Simone Chess is an Associate Professor of English and Director of the Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies Program at Wayne State University, Detroit. She also leads the Center for Gender and Sexuality. Her work focuses on queer/trans studies, disability studies, and early modern British literature. Key roles include editing a special issue on 'Early Modern Trans Studies' (2019) and co-managing the Warrior Women Project digital archive. Awards include the 2024 Wayne State President’s Teaching Excellence Award and 2018 Diversity Champions honor. Her research explores crossdressing in early modern texts, gender performance, and intersections of disability/queerness. Notable publications include Male-to-Female Crossdressing in Early Modern English Literature (2016) and articles on topics like 'queer residue' in theatrical labor, asexuality in Renaissance texts, and adaptive technologies. Current projects include a Shakespeare/trans culture monograph and a disability-queer technologies study. Teaching includes courses on Shakespeare, women’s studies, and pedagogical strategies. She actively collaborates on digital humanities projects and has received multiple teaching awards. Her work bridges literary analysis with social justice advocacy, focusing on marginalized identities in early modern contexts.
Dr. Georgina Stebbings is the Head of the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences and currently serves as an Associate Professor (Reader equivalent) at Manchester Metropolitan University. She holds a PhD in Sport and Exercise Genomics from the same institution (2015). Her roles include Programme Leader for BSc Sport & Exercise Science (Distance Learning), Department Education Lead, and former Physical Performance Coach with The FA for elite female athletes with visual and hearing impairments on the Para pathway. She is also a BASES-accredited sport scientist and Convenor of the Molecular Exercise Physiology Special Interest Group. Georgina’s research focuses on genetic factors influencing sports performance and injury risk in elite athletes, optimizing training for female athletes, and testosterone suppression effects in trans women. She has contributed to high-profile discussions on sex eligibility in sport, including co-authoring expert statements and a widely viewed article critiquing IOC policies. Her work has been featured in mainstream media like The Independent and The Times, and she frequently engages in public discourse, such as BBC radio discussions on marathon runner genetics. As an educator, Georgina has extensive experience teaching physiology, genetics, and applied sport science across undergraduate and postgraduate programs. She pioneered asynchronous digital education and synchronous webinars in distance learning since 2015 and has served as an external examiner and validator for UK sport-related BSc programs. She actively supervises and examines PhD and MSc students, with a focus on topics like skeletal muscle characteristics, taekwondo performance analysis, and women’s football health. Georgina’s professional history includes roles at Stoke City FC Academy (2011-2013) and progression through academic ranks at Manchester Met: Lecturer (2013-2017), Senior Lecturer (2017-2022), and Reader (2022–present). She balances administrative leadership with applied research and consultancy in elite women’s football and rugby injury studies.
LaToya Eaves is an Associate Professor of Human Geography at the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK), specializing in Black Geographies, Feminist Geographies, and Critical approaches to race, gender, and queerness. She joined UTK in 2020 after serving as an Assistant Professor and founding faculty member in the Department of Global Studies & Human Geography at Middle Tennessee State University. Her research focuses on the intersections of race, gender, and queerness in the American South, including projects like the NSF-funded collaboration analyzing African American History Museums' roles in heritage tourism and community engagement. She holds a PhD from Florida International University. Key research interests include Black feminist activism, queer methodologies, and the socio-spatial dynamics of the American South. She is active in professional organizations such as the American Association of Geographers (AAG), where she serves on the Governing Council and co-founded the Black Geographies Specialty Group. Her recent work emphasizes DEI initiatives in academia, decolonial methodologies, and the spatial legacies of Black feminist movements. She has led educational programs in Senegal and contributed to critical dialogues on publishing ethics and activist pedagogies.
