Anu Aneja has joined George Mason as Associate Professor and Director of Women and Gender Studies and is excited to work with faculty and students to lead this vibrant, diverse and welcoming program! She has most recently taught Women's Studies and Humanities courses at the Indira Gandhi National Open University in New Delhi, and formerly at the Ohio Wesleyan University in Ohio. She was a student of French at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, and received a Master's and PhD in Comparative Literature from Penn State University.
She has research interests in the areas of transnational feminist theory and aesthetics, in particular their inventive crossings across South Asia and the west; contemporary French, francophone and Indian literatures; feminist perspectives on mothering; and feminist pedagogy. Her monograph entitled Feminist Theory and the Aesthetics Within: A perspective from South Asia is forthcoming. Her publications include two edited collections - Women’s and Gender Studies in India: Crossings (2019), and Gender & Distance Education: Indian and International Contexts (2019); and a co-authored book, Embodying Motherhood: Perspectives from Contemporary India (2016). She currently serves as Area Advisor, 'Gender and Education’ for the digital edition of Oxford Bibliographies, and as a member of the editorial board of the academic journal, Gender & Education.
She enjoys sculpting in clay, creative writing, beach vacations and reading for pleasure, and dreams of making more time for all of these in future lifetimes.
Holly has joined WGST as our Associate Director. She received her MFA in Creative Writing (Poetry) from GMU in 2017. While pursuing her MFA, she served as a tutor in the Writing Center and Coordinator of the Weekly Graduate Write-Ins. Her teaching experience includes elementary, middle, high school, and college Composition, Humanities, Literature, and Creative Writing classes. She is originally from North Carolina, where she received her BA in English (with a Minor in Dance) from UNC-Greensboro.
Holly also serves as the staff advisor for the GMU Kurdish Student Organization. And works with NVWP Director Leslie Goetsch coordinating the Mason Writers in the Schools program that allows MFA Creative Writing students the opportunity to teach in local grade schools. She is a member of President Washington's Anti-Racism & Inclusive Excellence Task Force. And is a part of a new CHSS working group dedicated to Staff Professional Development and the inaugural CHSS Inclusive Excellence (IE) advisory council. She is also the Executive Committee Secretary of the GMU LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance.
Holly is the recipient of the 2022 Rose Pascarell and Ric Chollar Professional Service Award, which honors a staff person who collaborates to serve, support, and advance efforts for the LGBTQ+ community at Mason.
Lindsay Lowry (they/he), Lead Center MentorLindsay is a 4th-year student who is in the INTS program with a concentration in Women and Gender studies and is seeking a minor in American Sign Language. WMST 402 with Dr. Tianna Cobb is their favorite course that they have taken at Mason so far due to the discussion-based learning that has allowed them to learn from the diverse perspectives in the class. Their goal after graduation is to eventually become a counselor for LGBTQ+ youth. They grew up in Northeast Ohio, specifically in the Canton area. The center provides a safe and judgment-free zone of exclusion from the queerphobic/sexist/racist/ableist society that we must survive in. Lindsay continues to un-learn these hierarchical tendencies that have been instilled in them and always looks to encourage folks to be uniquely themselves without regard to respectability and societal standards. They strive to meet folks where they are in their journey and are always willing to provide support and care however they can.
Naima Baez (she/her), Center MentorNaima is a senior Integrative Studies major with a concentration in Childhood Studies and a minor in Women and Gender Studies. She is interested in working with children in an educational capacity, as well working in developmental psychology and mental health for all ages. Other interests include music and animals. In her free-time she likes to watch videos of cats, orangutans, and monkeys, and her favorite artist is Ariana Grande. Additionally, she is studying to become an opera singer and her recent performances include concerts of operatic arias in Richmond, VA.
Katelyn Moore (she/her), Center MentorKatelyn is a Senior Environmental and Sustainability Studies major with a concentration in Equity and Environmental Justice and a minor in LGBTQ+ Studies. Katelyn loves the nuance and differing perspectives of the world that come with queer scholarship and studying topics through a much more inclusive, intersectional lens. Katelyn loves all of the classes in their minor, but their favorite so far has been INTS 375: LGBTQ+ Trauma, Mental Health, and Wellbeing with Ric Chollar because the class brought together individuals from various academic disciplines (i.e. Social Work, Sociology, and Women and Gender Studies) for a truly engaging discussion. In her free time, Katelyn’s favorite things to do include baking cookies, watching reality TV, and reading romance novels.
Steph Woosley (they/them), Center Mentor Steph is a junior working on an undergraduate degree in INTS with a concentration in Women and Gender Studies. They have lived in Winston Salem, NC and near Pittsburgh, PA. On track to graduate in three years, they are also a member of the honors college. They are interested in social justice and community outreach as an upper-level LGBTQ+ Learning Community RA and a Relationship Peer Leader for SSAC. After graduating, Steph plans on "winging it," meaning they will continue their advocacy work as staff within higher education or on a community level. Their professional role model is Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former US Surgeon General.
Alice Christensen (they/she), Lead Program AdvisorAlice is a senior majoring in anthropology with a double minor in folklore and linguistics. They became interested in Women and Gender Studies after taking ENGH 412: Folklore, Gender, and Sexuality, and they’re working to incorporate these ideas into their current research, which focuses on identity, religion, mortuary analysis, and culture. After graduating, they plan to pursue a master's degree in folklore. When they aren’t doing schoolwork, they play video games, watch horror movies, and host D&D sessions with their friends. They believe each person’s story is valuable, and they hope that their time at WGST will help empower more people to share their own stories.
Tsebaot is an undergraduate student at The Jimmy and Roselynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution with a minor in Women and Gender Studies. She enjoys crafting, reading, learning about nature, and getting hyper-fixated on obscure historical figures in her free time. She was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and has lived in different states besides Virginia including Georgia, and Oregon. Along with her work in the Women and Gender Studies Center, she is also a member of the GMU Forensics team. She is very passionate about helping her community through advocacy, organizing, and volunteer work. She hopes that through her position as a Program Advisor, she is able to gain valuable communication skills that will help in her future career endeavors.
Gray Davis (she/they), Program AdvisorGray has been with the Women and Gender Studies Center since Fall 2022. When not working, she is pursuing a degree in Biology or at their other job, Ulta. For hobbies they enjoy hiking, listening to music, and working out. When they graduate she plans on utilizing her studies to support and advocate for local wildlife.
Stephanie Martinez (she/her), Program AdvisorStephanie is a sophomore here at George Mason, she is studying English to become a speech therapist. She is always open to learning new things and lending a helping hand. She loves reading and writing along with an obsession with Hello Kitty and Dunkin.
Will Barker (they/he), Program AdvisorWill is a junior majoring in Public Administration with a concentration in Public Policy and (potentially) minoring in Data Analysis. They have been passionate about the LGBTQ+ community and student advocacy since their first semester on campus, starting in the Queer Student Leadership Council and continuing to pursue new opportunities. They have been interested in Women and Gender Studies, and while they couldn't fit an academic program into their degree plan, they are excited to work as a Program Advisor! Will's hobbies include vexillology, photography, reading, and music (recommendations are always welcome).