Rachel Fabian

Rachel Fabian serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Cinema Studies within the Cinema and Television Studies program at Purchase College's School of Film and Media Studies. Her academic foundation includes a PhD and MA in Film and Media Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a BA from the University of Vermont.

Education:

• BA, University of Vermont
• MA, University of California, Santa Barbara (2013)
• PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara

Research Focus: Fabian specializes in feminist film and media history, transnational media activism, and documentary studies. Her scholarship employs transnational feminist frameworks to analyze 1970s-80s independent film collectives across the US, UK, India, and Latin America, revealing how these groups created "social sites" that fostered cross-border relationalities beyond discrete social movements. Her work critically examines intersections between feminist theory, activist media production, and global solidarity networks.

Publication Trends: Fabian's research demonstrates consistent engagement with feminist media historiography and transnational activism, particularly through her 2018 article re-evaluating Claire Johnston's cinefeminist legacy. Her scholarship bridges theoretical analysis with practical filmmaking considerations, emphasizing overlooked activist dimensions in foundational feminist film theory while advancing methodologies for studying global media collectives.

Scientific Awards and Fellowships:

• Radcliffe Institute Fellowship at Harvard University
• UCSB Graduate Division Fellowship
• UC Humanities Research Institute Scholar-in-Residence (2017)

Grants and Editorial Leadership: Fabian's research has received competitive funding from Harvard's Radcliffe Institute and UCSB Graduate Division. She previously held significant editorial positions as Managing Editor of Camera Obscura: Feminism, Culture, and Media Studies and issue editor for Media Fields Journal's special edition "Access/Trespass," demonstrating leadership in feminist media scholarship dissemination.