Erica Rand

Erica Rand is a Professor of Art and Visual Culture and Gender and Sexuality Studies at Bates College. Her work centers on queer and trans studies, particularly through the lens of sports and embodied practice. She co-leads a gender non-conforming adult figure skating pairs team with Anna Kellar, advocating for inclusion in a historically exclusionary sport. Rand has authored several books including Skating Away From the Binary (2025), which critiques gender binaries in figure skating, and Barbie’s Queer Accessories (2020), analyzing queer material culture. She also serves as co-editor of the Writing Matters! series for Duke University Press.

Her current courses explore intersections of gender and visual culture, research methods in art studies, and a first-year seminar on challenging gender binaries in sports. Rand’s research spans anti-racism, queer migration studies, and the politics of teaching. Her activism extends into institutional reform through her role as inaugural Faculty Fellow at Bates’ Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning.

Her work bridges academic writing with embodied practice, using skating as a site to challenge racialized heteronormativity. Collaborations with the Future of Figure Skating podcast highlight her commitment to transforming sport through critical engagement.