Tiffany Muller Myrdahl is a Senior Lecturer at Simon Fraser University (SFU), cross-appointed between the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies and the Urban Studies Program. She holds a PhD in Geography with a Feminist Studies minor from the University of Minnesota. Her work focuses on urban inequalities, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and community-driven research in marginalized communities. She has held roles such as the Ruth Wynn Woodward Junior Chair at SFU and contributed to initiatives like Women Transforming Cities and the REACH-Cities project. Education: PhD, Geography with Feminist Studies Minor, University of Minnesota (2008) MPP, Public Policy, University of Minnesota (2002) BA, History with Women’s Studies Minor, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1994) Research Interests: Tiffany examines how cities can better serve marginalized groups, particularly through participatory methods. Her work includes studies on trans inclusion, rainbow crosswalks, LGBTQ+ oral histories, and equity in urban planning. She emphasizes intersectional approaches to urban policy and community engagement. Community Engagement: Co-founder and board member of Women in Cities International Key figure in SFU’s Community Engaged Research Initiative (CERi) Collaborates with NGOs like YWCA City Shift on equity-focused urban projects Labs/Teams: Active in CHATR Lab and the REACH-Cities project, focusing on collaborative urban research. Teaches courses like Women in Cities: A Critical Intersectional Perspective in both undergraduate and graduate programs.
Dr. Tig Slater is an Associate Professor in Queer Disability Studies and Education at the Sheffield Institute of Education , affiliated with the Social and Economic Research Institute at Sheffield Hallam University . Their work sits at the intersection of disability studies, queer theory, transgender studies, and critical psychology , with a focus on social justice, public engagement, and institutional EDI policies . Co-founded the Queer Disability Studies Network Awarded NCCPE 'Engage' Award (2018) for Around the Toilet project Editorial board member of The Sociological Review journal Research spans public space accessibility, bodily autonomy, and gender/ability stratification under neoliberalism , often using co-produced, participatory methods . Article trends show sustained focus on toilet space politics , LGBTQ+ institutional labor , and critical age/development discourses . Supervision available for qualitative research on disability, gender, and queer/trans topics.
Stephanie Anne Shelton is an Associate Professor in the Culture, Curriculum, and Teacher Education (CCTE) department at the UNC School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research focuses on qualitative methodologies, feminist and queer theories, LGBTQ+ issues in education, and equity-driven pedagogical practices. She holds a Ph.D. in Qualitative Research from the University of Georgia and prior degrees in English Literature and Education. Her work bridges theory and practice, emphasizing reflexive research ethics, trauma-informed strategies for marginalized groups, and queer-affirming educational environments. Shelton has been recognized with prestigious awards including the AERA Division D Early Career Award (2020), NCTE LGBTQ+ Advocacy Award (2021), and the Nellie Rose McCrory Teaching Excellence Award (2022). Her scholarship has been funded by institutions like the Spencer Foundation and the U.S. Department of Justice. Shelton’s research explores sociopolitically restrictive contexts for LGBTQ+ students, innovative qualitative interviewing techniques, and the intersection of pedagogy with social justice. She currently serves as editor of the Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education and advocates for decolonizing research methodologies. Her publications span journals like Qualitative Inquiry and GLQ , addressing topics from queer temporalities to trans visibility in education. Education: Ph.D. 2016, University of Georgia (Qualitative Research) M.A.T. 2004, Georgia College & State University (English Education) M.A. 2003, Georgia College & State University (English Literature) B.A. 2001, Mercer University (English Literature) Grants & Awards: Funded by Spencer Foundation, AERA, NCTE, and SEC Faculty Grant Program Recipient of 2020 AERA Early Career Award, 2021 NCTE LGBTQ+ Award, and 2024 UGA LLED Distinguished Alumni Award Labs & Teams: Editor of Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education , leading initiatives on queer pedagogy and methodological innovation.
