Mimi Thi Nguyen

Mimi Thi Nguyen is a Professor of Gender and Women's Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with Asian American Studies, the Unit for Criticism and Interpretive Theory, and the Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity. Her work bridges feminist theory, transnational cultural studies, and critiques of empire. She holds a Ph.D. in Ethnic Studies from UC Berkeley and has held prestigious awards like the Nicholson and Conrad Humanities Scholarships.

Her research focuses on transnational feminist cultural studies, war and humanitarianism, and women of color feminisms. Major works include *The Gift of Freedom* (2012), analyzing liberal war rhetoric, and *The Promise of Beauty* (2024), exploring beauty’s role in crisis. She co-edited *Alien Encounters: Pop Culture in Asian America* (2007) and contributes to critical studies of BTS in *Bangtan Remixed* (2024).

Nguyen’s articles span journals like *Signs*, *Camera Obscura*, and *positions*, addressing topics from beauty politics to punk zines. Her awards include the 2014 Cultural Studies Book Prize and Nicholson Scholarship. She teaches courses on feminist theory, fashion politics, and transnational feminisms.

Her activism includes zine-making since 1991 and critical engagement with punk culture. She advises students on radical pedagogy and critiques of NGO activism. Current projects focus on beauty’s biopolitical dimensions and decolonial cultural critique.