Mayze Teitler ’14 Princesses, Soldiers, and Prostitutes: Gender Stereotypes in Video Gaming
Cem Vardar ’15 Child Marriages in Turkey: A Cultural and Human Tragedy
Student Fellows then present their research to the campus during the school year (see examples above). The Brace Faculty Fellows program likewise has encouraged faculty scholarship and the broad analysis of gender issues from many perspectives. As one of the inaugural Faculty Fellows in 1996–1997, Shawn Fulford, instructor in math, looked at gendered differences in students’ levels of optimism and resilience. Her research led to suggested teaching and mentoring strategies to support both. And in 1999, Ada Fan, instructor in English, conducted a 10-year attrition study of PA faculty analyzing why faculty of color, female faculty, and gay faculty left PA. The Future of Gender Studies Current codirectors Flavia Vidal and Tasha Hawthorne, both English instructors, recognize the importance and impact of the Brace Center throughout the years. They plan to continue this tradition by broadening the vision of the Brace Center as a place of academic scholarship that “informs
Alex Westfall ’15 “Fire the Girls!”: The Female Pioneers of Modern American Comedy
and prepares students to understand ‘how we got here’ and to engage with them in problem solving around issues of gender inequality that we face daily,” says Vidal. “In this way, we hope to merge the scholarly tradition of the center with our students’ full experience on campus.” Recent programming has included a presentation of SLUT: The Play with follow-up discussions on sexuality and sexual violence, a gender theory colloquium for seniors, and discussions about new definitions of masculinity. Looking ahead, Hawthorne and Vidal are excited about continuing the good work that has been done at the center, especially as it relates to the Andover Strategic Plan. They are working to examine and relaunch the Faculty Fellows program, assist with the school’s first campus climate survey on gender-based violence and harassment, and develop a Learning in the World program in the Dominican Republic focused on women’s and girls’ empowerment. They also plan to establish an Abbot Speaker Series
Janice Cheon ’16 The Castrato Conundrum: Gender and Sexuality in Baroque Opera and Modern Performance
“We hope to merge the scholarly tradition of the center with our students’ full experience on campus.” —Flavia Vidal Brace Center codirector with nominations from Abbot alumnae and host a women in economics conference. “The Brace Center has long been a catalyst for collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches to educating the campus about gender justice,” says Hawthorne. “We look forward to making important contributions to PA’s efforts toward equity and inclusion.” Corrie Martin is former director of the Women’s Resource Center at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif., and is a PA faculty spouse.
Andover | Summer 2016
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