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Maya N

- Research Program Mentor

PhD candidate at Northwestern University

Expertise

Gender and sexuality studies, feminist studies, memoir writing, gender and politics, consent, political identities, debate and discourse, political science more broadly

Bio

I was born in San Francisco and raised all over! I've lived in Northern France, Colorado, and all over California. I received two Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Santa Cruz. One in Politics and one in Feminist Studies. I wrote my Politics thesis on the utility of debate and my Feminist Studies thesis on defining consent outside of the legal sphere. I am currently a PhD candidate at Northwestern University where I study political science and am the Mellon Cluster Fellow in the Gender and Sexuality Studies program. I am also an avid chess player and cyclist!

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Gender and Feminist Studies Research

Are there gender discrepancies you've noticed that really bother you? Do women in your school get treated very differently than the men do? Doing a gender and/or feminist project requires close attention to inequality and a willingness to hypothesize solutions. Creativity and a passion for equality is also a must!

Memoir Writing

Have you ever been interested in telling your own story? Memoir writing can be a beautiful tool to write about the experiences that are unique to you. Students can focus on a particular moment in their life that stands out or write more broadly about the ups and downs of their entire life. The personal is political and writing a memoir can be a beautiful way to engage with the political possibilities in one's own story.

Teaching experience

1) I was fortunate enough to teach my own course at UC Santa Cruz, entitled The Politics of Sexuality. I worked with the 25 students who took my class to help them master the subject material and have the best experience possible. 2) I am a Brady Fellow at Northwestern University. I mentor undergraduate students during their time at the university and help them complete a final project, much like you will complete with polygence! 3) I have been a tutor in political science and feminist studies for over seven years.

Credentials

Education

University of California, Santa Cruz
BA Bachelor of Arts (2018)
Politics and Feminist Studies
Northwestern University
PhD Doctor of Philosophy candidate
Political Science

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