Rachel E. Gartner is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research focuses on violence prevention, discrimination, and health outcomes for minoritized populations, emphasizing intersectional approaches to address systemic inequities. She holds a BA in Psychology and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, an MSW in Mental Health from Washington University in St. Louis, and a PhD in Social Welfare with a Designated Emphasis in Women, Gender, and Sexuality from UC Berkeley. Her research interests include sexual violence prevention, microaggressions, and victimization among marginalized groups such as women, gender minorities, and people of color. She prioritizes community-driven solutions and critiques carceral systems that exacerbate inequities. Recent work explores trans and gender-diverse students' campus experiences, anti-trans policies in social work education, and the development of intersectional gender equity frameworks. Dr. Gartner's scholarship integrates clinical practice experience as a sexual violence educator, mental health clinician, and advocate in academic and healthcare settings. Her projects often involve collaboration with community stakeholders to co-design interventions and policies. She contributes to interdisciplinary initiatives such as the Gender, Sexuality, & Women's Studies Program within the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. Her articles span topics like campus sexual violence prevention strategies, LGBTQ+ youth intervention frameworks, and critiques of institutional policies that harm marginalized communities. Though no scientific awards are explicitly listed, her work reflects a commitment to advancing equity through rigorous, applied research.
Dr Flora Renz is a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Kent’s Kent Law School and Co-Director of the Centre for Sexuality, Race and Gender Justice. She previously held a Lecturer position at City, University of London (pre-2017) and completed a PhD at Kent Law School (2012–2017) on the Gender Recognition Act 2004 and transgender legal consciousness. Her education includes an M.Res in Social Science Research Methods (Law) at Keele University and an LLB from the University of Leeds. Research Interests: Flora’s work focuses on gender, disability, and legal/social inequalities, informed by feminist and critical disability studies. Her monograph Gender Recognition and the Law (2024) examines transgender engagement with legal systems. Current projects include legal regulation of assistive technologies and gender-disability classification in parasports (wheelchair rugby). She co-led a study on LGBTQ+ youth homelessness (2023–2025) and contributed to the ESRC-funded Future of Legal Gender project (2018–2022). Teaching & Supervision: Teaches criminal law, equality law, and gender/trans/disability topics. Supervises research in feminist/queer theory and critical disability studies. Professional Roles: Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Editorial Board Member, feminists@law EDI Advisory Board Member, AdvanceHE Key Contributions: Her work on legal gender markers and single-sex spaces has been cited by The Guardian and UNODC. Recent publications analyze disability, gender, and cyborg theory in legal personhood and explore post-decertification legal frameworks.
Salla Aldrin Salskov is a postdoctoral researcher in Gender Studies at the University of Helsinki, affiliated with the Academy of Finland-funded project 'Will to Relevance – Ideals in Finland-Africa Collaborations in Biomedicine and Gender Studies'. She holds a PhD in Philosophy from Åbo Akademi University (2022) and has been a doctoral student in Gender Studies at the University of Helsinki. Her research focuses on epistemic habits, societal relevance, and the politics of knowledge production in feminist, queer, and anti-racist academia and activism. Key research interests include feminist philosophy, queer theory, intersectionality, Wittgensteinian ethics, HBTQI+-activism, and critical race studies. She has published in journals like Sexualities , NORA , and Feminist Encounters , co-edited special issues on feminist epistemic habits and queer studies in Finland, and contributed to Ethical Inquiries After Wittgenstein (Springer, 2022). Salskov has taught gender studies courses for over a decade, covering topics such as #MeToo, feminist science studies, and embodiment. Her work emphasizes anti-racist and queer praxis, informed by her experience in Roller Derby. She has participated in numerous research projects, including 'KOKOM' (on identity debates in Finland) and 'EDIT' (Education and Democracy in Transformation). Awards include the Senator Julius Nummelin Prize for best master’s thesis in social sciences (2009). Salskov has engaged in international collaborations, including a visiting researcher stint at Duke University’s Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies department (2023). Publications highlight critical analyses of epistemic habits in academia, intersectional feminism, and trans narratives. Her recent work explores the societal relevance of feminist theories and challenges in academic institutional practices. Media contributions include public discussions on gender, capitalism, and academic feminism.
