ESP Biography

Brief Biographical Sketch:

I am a sociologist, feminist, and activist interested in promoting gender equality and LGBTQ rights. I received a BA in Sociology and English at the University of Arizona in 2005 and am currently a doctoral candidate in Sociology at Stanford University. Broadly, my research examines the socially constructed nature of sex, gender, and sexuality and explores topics related to inequality, discrimination, power, and status. I am a mixed methods researcher who employs both qualitative and quantitative data in my analysis, most often in the form of interviews and surveys. I am passionate about teaching and very much enjoy working with students. I teach a course I developed called Destroying Dichotomies: Exploring Multiple Sex, Gender, and Sexual Identities that is designed to broaden the student's awareness of the human experience by introducing scholarly debates about sex, gender and sexual identities and expressions. I am also a trained oral communications specialist, conducting workshops on general speaking tips and PowerPoint and working with students on presentations, job talks, and interviews. I am active in the Stanford community, acting as co-chair of the Queer Studies Coalition, co-coordinator of the Feminist and Queer Book Salon, and member of the Trans Task force.

After graduating, I intend to start a business in which I educate, mediate, consult, and conduct research on transgender issues. I would like to work with cisgender individuals (individuals whose bodies and identities are aligned with the gender they were assigned at birth) in families, schools, and workplace settings to help them better understand and relate with transgender individuals. Much of the discrimination, harassment, and violence towards transgenders stem from ignorance and fear, and it is my desire to promote empathy and tolerance via lectures, seminars, workshops, and trainings.

Past Classes