New Diverse Voices

The new director of Chicano/Latino Studies, Cristina Herrera sees Chicana literature and "ChicaNerds" as a mirror she never had growing up.

"Chicanx/Latinx Studies is about critically honoring and centering our lives and histories to unpack, question, challenge, and undo systems that have tried burying us.

An assistant professor of Black Studies, Bright Alozie finds new ways to explore the voices of ordinary peoples who have been historically denied a voice.

"I situate them as agents of change for the world they live[d] in, often in the face of overwhelming difficulties."

An assistant professor of Black Studies, Courtney Terry is a rap theorist whose work seeks to investigate and expose the voices of those within hip-hop culture and rap music.

"I hope students I encounter go away with an intellectual curiosity that fuels them to engage the breadth of the discipline of Black Studies."

An assistant professor of Chicano/Latino Studies, Martín Alberto Gonzalez examines how racism negatively shapes the experiences of Latinx students in educational settings.

"I engage in research that empowers my community and others alike, but also share my knowledge on how to conduct research with first-gen students."

An assistant professor in Chicano/Latino Studies and Spanish, Melissa Patiño-Vega leverages her own experience and expertise to strengthen the Spanish heritage language program.

"Not only do I identify with my students, but we also often share a common goal."

An assistant professor of Indigenous Nations Studies, Kali Simmons examines the stories told by and about Indigenous peoples, specifically within genre literature and film. 

"I hope students walk away realizing the massive diversity of Native cultural expression."

An assistant professor of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies and University Studies, Molly Benitez works at the intersection of gender, sex, race, class and labor.

"Organizing, activism, and academia can really work well together, and we can’t bring about a just world without building relationships and community."

An assistant professor in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Kai Hang Cheang researches women, gender and sexuality studies, Asian American Studies, Asian Studies, and environmental studies.

"I bring these disparate fields together with an eye towards their synergistic and transformative possibilities."