ASPECT Students
Arka Ranjan Banerjee
RESEARCH AREAS
Contemporary social and political theory, neo-marxism, cyberspatial control, post-structuralism, late capitalism
EDUCATION
M.A., Political Science, Presidency University (formerly Presidency College, Calcutta), 2022
B.A. (Hons.), Political Science, Presidency University (formerly Presidency College, Calcutta), 2020
John Bernardi
RESEARCH AREAS
Philosophy of language, colonialism and governmentality, posthumanisms
EDUCATION
M.A., Religion in Culture, University of Alabama, 2021
B.S., Mathematics, University of Alabama, 2017
Alexandra Briggs
RESEARCH AREAS
Race and Ethnicity, Environmental Justice, Discourse Analysis, Feminist Political Theory, Aesthetics and Radical Politics.
EDUCATION
MA: Political and Civic Engagement, Winthrop University, 2016
BA: Political Science, Winthrop University, 2013
Ana María Camargo Palomino
RESEARCH AREAS
Environmental Politics, Environmental Justice, Postcolonial Theory and Latinx Studies.
EDUCATION
M.A. Political Science, Virginia Tech, 2019
B.A. International Relations, Universidad del Norte, 2012
Sean Chambers
RESEARCH AREAS
The MAAFA, Religious Ethics & Moral Problems, African American Studies, Interfaith Communication, Literature & Creative Writing.
EDUCATION
M.F.A., Creative Writing, Manhattanville College
B.A., English Language & Literature, U.Va.
Nonprofit Executive Leadership Certificate, Bryn Mawr College
Marie-Lys Chambraud
RESEARCH AREAS
Race and Ethnicity, Feminist Political Theory, Cultural Theory, Indigenous Studies, Decolonial Theory
EDUCATION
M.S., English, Radford University, 2020
B.A., English & Spanish, Université Catholique de l’Ouest (France), 2018
Armin Firouzi
RESEARCH AREAS
Critical heritage studies, heritage politics, material culture, architectural history and theory, Middle Eastern geopolitics of cultural heritage.
EDUCATION
M.A., Cultural Heritage Studies, Eastern Mediterranean University, 2021
B.A., Architectural Studies, Iranian Cultural Heritage Institute, 2018
B.Sc., Electrical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, 2014
Hannah Gignoux
RESEARCH AREAS
International Political Economy, Political Theory, Literary Theory, Theories of Reading, Critical Pedagogy, Methodology
EDUCATION
M.A., Political Science, Virginia Tech, 2022
B.A., English / Politics (International Studies), Ithaca College, 2018
Elhom Gosink
RESEARCH AREAS
Decolonial theory, Pedagogy, Critical theory, Indigenous knowledges, Post-Structuralism
EDUCATION
M.A., Community Leadership, Westminster College, 2021
B.A., Political Science, Westminster College, 2017
Erin Hammond
RESEARCH AREAS
International Political Economy, Agrarian and Peasant Studies, Development Studies, Agroecology, Third World Marxism, India, and South Asian Studies
EDUCATION
M.A., Political Science, Virginia Tech, 2024
B.A. International Studies, DePaul University, 2019
Shreya Hari Nurani
RESEARCH AREAS
South Asian History, Ancient and Early Medieval Indian History, Religion, Society and Culture, Art and Aesthetics, and Performing Arts
EDUCATION
M.A., History, St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi, 2021
B.A., History, St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi, 2019
Sabrina K. Harris
RESEARCH AREAS
International Relations, International Organizations, Peacekeeping and Interventionism, Feminist and Gender Studies, Decolonial Theory, Critical Security Studies.
EDUCATION
M.A., Political Science, Virginia Tech, 2021
B.A., Political Science, The College of Wooster, 2019
Cory L. Higgs
RESEARCH AREAS
Mass media communication, communication theory, Appalachia, marginalized culture, popular culture, visual social media.
EDUCATION
M.S., Strategic Communication, Radford University, 2022
B.S., Media Studies - Journalism, Radford University, 2019
Robert Hodges
RESEARCH AREAS
International Security, Violent Non-state Actors, Culture and Belief Systems, International Order, International Society/System, IR Theory, and International Law
EDUCATION
MA: Political Science, Virginia Tech, 2017
BA: Political Science, Virginia Tech, 2016
Trevor Jeyaraj Samraj
RESEARCH AREAS
Postcolonial Theories, Decolonial Theories, Theologies of Liberation, Political Theologies, Caste and Religion, Violence and Subaltern Identity, Affect Theories.
EDUCATION
MA., Theological Studies, Columbia Theological Seminary, 2019
M.Phil., English, University of Delhi, 2015
M.A., English Literature, St. Xavier’s College, 2013
BBA., Scott Christian College, 2010
Bai Jiang
RESEARCH AREAS
Global Digital Fandom, Digital Media Readership, Translingual Practice, Contemporary Chinese Popular Culture, Media Ecology, Critical Theory
EDUCATION
M.A., East Asian Language and Culture, Washington University in St.Louis, 2023
B.A., Chinese Language and Literature, Fudan Uniersity, 2020
Andreza da Silveira Jorge
RESEARCH AREAS
Race and Ethnicity, Black Feminist Theory, Cultural Theory, Art and Dance and Perfomance Studies, Memory and public history.
