Luzerne County Office of the Public Defender, which ignited her passion for criminal defense. After graduation, Olivia will be attending law school at the University of Pittsburgh. Olivia is honored to serve as the Student Marshal for WGSS at the spring 2026 Commencement Ceremony, and she is grateful for all the connections she made within the WGSS department during her time as a student.
Campus Events
The Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity (CSGD) at Penn State celebrated the Twenty-Fifth Annual Lavender Recognition that honors graduating students and allies from the LGBTQ+ community for their leadership, resilience, and impact on campus. WGSS wishes all members recognized by CSGD the very best in their post-graduate futures—and thank you for your service to the community.
WGSS-Sponsored Conferences
The Gender, NOW: A Penn State Graduates in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Conference was held on March 3–4, 2026, at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center at Penn State. Organized by graduate students in the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) program, the two-day conference created an interdisciplinary forum for scholars to engage with urgent questions surrounding gender, sexuality, embodiment, and power in contemporary contexts. The organizers extend their sincere gratitude to the faculty members of the WGSS program and the administrative support staff whose guidance, mentorship, and logistical assistance made the conference possible. The conference aimed to foster dialogue across disciplines, to provide a platform for emerging scholars to share research and participate in critical conversations about gender in the present moment.
GWGSS members: Samrat Sharma and Yi-Fan Li (co-presidents), Ozge Ege Altan, Kristina Bowers, and Suleyman Bolukbas
Aparna Parikh (WGSS) co-organized a symposium on Creative Methodologies for Studying Changing Climates: Body, Space, and Weather. The symposium was held on March 4–5 and is hybrid, with in-person sessions at the Stuckeman Family Building. Nancy Tuana (PHIL/WGSS) served as a moderator for a paper session, and Brooke Hull (Graphic Design/WGSS) organized a working group that is part of the symposium. Read the full conference report.
Faculty Kudos
Gabeba Baderoon
As noted in the Message from the Head (above) Gabeba Baderoon, associate professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies, African studies, and comparative literature, who was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Nelson Mandela University in April 2026 for her outstanding contributions to Anglophone and African literary studies, poetry and creative practice, and gender and sexuality studies, particularly in relation to Africa. We are thrilled to celebrate this well-deserved honor and proud to have her as part of the WGSS community.
Freyca Calderon-Berumen
Congratulations to Freyca Calderon-Berumen, associate professor of elementary and early childhood education and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at Penn State Altoona, on completing Penn State Emerging Academic Leaders Program in fall 2025. Calderon-Berumen’s research focuses on linguistic diversity, multicultural education, and social justice through critical-dialogical pedagogies and community-centered qualitative research. We are excited to celebrate this important achievement with her.
Sasha Coles
Congratulations to Sasha Coles, assistant teaching professor of history, for receiving Penn State’s Outstanding Faculty Adviser Award for 2026. Coles is known for her engaging teaching, thoughtful mentorship, and commitment to student success. Her work in both public history and women’s history reflects the interdisciplinary spirit shared across history and WGSS, and her dedication to supporting students has made a lasting impact on the Penn State community.
C. Libby
Congratulations to C. Libby for being named “Advisor of the Month” for their work with the Ally House residential community on campus. Libby, whose scholarship explores the intersections of feminist theory, transgender studies, religion, and medieval history, is deeply committed to creating thoughtful and inclusive spaces for students both inside and outside the classroom. Their mentorship and advocacy reflect the values of care, critical inquiry, and community-building that are central to WGSS, and this recognition highlights the meaningful impact they continue to make on student life at Penn State.
Mariana Ortega
Congratulations to Mariana Ortega on receiving a CHI Fellowship for spring 2027. A leading scholar in Latina/x feminisms, critical phenomenology, philosophy of race, and aesthetics, Ortega’s work explores questions of identity, relationality, memory, and visual culture through deeply interdisciplinary and feminist approaches. Her recent book, Carnalities: The Art of Living in Latinidad (2025), examines photography and creative practice as forms of transformation, memorialization, and mourning within Latinidad.
Aparna Parikh
Congratulations to Aparna Parikh on a remarkable year of teaching, research, and leadership. Aparna completed the Provost Endorsement in Inclusive and Equitable Teaching, reflecting her ongoing commitment to creating thoughtful, accessible, and supportive learning spaces for students.
This year, Aparna was also invited to serve as co-editor of ACME: An International Journal for Critical Geographies, a leading open-access journal dedicated to critical, feminist, anti-racist, queer, trans, anti-colonial, and interdisciplinary scholarship on space and place. We are so proud of all that Aparna continues to contribute to WGSS, and we look forward to seeing her work continue to grow and inspire others.
