Assistant Professor of Communication at the College of Coastal Georgia HOW WERE YOU AFFILIATED WITH WGS? I majored in Women's Studies, and I was a member of Triota. TELL US ABOUT YOUR CURRENT WORK (PAID OR UNPAID!) I’m an Assistant Professor of Communication at the College of Coastal Georgia. My work is rooted in feminist theories regarding materiality, and I focus on labor and environmental injustice through my research on the Radium Girls. I have also published on reproductive justice rhetorics, drawing on dissent of Georgia’s “heartbeat bills.” HOW HAS YOUR WOMEN'S AND GENDER STUDIES EXPERIENCE SHAPED YOUR LIFE AND WORK POST-GRADUATION? Majoring in Women’s Studies as an undergraduate changed my life. My entire worldview, approach to activism, sense of feminist praxis, and even teaching style and philosophy are wholly indebted to having been part of this community. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES FROM YOUR TIME IN WOMEN'S AND GENDER STUDIES AT UGA? COURSES, PROFESSORS, EVENTS? Kelly Happe was my all time favorite professor, and I loved her Sex, Science, Politics, and Reproduction course the most. I also loved doing my capstone with Chris Cuomo’s eco feminist art lab project. Interning with the WAGG conference with Terri Hatfield was so fun, and I also loved serving as co-chair of Triota. And, of course, all of the WMST students I took courses with were amazing, and I still keep up with many of them! Truly, every course I had with core and affiliate faculty was transformative for me. ANY ADVICE FOR CURRENT WOMEN'S AND GENDER STUDIES STUDENTS (GRADUATE OR UNDERGRADUATE)? Be curious! It’s easy to fixate on how we “should” read or interpret materials, but allowing yourself to be open to as many takes as possible on issues that matter might open up so many opportunities for creative ways to change the world.
