We are excited to welcome our new graduate students to the Department’s MA program: Sonbol Bahramikamangar, Amya Ellison, Mary Kate DiFresco, Alexandria Gibson, Whitney Rodriguez, and Zuzu Tadeushuk. Their research interests cover a myriad of topics, and they each bring a rich range of experiences and accomplishments.
Sonbol Bahramikamangar’s research interests are violence against women in the Middle East and challenges to Middle Eastern women, especially Kurdish women in Iran. Through research of non-traditional sources, Sonbol seeks to amplify the voices of those historically overlooked.
Amya Ellison obtained their bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Florida. They are currently working on developing their non-thesis project centered around Black women and fems’ experiences with misogynoir on predominantly white institutions. The project is rooted in Black Feminist Theory, and a Radical Healing framework.
Mary Kate DiFresco’s research interests include ecofeminism, environmental justice, and queer theory. They are a double gator, graduating from UF in 2023 with their B.S. in Natural Resources and Conservation. Mary Kate hopes to use her background in environmental justice to create purposeful research that centers the experiences of womxn and the lgbtq+ community.
Alexandria Gibson is interested in Black feminism, Afro-Caribbean Feminism, and Reproductive Health Disparities. Before coming to UF, she received her B.S. in Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Some of her favorite topics are “celebrating the power of menstruation” and “Decoding PMS”. Gibson is actively researching the history and prevalence of traditional healing throughout communities of women in the African Diaspora. Alexandria serves the Gainesville community by working with organizations curating inclusive workshops centered around self-love, sexuality and women’s pleasure that utilize creative art and spirituality as a catalyst to healing.
Whitney Rodriguez holds an MA in Latin American Studies from UF. Whitney’s research interests are the intersections of race and racism, Black feminism, Black studies, queer studies, gender, sexuality, intercultural communication, and artistic expression. Whitney’s paper, “Futures of Wayward Lives,” was recently accepted for presentation at the Association for Jotería Arts, Activism and Scholarship (AJAAS) 2024 Conference.
Zuzu Tadeushuk is interested in embodiment and aesthetics. Before entering academia, she worked as a fashion model for five years, which shaped her interest in interpretations of the body. She received her BA in English and Women’s Studies at Wesleyan University, where she researched display and domesticity in Victorian literature, fascism in American literature, and studied biography and memoir. Zuzu also has interests in teaching (openly), writing (creatively), and organizing (optimistically)!