معرفی
Alisa Bierria is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Gender Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). A Black feminist philosopher with over 20 years of advocacy and organizing experience within the feminist anti-violence movement, Dr. Bierria's work focuses on racialized gender violence and critical acts of survival. She is developing a manuscript entitled "Missing in Action: Agency, Race, & Invention," which explores how intention is imagined and invented within structures of anti-black racism, carceral reasoning, and gendered violence.
Dr. Bierria's educational background includes:
- Ph.D. in Philosophy from Stanford University (2018)
- B.A. in Philosophy from Cornell University (1997)
Her research interests span Black Feminist Theory, Gender Violence and Redress, Feminist and Queer Carceral Studies, Agency and Intentionality, and Feminist Epistemology. Dr. Bierria approaches these topics through a lens that centers Black women's agentic practices in conditions of violence, proposing a pluralistic framework for agency that can account for intentional action within contexts of domination. Her scholarship is deeply informed by her two decades of activism and organizing within the feminist anti-violence movement.
Dr. Bierria's publication trajectory demonstrates a clear evolution from theoretical explorations of agency within violence toward more applied work on abolitionist frameworks and community accountability. Her recent scholarship increasingly focuses on practical applications of transformative justice while maintaining rigorous philosophical foundations, reflecting her commitment to bridging academic theory and activist practice in addressing systemic violence.
Her notable awards and recognitions include:
- Freedom Scholar Award from the Marguerite Casey Foundation (2020)
- Hellman Fellowship from the Hellman Family Foundation (2020)
- Engaging Humanities Grant from the University of California Humanities Research Institute (2019)
- Named Recognition: Alisa Bierria Graduate Fellowship in Black Feminist Research, Center for the Study of Women, UCLA (2019)
- Colorlines 20 x 20 recognition from Colorlines, Race Forward (2018)
- University of California President's Postdoctoral Fellowship (2018)
As a scholar-activist, Dr. Bierria has co-founded and co-led several national organizations, including Survived & Punished, which advocates for the decriminalization of survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Her work bridges academic and community spaces through significant grant-funded projects that develop both theoretical frameworks and practical applications for community accountability. While specific advising details aren't provided, her editorial work and organizational leadership indicate a strong commitment to mentoring emerging scholars and activists.
Dr. Bierria is deeply embedded in collaborative networks through her co-editorship of "Abolition Feminisms" and her work with Survived & Punished. These interdisciplinary collectives focus on transforming responses to violence through abolitionist frameworks. Her influence extends to institutional spaces like UCLA's Center for the Study of Women, which established a fellowship in her name, demonstrating her significant impact on feminist scholarship and practice.
