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The University of Maryland
Department of Women’s Studies December 2018 Accomplishments Update Dear Faculty, Students, Affiliates, and Colleagues, As we near the end of the semester, we must take the time to thank and congratulate the members of the University of Maryland Women’s Studies community for their hard work and accomplishments throughout the fall. Since the publication of our Fall 2018 Newsletter, our department has held various events, students have defended dissertations and passed important benchmarks, and our faculty and students have attended trips and conferences. We have also welcomed a new student into our Departmental Honors program, and honored another for receiving the ARHU Dean’s Senior Scholar Award. It has been a busy fall semester, and I thank each and every member of our extended Women’s Studies community for their work and support so far. Our final event of the semester will be our Fall Undergraduate Research Day held on Wednesday, December 5th. Please stop by 2101 Woods Hall to see the incredible work being done by our undergraduate students. I would like to especially thank Drs. Sydney Lewis and Jessica Mathiason for their incredible work on undergraduate programming. They have been behind our fantastic undergraduate events, including the Social Justice Hangouts, movie night, and more. Their work is greatly appreciated, and we look forward to their undergraduate
programming plans for the Spring. Once again, thank you for your support to the department. I wish you a smooth ending to the Fall semester and a relaxed and blessed winter break. Warmest Wishes, Ruth Enid Zambrana Interim Chair, Professor of Women’s Studies Director, Consortium for Race, Gender, and Ethnicity
2101 Woods Hall, 4302 Chapel Drive, College Park, MD 20742 | (301) 405-6877 | wmst.umd.edu | womensstudies@umd.edu
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CONGRATULATIONS Donnesha Blake Donnesha will be graduating with a Ph.D. in December, 2018 after having successfully defended her dissertation “Stylin’ Blaqueer Feminisms: The Politics of Queer Black Women’s Fashion Activism” under the direction of her chair, Professor Emerita A. Lynn Bolles, and the support of her committee members Drs. Paoletti (AMST), Horton-Stallings (Georgetown), Barkley Brown (WMST), and Carpenter (THET). Her dissertation traces the political function of fashion by examining how contemporary Black lesbian and queer women employ fashion, style, and dress in digital spaces and cultural productions to engage in freedom-making. Through her work she develops the praxis of BlaQueer Style and illustrates the ways in which lesbian and queer Black women’s fashion activism not only subverts rigid gender and sexual codes in the fashion industry, but builds community and resists oppressive societal structures. Justin Sprague
Justin will be graduating with a Ph.D. in December, 2018 after having successfully defended his dissertation “Cooking with Mama Kim: The Legacy of Korean Women (Re)Defining Cultural Authenticity” under the direction of his co-chairs, Professors Emeriti A. Lynn Bolles and Seung-Kyung Kim, and the support of his committee members Drs. Williams-Forson (AMST), Lothian (WMST) and Wong (AMST). His dissertation employs visual and discourse analysis to interrogate what is considered “authentically Korean” and how those concepts are imagined and constructed. His dissertation contributes to the fields of Women’s, Food, and Ethnic studies by pushing the boundaries of how cultural/racial authenticity is constructed, and the ways that women and food have direct impacts on this process. Cara Snyder Cara advanced to candidacy on 10/1/2018 after defending her dissertation prospectus, “Which Team Do You Play For?” Her work will focus on the eugenic aspects of Brazilian women’s soccer, and she plans to graduate in May, 2019. Cara also co-authored an article “‘América Latina Vai Ser Toda Feminista’: Visualizing & Realizing Transnational Feminisms in the Women’s Worlds March for Rights.” Ada: A Journal of Gender, New Media, and Technology, no. 14 (https://adanewmedia.org/2018/11/issue142101 Woods Hall, 4302 Chapel Drive, College Park, MD 20742 | (301) 405-6877 | wmst.umd.edu | womensstudies@umd.edu
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AWARDS AND HONORS Liyanga de Silva We would like to congratulate Liyanga de Silva, double-major in Women’s Studies and English, on being accepted into the Women’s Studies Departmental Honors Program. Liyanga’s writings on Mestiza
consciousness in Disney-Pixar’s Coco, and her interest in applying and critiquing theory impressed the selection committee. In addition to her coursework, Liyanga works as a tutor for the University of Maryland Writing Center, and as an opinion columnist for The Diamondback. We look forward to working with her on her Honors thesis, and once again congratulate Liyanga on joining the Women’s Studies Departmental Honors Program.
Cosette Zacarias We would like to congratulate Cosette Zacarias, double major in Women’s Studies and Biological Sciences, for receiving the ARHU Dean’s Senior Scholar Award on November 14, 2018. Cosette came to the department after her first semester at UMD, tackling the academic challenge of taking 17 or more credits each semester. She has maintained a high GPA despite the rigor of her coursework, and has additionally taken part in study abroad programs in Amsterdam and Southeast Asia, performed volunteer work in New Orleans and New York, and has worked as an Upward Bound tutor mentoring elementary school students. She currently works as an undergraduate TA for Dr. Zambrana, where she not only helps students with coursework, but fosters an inviting classroom environment. It is with great pride that we congratulate Cosette on her accomplishments, and wish her the best of luck following her graduation in December 2018.