Jill Wood
We’re delighted to celebrate Jill Wood for completing Penn State’s Emerging Academic Leaders program in fall 2025. Over the years, Jill has been a deeply valued teacher, mentor, and advocate within WGSS, bringing care, critical thinking, and feminist pedagogy into every part of her work. Her teaching and research on reproductive justice, trauma-informed education, and the medicalization of women’s health continue to shape meaningful conversations both inside and outside the classroom. We are excited to see her continued leadership and all the ways she will keep supporting and inspiring the WGSS community.
Spring 2026 Faculty Publications
Jessica Birkenholtz
Jessica Birkenholtz published “‘There Are No Hijras in Nepal’ and Other Provocations: Rethinking Transgender and Queer Studies in Nepal” in Transgender Studies Quarterly as part of a special issue on Reimagining Trans in Contemporary South Asia: Moving with, against, and beyond the State. Her research thoughtfully connects questions of gender, sexuality, caste, religion, and activism, helping expand conversations in WGSS, Asian Studies, and transgender studies in meaningful and interdisciplinary ways.
Scott Burnett
Scott Burnett released the monograph Analyzing Environmental Discourse: A Critical Approach with Bloomsbury Academic in 2026. His work examines how environmental discourse can reproduce racial, colonial, class, and gendered inequalities, bringing together critical discourse studies, critical race theory, and gender studies in deeply interdisciplinary ways.
He also co-edited Battlefield Linguistics: Queer, Trans, and Feminist Interventions in Linguistic and Discursive Change with DeGruyter in 2026. Through both projects, Burnett continues to contribute important critical perspectives on language, power, environmentalism, race, gender, and sexuality, helping expand conversations across WGSS and beyond.
Andrea Miller
Andrea Miller published an article titled “Questioning Irradiated Archives: Grief, Debility, and Politics inside/outside Feminist Science and Technology Studies,” which has been accepted to Women & Performance: A Journal of Feminist Theory and will appear in print later in 2026. Their interdisciplinary research and leadership through the Feminist Technocultures Lab continue to make important contributions to WGSS, communications, and feminist STS scholarship.
Ariana Steele
Ariana Steele published a chapter titled “Indexicality, Power, and Hegemony: The Case for Indexical Resistance” in the new edited collection Battlefield Linguistics: Queer, Trans, and Feminist Interventions in Linguistic and Discursive Change (DeGruyter, 2026), edited by colleague Scott Burnett. Their work continues to make important contributions to conversations in WGSS, applied linguistics, and queer and trans studies, while also fostering interdisciplinary collaboration through initiatives such as Trans/Queer: Terrains of Queerness at Penn State.
Graduate Student Kudos
Pin-Hsuan Tseng
Congratulations to Pin-Hsuan Tseng for receiving the 2026 United States Society for Education through Art Award for Outstanding Student Dissertation. Her dissertation, “Transnational Tent/Tensions: Feminist Tenting Art Pedagogy with Immigrant Women in the United States from East Asia,” develops a participatory arts-based methodology centered around a mobile yellow tent as a feminist and transnational space for what she calls “storytenting.” We are thrilled to celebrate this well-deserved national recognition and all the meaningful contributions her work continues to make across art education and WGSS.
Emily Southard
Congratulations to Emily Southard—on accepting a position as assistant professor of sociology at University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. Emily shared, “This is a dream role for me as the responsibilities are primarily teaching but some research, which is what I was really looking for. Reflecting on her time in WGSS, she added, “I am deeply indebted to my experiences in WGSS in providing the training for me to get this position, especially my Feminist Pedagogy course with Jill [Wood] and my experience teaching WMNST 100. I am so grateful to you and the program!” We are thrilled to celebrate this exciting new chapter, and all that Emily will continue to bring to teaching, research, and feminist education.
Graduate Student Publications
Ozge Ege Altan
Congratulations to Ozge Ege Altan, a Dual-Title Ph.D. student in Comparative Literature and WGSS on placing the article “Queer Realism in Contemporary Turkish Literature: Language, Form, and Worldmaking” in the Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies, forthcoming in 2028.
Suleyman Bolukbas
Congratulations to Suleyman Bolukbas, a Dual-Title Ph.D. candidate in Comparative Literature and WGSS on publishing his first peer-reviewed article, “No Cure for Carmilla: Lesbian Vampirism, Queer Contagion, and Transmedial Legacy,” in Supernatural Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Art, Media, and Culture, vol. 11, no. 1 (2026).
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