Melina Packer

Melina Packer is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Race, Gender & Sexuality Studies at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, located on Ho-Chunk Nation land. She holds a PhD in Society & Environment from UC Berkeley with a Designated Emphasis in Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. Her work critically examines the intersections of science, gender, race, and environmental justice through lenses of queer and postcolonial theory.

Research focuses on reimagining animal behavior studies through antiracist and feminist frameworks, critiquing toxicology's historical biases, and exploring the cultural politics of hunting dog breeding. Notable publications include Feminism in the Wild (co-authored with Ambika Kamath, MIT Press 2025) and Toxic Sexual Politics (NYU Press 2025). Her work has been featured in YES! Magazine, Ms. Magazine, and The Washington Post.

Dr. Packer collaborates with the Feminist Lenses for Animal Interaction Research (FLAIR) Lab, co-leading efforts to reform animal behavior curricula through critical pedagogy. Current projects include Bred in Captivity, a memoir-hybrid analyzing the colonial histories of hunting dog breeding.