2101 Woods Hall, 4302 Chapel Drive, College Park, MD 20742 | (301) 405-6877 | wmst.umd.edu | womensstudies@umd.edu
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NWSA 2018—Atlanta, GA National Women’s Studies Association Annual Conference Just Imagine. Imagine Justice—Presenters Professors
Students
Alumni
Dr. Evelyn Torton Beck (emerita) Dr. A. Lynn Bolles (emerita) Dr. Seung-Kyung Kim (emerita) Dr. Alexis Lothian Dr. Iván Ramos Dr. Ashwini Tambe Dr. Ruth Enid Zambrana
Donnesha Blake Jocelyn Coates Rahma Haji Sina Lee Clara Montague Adreanna Nattiel Eva Peskin Sarah Scriven Justin Sprague Anna Storti Taylor York
Dr. Rajani Bhatia (2012) Dr. Avery Dame (2017) Dr. Bettina Judd (2014) Dr. Sunhye Kim (2018) Dr. Mel Michelle Lewis (2012) Dr. Angel Love Miles (2016) Dr. Ayu L. Saraswati (2007)
Students and faculty at our NWSA MA/Ph.D. Program Reception. From left to right—Top row: Clara Montague, Adreanna Nattiel, Sarah Scriven, Ashwini Tambe, Ruth Enid Zambrana, Alexis Lothian, Iván Ramos Bottom row: Eva Peskin
2101 Woods Hall, 4302 Chapel Drive, College Park, MD 20742 | (301) 405-6877 | wmst.umd.edu | womensstudies@umd.edu
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Harriet Tubman Byway Tour On Friday, October 26, we took a group of faculty, staff, students, and affiliates to the Harriet Tubman Byway over on the Eastern Shore. Our tour-guide was Dave Schauber of Sawyer Charters, who took us to various sites along the Byway, and to the fantastic Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center. The tour was highly informative, and we had a fantastic time seeing Dorchester County, the birthplace of Harriet Tubman, and the site of her incredible work on the Underground Railroad.
Left to right: Top row: Sarah Scriven, Sydney Lewis, Lillian Doherty (Classics), Michelle Rowley Bottom Row: Mel Coles (AMST), Adreanna Nattiel, Ruth Enid Zambrana, Clara Montague, Patricia Herron (Classics), Robert Burgard
2101 Woods Hall, 4302 Chapel Drive, College Park, MD 20742 | (301) 405-6877 | wmst.umd.edu | womensstudies@umd.edu
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Other Fall 2018 Events Undergraduate Town Hall On September 10th, Drs. Sydney Lewis and Jessica Mathiason hosted a town hall for undergraduate students. This event was an opportunity for undergraduate students across all the Department of Women’s Studies programs to come together and discuss their ideas/needs/desires for undergraduate programming by the Department. This event helped Drs. Lewis and Mathiason to plan undergraduate activities for the year. Christina León, Assistant Professor of English, Princeton University Lecture, “Source Material: The Echoing Caves of Ana Mendieta” Dr. Iván Ramos helped to organize this Latinx Heritage Month event sponsored by the Department of Women’s Studies, U.S. Latina/o Studies Program and Department of American Studies. The lecture centered on Dr. León’s work on the sculptures of Ana Mendieta in Jaruco, Cuba and the ethico-political charges of such aesthetic interventions into a deep history of colonial contact. Social Justice Hangout October 2018 This is a monthly event hosted by the Department of Women’s Studies on the first Wednesday of each month, designed to be a space in which we have fun and engage in self-care, all while pondering together issues that are current and actions that are necessary. The theme for October centered around cultural appropriation and costumes. It was hosted by Drs. Sydney Lewis and Jessica Mathiason.
Fall Gathering On October 12, the department hosted our students and affiliates for our annual Fall Gathering. Over 30 guests came to see our new spaces and mingle with the department. Obeahs, Brujas, and Witches: “Magic” as a Feminist Practice Organized by Dr. Sydney Lewis, this event looked at cross-cultural spiritual practices and modern “magic” as potential sites of personal and collective resistance to patriarchal and racist oppression. Self-described conjurers and witches from both African Diasporic and Wiccan traditions discussed their practices and answered student questions.
2101 Woods Hall, 4302 Chapel Drive, College Park, MD 20742 | (301) 405-6877 | wmst.umd.edu | womensstudies@umd.edu
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Other Fall 2018 Events Social Justice Hangout November 2018 The theme for November was “Voting +: Post-Election Debrief, Discussion, and Devising for Future Action.” It served as a debrief following the 2018 Midterm Election, and hosted a non-partisan discussion. It was hosted by Drs. Sydney Lewis and Jessica Mathiason Movie Outing-The Hate U Give On November 9th, Dr. Jessica Mathiason hosted a movie night out and discussion for undergraduate students. They went to go see The Hate U Give and following the movie had a discussion at a local restaurant. Salary Negotiation Workshop On November 13th, Drs. Elsa Barkley Brown and Michelle Rowley hosted an AAUW Start Smart Salary Negotiation Workshop. The event was open to the campus community, and focused on teaching the necessary skills to negotiate for salary and benefits. Barbara Ransby, Making All Black Lives Matter On December 3rd, Dr. Elsa Barkley Brown with the Departments of Women’s Studies, African American Studies, and American Studies, and the African American Political Culture Workshop in the Department of History hosted Dr. Barbara Ransby’s discussion of her latest book, Making All Black Lives Matter: Reimagining Freedom in the 21st Century (University of California Press, 2018). Her talk outlined the scope and genealogy of the Black Lives Matter Movement/Movement for Black Lives, documenting roots in Black feminist and Black queer politics.
2101 Woods Hall, 4302 Chapel Drive, College Park, MD 20742 | (301) 405-6877 | wmst.umd.edu | womensstudies@umd.edu