Eva Pensis

Dr. Eva Pensis is a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Trans Oral History Project at the University of Pennsylvania. As an affiliated faculty member, her work bridges art, scholarship, and activism. She holds dual PhDs in Music (Ethnomusicology) and Theater and Performance Studies from the University of Chicago, along with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Southern California.

• Research Focus: Explores trans femme life in nightlife economies, queer studies, and the intersections of performance with transmisogyny and erotophobia.
• Key Projects: Current book project examines lipsyncing in queer nightlife through a lens of counterhistory and disciplinary critique.
• Community Work: Co-founded a trans equity arts alliance supporting trans artists of color and collaborates with the Griffin-Gracy Educational and Historical Center.

Her scholarship critiques idealized narratives of queer nightlife, emphasizing the material realities of marginalized genders in erotic industries. Publications appear in e-Flux, Los Angeles Review of Books, and the SAGE Encyclopedia of Trans Studies.

As a multidisciplinary artist, Pensis practices pole instruction, piano performance, and community archiving, integrating artistic practice with academic research.