Matthew Garrett, PhD, is a Professor of Music Education and Director of the University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education (UCITE) at Case Western Reserve University's College of Arts and Sciences. He joined the faculty in 2009 and has led UCITE since 2017, focusing on pedagogical innovation and educational equity. His research prioritizes LGBTQ+ inclusion in music education, emphasizing ethical practices for gender-diverse students. Garrett has co-authored seminal works like Honoring Trans and Gender-Expansive Students in Music Education (2021) and contributed to the Oxford Handbook of Gender and Queer Studies in Music Education . Education: PhD in Choral Music Education and Conducting (Florida State University), Master of Music in Conducting (Boston University), Bachelor of Music Education (Florida State University). Professional experience includes public school teaching in Florida and Massachusetts, conducting the Handel and Haydn Society Children’s Choruses, and serving as Music Director at The Church of the Covenant. Research focuses on queer pedagogy, critical thinking in choral settings, and LGBTQ+ advocacy in music education. His work has been published in journals such as Journal of Research in Music Education and Choral Journal . He serves on Oxford's Gender Justice advisory board and previously chaired CWRU's LGBTQ Research Group. Awards include the CWRU Prism Award for LGBTQ advocacy. Teaching responsibilities include graduate music education courses and student teaching seminars. He has been nominated twice for the Wittke Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. His professional service includes roles on the QMUE 5 Symposium planning committee and Ohio Music Education Association publications.
Dr. Liz McDonnell is an Associate Professor in Sociology and Criminology at the School of Law, Politics and Sociology, University of Sussex, where she has been a faculty member since 2013 and affiliated since 2004. She teaches research methods in the MA Gender Studies program and courses on sexualities and intersections for undergraduate students. She also holds leadership roles as co-director of the Centre for Gender Studies and chair of the EDI Committee in LPS. Her educational background includes a BA in Sociology/Social Anthropology from the University of East Anglia, an MA in Criminology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne, and a PhD in Sociology from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Her research spans personal life, identity, institutional cultures, social inequalities, and health, with a strong emphasis on qualitative methodologies and research ethics. Dr. McDonnell’s research interests focus on pro-social behaviors, generosity, asexuality, intimate relationships, hate crimes, and institutional cultures. Her recent work explores human giving during the pandemic and the effects of legal aid cuts on the Criminal Cases Review Commission. She has led interdisciplinary projects with Law and Criminology colleagues and continues to contribute to research culture development in UK universities. Her publication record shows a consistent trajectory in themes of asexuality, research ethics, and social connectedness. Articles such as 'Asexual isn't who I am' and 'Negotiating the boundaries of intimacy' reflect her deep engagement with identity and intimacy, while recent works on generosity during the pandemic indicate a shift toward positive sociology. Her methodological expertise in qualitative research, particularly diary and interview methods, is evident across her publications. She has received competitive research grants from the British Academy, ESRC, and the University of Sussex, supporting projects on generosity in the time of COVID-19, legal aid impacts, and post-referendum societal shifts. She is also an associate consultant for Research Coach, collaborating with Imperial College on research culture development. Dr. McDonnell has supervised numerous research projects and contributed to institutional ethics as Chair of the Social Science and Arts Research Ethics Committee (2017–2020). She is a member of the Academic Advisory Group for APP Evaluations at the University of Sussex. Her work bridges sociology, criminology, gender studies, and health, demonstrating a commitment to interdisciplinary, ethics-informed, and socially impactful research. She is affiliated with the Centre for Gender Studies and contributes to collaborative research networks, particularly around equality, diversity, and inclusion. Her ongoing work with universities aims to transform institutional cultures and support researcher well-being, especially in relation to gender equity.