EDUCATION
M.A., Race and Ethnicity Relations/ CEFET/RJ/ 2019.
B.A., Dance/ Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro-UFRJ/ 2017
Onur T. Karabicak
RESEARCH AREAS
IR Theory, Power and Influence, Critical Social Theory, Turkish Politics
EDUCATION
M.A., International Relations, Bilkent University, 2024
B.A., International Relations, minor: Communication and Design, Bilkent University, 2022
Jessica E. Long
RESEARCH AREAS
Communication theory, social media analysis, deconstruction, American Evangelicalism, critical theory, systems theory.
EDUCATION
M.S., Strategic Communication, Radford University, 2023
B.A., Mass Communications, Emory & Henry College, 2006
Luther Lee McPherson IV
RESEARCH AREAS
Critical Security Studies, Modern Political Thought, Political Theology, Ontological Perspectives of the Nation-state and Security, Genealogy
EDUCATION
M.A., Philosophy, Art, and Social Thought, The European Graduate School, 2022
MSc., International & European Politics, The University of Edinburgh, 2018
B.A., Political Science, California Lutheran University, 2017
Vasilije Mesarovic
RESEARCH AREAS
Critical theory, sociology of culture, social and political analysis of literary speculative fiction, queer theory, religious studies, narrative analysis
EDUCATION
M.A., Sociology, University of Belgrade, 2020
B.A., Sociology, University of Belgrade, 2019
Zahra Modarres Vahid
RESEARCH AREAS
Postcolonial Theories, Decolonial Theories, Arts and Community Change, Social Entrepreneurship, Feminism and Gender Studies, Heritage Management, Sustainable Development and Women’s Empowerment
EDUCATION
M.B.A., Fashion Management, Bahar Business School, 2022
M.A., Art and Crafts, Alzahra University, 2019
B.A., Art and Crafts, Alzahra University, 2016
Rebekah Mui Pei Ern
RESEARCH AREAS
Postcolonial Theory, Anarcho-Pacifist Political Theory, Anabaptism, Christian Anarchism, Women and Empire
EDUCATION
Master in Media and Communications Studies, School of Arts and Social Sciences, Monash University, 2019
B.A. (Hons), Early Childhood Care and Education, Institute of Technology Tralee, 2017
Sara Naghibizadeh
RESEARCH AREAS
Citizenship, Global South, collective actions, urban mobilization, and social justice.
EDUCATION
M.A., Urban Planning and Management, University of Tehran, 2023
B.A., Urban Planning and Design, University of Tehran, 2021
Estefania Perez-Vera
RESEARCH AREAS
Modern Theatre Theory, Performance Studies, Philosophy of Art, Visual Rhetoric, Modern Hermeneutics
EDUCATION
M.A., Material Culture and Public Humanities, Virginia Tech, 2024.
M.F.A., Theatre Scenography, Virginia Tech, 2019
B.A., Architecture, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo (Mexico), (2014)
Michael Anthony Scipioni
RESEARCH AREAS
Critical political science, comparative politics, international relations, colonialism/imperialism, anti-capitalist theory.
EDUCATION
M.A., Political Science, Appalachian State University, 2022.
B.A., Political Science, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2016.
Michael Senters
RESEARCH AREAS
Cultural Theory, New Media Studies,Modern American History, History of the Internet, Sociology of Online Social Networks, Political Extremism.
EDUCATION
M.I.L.R, Collective Representation, Cornell University, 2021
B.A., Political Science, University of Kentucky, 2018
Maria Siddiqui
RESEARCH AREAS
Literary Theory and Criticism, Translation Studies, Cultural Theory, and South Asian English Literature.
EDUCATION
M.A., Literary Art Creative Writing, School of Culture and Creative Expressions, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi.
B.A., English Literature, Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi.
Aline de Souza
RESEARCH AREAS
art, sound art, visual arts and music, critical social theory, aesthetic education
EDUCATION
M.F.A., Creative Technologies, Virginia Tech, 2020
M.L.A., Landscape Architecture, Virginia Tech, 2018
B.Arch., Architecture and Urbanism, University of Brasília, 2011
Hannah Steinhauer
RESEARCH AREAS
Digital Race Studies, Black Feminist Political Theory, Social Media Activism, Memory Studies, Affect Theory.
EDUCATION
M.A., Women's Studies, The University of Alabama, 2022
B.A., Mathematics, James Madison University, 2020
Chris Thorne
RESEARCH AREAS
Political Economy, Capitalism, Economic Crisis, Political Theory, German Idealism, Psychoanalysis, World-Systems Analysis.
EDUCATION
M.A., Master of Arts/Political Science, Virginia Tech
B.A., Bachelor of Arts and Sciences/English and Political Science, Ithaca College
Chayne Wild
RESEARCH AREAS
Post-Marxism, Discourse, Deconstruction, and Environmental Political Theory.
EDUCATION
M.A., Political Science, Colorado State University, 2021
B.S., General Social Science: Applied Economics, Business and Society, University of Oregon, 2019