Ongoing Center Projects

Maddy Broussard is an English major at Mount Holyoke College with a minor in Gender Studies. She is from Southeast Texas, where she first developed an interest in feminist histories across region and difference. Because she is committed to accessibility and community care, Maddy plans to enter a career in public service. On campus, she is a writing tutor and works for Disability Services. In her free time, Maddy loves to ride her bike, eat her way around Western Massachusetts, and read horror novels.

In addition to being a Fall 2024 Collaboratory member, Maddy was also a Summer 2024 intern and Spring 2024 Collaboratory member.

Michelle Li (they/she) is a sophomore, majoring in Gender Studies and Religion, at Mount Holyoke College. Their interest in gender studies began in secondary school. However, after entering Mount Holyoke College, they realized the lack of a transnational lens in many topics and frameworks of her gender studies courses. Since then, she has developed a strong interest in transnational feminist studies. Michelle's other areas of interests include women and gender in religion, abolition feminisms, Asian American feminisms, and QTBIPOC feminism and gender studies. They are involved in multiple student organizations, including Asian/American Students In Action, and Cantonese Club. Michelle is excited to explore the genealogy of transnational feminist knowledge at the Center, as well as to develop skills for archival processing!

Alena Rooney (she/they) is a senior at Smith College majoring in the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality with a minor in Spanish and a concentration in Archival Studies. With a longstanding passion for Reproductive Justice, her academic interests also include disability justice, queer theories and history, and transnational feminisms. She is particularly drawn to archival work as a way to meaningfully apply these theoretical engagements through the practical work of preserving and making accessible community histories, especially those which may not receive institutional recognition. After graduation and some time off, Alena hopes to pursue a career as an archivist. Outside of school and work, Alena enjoys spending time with friends, reading, being in nature, making art and fiddling!

Maxine Gamboa (ze/zym) is a Critical Race Media scholar at Hampshire College. Zyr work as a student at Hampshire College has provided zym with the opportunity to push the boundaries of traditional scholarship, actively collaborating with zyr peers and instructors to pursue research topics that challenge while providing growth opportunities. Maxine’s work often focuses on media intertwined with Critical Race scholarship. You can find zyr work here. Joining the Center’s team over the summer, Maxine is excited to dive in and begin research; starting with combing through the Center’s archives! Maxine’s (ever-changing goals) post-Hampshire College currently include moving to the West Coast and publishing Star Trek fandom research. When free time arises, Maxine enjoys watching shows (ze is currently binge-watching: Vanderpump Rules, Grey’s Anatomy, and Star Trek: Discovery), playing video games, and napping with zyr cat Ruby.

Sophia (she/her) is a junior transfer student at Hampshire College who was a Collaboratory member for the 2023-24 academic year. Originally from Florida, she developed her interest in Anthropology and American Studies by reading hot new nonfiction books like Sapiens and literary classics like Their Eyes Were Watching God in high school. Nowadays, her work is focused on rural, low-income communities in central Appalachia, with an emphasis on social justice and environmentalism. By working with the FCWSRC she hopes to broaden her research capabilities and be able to approach her projects with a stronger feminist framework. In her free time she is an avid knitter and enjoys rewatching her favorite TV shows.

Em Kim (she/they) was an intern during Summer 2023 and is a rising senior at Smith College and a Study of Women and Gender and Anthropology double major. They are originally from Los Angeles, which is where she developed an interest in learning how the intersections of identities shape personal experiences, more specifically forming theories of liberation for marginalized communities from this knowledge. Em plans to get a master’s in library science and become a public librarian, as she's passionate about accessibility, free resources, education, and community building. In their free time, Em loves to read anything from history books to YA novels and cook delicious Korean meals for her friends and family. Em is thrilled to be working at the Center this summer and expand her knowledge of feminist communities, activism, and scholarship.

Tyra Redwood (she/her) is currently a rising senior at Amherst College majoring in Black Studies, with a Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice Certificate. In high school, Tyra began to follow many birth doulas online, which opened her to the world of Reproductive Justice (RJ); she explored RJ and its scholarship in college. Tyra has a particular interest in birth justice—specifically with a focus on the sociopolitical conditions and experiences of BIPOC midwives, along with their historical relationship with colonial empires. After graduation, Tyra plans to go into nursing school to begin her path of becoming a midwife. In Tyra's free time, she likes to read, do yoga, do weightlifting, and go on nature walks. This summer, Tyra is excited to be working at the center and grow her knowledge of transnational feminist scholarship and communal archival work.

Shivaangi Salhotra (they/them) is a Linguistics and Psychology undergraduate student at UMass Amherst with a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. They are interested in transnational, queer, and environmental feminisms, digital psychology, community archival work, and gender-neutral language histories and development, amongst many other things. During the academic year, they also work at UMass Libraries' Special Collections and University Archives and are a research assistant in the Cognition Across Development Lab. In their free time, they love to read and drink tea!

In addition to being a Summer 2024 intern, Shivaangi was also an intern during Summer 2023 and a Collaboratory member for Spring 2024.

Wenqi Zou, also known as Wen-Chi Tsou (she/her), was an intern during Summer 2022 and is a student in the class of 2025 at Mount Holyoke College. She is passionately pursuing a double major in Chemistry and Anthropology, along with a pre-med track. Wenqi's deep commitment to women's health and LGBTQ+ rights influences her advocacy work. Born and raised in the diverse cultures of Taipei, Hong Kong, and mainland China, Wenqi's worldview fuels her enthusiasm for LGBTQ+ rights, women’s reproductive justice, and the promotion of women in STEM fields. She channels her knowledge and passion into her role as a research assistant in the Chen Lab at Mount Holyoke College, contributing to research in polymer science. Beyond academia, she serves as a legislative ambassador for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, advocating for inclusive health policies. In her free time, Wenqi enjoys reading, watching movies, and playing the cello.