Rebecca Beirne is a Senior Lecturer in Screen and Cultural Studies within the School of Humanities, Creative Industries, and Social Sciences at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She is an active academic researcher and educator whose work bridges film, media, and cultural studies with a strong emphasis on gender, sexuality, and mental health representation. Beirne earned her PhD in English from the University of Sydney in 2007 and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the same institution in 2002. Her academic journey has been centered at the University of Newcastle, where she has contributed significantly to teaching and research. Her research interests include television and film studies, with a particular focus on representations of gender, sexuality, and mental health in popular culture. She is recognized as a leading scholar in lesbian representation and has recently expanded her work to analyze how mental health conditions are portrayed in television fiction. Her research explores themes such as stigma, identity, narrative construction, and the socio-political implications of media portrayals. The trends in her recent publications reveal a consistent engagement with queer media, mental health narratives, and the evolving landscape of digital and televisual storytelling. Her work spans from analyses of lesbian representation in international cinema to critical discussions on the 'supercrip' trope in mental health portrayals. Lead investigator on the 2021 CHSF Working Parents Research Relief Scheme. Co-investigator in the 2019 Multidisciplinary humanities applications of metadata and computational text analysis project. Lead on the 2018 Australia-Germany Joint Research project. Lead on the 2017 Representing Mental Health Conditions on Television study. Investigator on the 2011 Visual Media Texts teaching and learning grant. Beirne actively supervises postgraduate research, serving as principal or co-supervisor for PhD and Master’s students in cultural studies, English, and media arts. Her supervision topics include film canons, spoken word poetry, female representation in fantasy literature, and queer graphic narratives. She has also contributed to public discourse through articles on platforms like The Conversation, discussing topics such as bisexual representation and gender dynamics in film. Her work is aligned with broader academic and societal goals around inclusivity, representation, and media literacy.
Quoc Tran-Dinh is an Associate Professor at the Department of Statistics and Operations Research , The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , and an Adjunct Member of the Department of Computer Science (2020–present). He earned his Ph.D. in 2012 in Optimization in Engineering from KU Leuven , Belgium, under the supervision of Prof. Moritz Diehl. Research focus: Numerical optimization , convex optimization , non-convex continuous optimization , with applications in machine learning and data analysis . Key publication trends: homotopy methods , primal-dual algorithms , stochastic optimization , nonconvex-concave minimax problems , and generalized self-concordant functions . Honors include the SAMSI fellowship (2019) and ONR grants (2023, 2020). Teaching includes graduate courses on linear programming , modern optimization in data analysis , and nonconvex optimization , alongside undergraduate courses on decision sciences and introduction to optimization . He has supervised Ph.D. student Tianxiao Sun (2018) and collaborates with researchers globally, including institutions in the US and Europe .
Margaret F. Gibson is an Associate Professor at Renison University College, University of Waterloo, with joint appointments in Social Development Studies and Social Work. Her research bridges 2SLGBTQ+ studies , critical disability studies , neurodiversity , and feminist research methodologies . She leads community-engaged projects like Neurodiversity Matters and Learning Access , focusing on: Autistic people's perspectives on "eloping" Racialized experiences of neurodiversity claims Queer and disabled parenting during the pandemic ADHD-related academic accommodations for female students Her work challenges dominant medicalized narratives, advocating for systems that center lived experience. Funded by SSHRC grants , she collaborates across institutions like Brandon University and the University of Toronto. Her Re-storying Autism research reimagines care practices through critical autism studies and participatory methods .
Dr. Ciaran McFadden is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Management, Work and Organisation at the University of Stirling. His research focuses on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in workplaces, particularly regarding LGBTQ+ communities, with emphasis on transgender experiences, implicit bias training, and organizational socialisation. McFadden explores critical human resource development approaches to combat discrimination and create inclusive spaces. Research interests include: Transgender discrimination in employment Identity management in workplace contexts HRD interventions for inclusivity Employee networks and institutional allyship Systematic literature reviews on LGBTQ+ career experiences Managerialist influences on diversity initiatives The 15 most recent publications analyze trends in transgender workplace research, LGBTQ+ policy implementation, and HRD strategies for inclusive organizational change. Key themes include institutional allyship models, critical HRD challenges, and evolving approaches to bias mitigation. Contact: ciaran.mcfadden@stir.ac.uk | ORCID: 0000-0002-1475-5442
