Cynthia Gorman

Cynthia Gorman is an Associate Professor of Geography at West Virginia University, specializing in the legal geographies of political asylum and human rights advocacy within U.S. immigration systems. Her work critically examines how gendered and racialized logics shape border enforcement and refugee status determination, particularly for Central American asylum seekers.

Dr. Gorman's research employs feminist legal archaeology to trace the historical development of asylum law, revealing how categories like 'political persecution' exclude gender-based violence. Recent fieldwork investigates immigration raids' impacts on rural communities, especially meatpacking towns where immigrant labor sustains local economies. Her scholarship bridges geography, law, and critical race/feminist theories to challenge restrictive asylum frameworks.

Her 2013-2025 publications demonstrate consistent focus on geolegal dynamics, with recent 2025 works expanding into transnational family separation and 'lawfare' tactics undermining asylum access. Key themes include rural immigration experiences, juridical boundaries in refugee law, and spatial dimensions of border control, primarily published in Gender, Place & Culture, Environment and Planning, and The Geographical Review.

Dr. Gorman teaches World Regional Geography (GEOG 102), Migration and Human Rights (GEOG 312), Gender/Society/Space (GEOG 612), and Women's Studies courses including Feminist Theory and Women's Movements Since the 1960s, integrating her research into curriculum addressing migration, gender, and spatial justice.