Caleb Luna

Caleb Luna is an Assistant Professor of Feminist Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. They hold a Ph.D. in Performance Studies with a Designated Emphasis in Gender and Women’s Studies from UC Berkeley (2022) and a B.A. in Anthropology and Women’s and Gender Studies from the University of Texas at Austin (2015). Previously, they served as a UC President’s and Mellon Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in Feminist Studies at UCSB.

Research focuses on fat studies, queer of color critique, disability studies, and women of color feminisms. Key interests include examining race, size, sexuality, and disability in media and culture, with a commitment to embodiment as a tool for collective liberation. Their work spans academic publishing, performance art, and podcasting (e.g., co-hosting Unsolicited: Fatties Talk Back).

Publications include the award-winning book REVENGE BODY (Nomadic Press, 2022) and articles in Fat Studies, Performance Matters, and Queer Nightlife. Research areas encompass anti/colonialism, body politics, HIV/AIDS, and visual arts. Their cultural work challenges normative frameworks while centering marginalized voices in movements for liberation.

Luna’s scholarly contributions emphasize interdisciplinary approaches, blending performance studies, media analysis, and decolonial theory. They actively engage in public-facing scholarship through podcasts, anthologies, and community-driven projects.