FRI Board
Dr. Francisco J. Galarte Director
Francisco J. Galarte is an Assistant Professor of American Studies and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of New Mexico where he teaches courses in Chicanx, Latinx and transgender studies. He was born and raised in Brawley, California located in the Imperial Valley along the US/Mexico Border and identifies strongly as a transfronterizo, meaning that the borderlands inform his creative and scholarly projects. His most recent articles have appeared in publications including Aztlan: Journal of Chicano Studies, Chicana/Latina Studies Journal and TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly. He has been involved with TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly since the journal’s inception in 2011 and served as the Fashion Editor from 2012-2018 and since 2018 has served as co-general editor of the journal.
His research brings transgender studies, Chicanx studies, Latinax studies, and queer studies into critical dialogue. His primary scholarly agenda is to examine the relationship between systems of racial formation and the lived experiences and cultural representations of racialized transgendered subjects. His first book, Brown Trans Figurations: Rethinking Race, Gender and Sexuality in Chicanx/Latinx Studies (University of Texas Press, 2021), explores how transgender analytics intervene or fail to intervene in the current reading practices that exist in Chicana/o Studies for making sense of processes of racialization, gendered violence, queer sexualities, masculinities and femininities.
Alana J. Bock, Graduate Assistant
Alana J. Bock is a Ph.D. student in the American Studies department and holds an M.A. in American Studies (UNM) and a B.A. as a double major in U.S. History and Art History/Theory (UCSD). Her research interests include Filipinx American studies, visual studies, performance studies, spectrality studies, popular culture, women of color feminisms, and queer of color critique. Her prospective dissertation project looks at the unruliness and illegibility of Filipinx American ethno-racial identity formation within imperial and neoliberal epistemologies through an analysis of cultural production. Some of the cultural pieces Alana has written about and presented on include the artwork of Crystal Z. Campbell, the television show The Assassination of Gianni Versace, and the punk band Aye Nako. Alana has previously served as the graduate student board member for the Feminist Research Institute during the 2019-2020 academic year. She looks forward to making a larger impact within the FRI as the 2020-2021 Graduate Assistant by developing new graduate student events, resources, and support.
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Current Board Members
Francisco J. Galarte: Assistant Professor of American Studies and Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies, FRI Director, ex-officio (2021-2024)
Amy Brandzel, Associate Professor, American Studies and Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies (2017-2019; 2019-2021)
Alana Bock, Ph.D. Student in American Studies, FRI GA, ex-officio (2019-2020; 2020-2021)
Leslie Donovan, Professor, Honors College (2020-2022)
Tiffany Florvil, Associate Professor, History (2020-2022)
Bernadine Hernández, Assistant Professor, English Language and Literature (2020-2022)
Scarlett Higgins, Associate Professor, English Language and Literature, Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies Chair, ex-officio (2018-present)
Jessica Holland, Director, Women's Resource Center, ex-officio (2017-present)
Natasha Howard, Assistant Professor, Geography and Environmental Studies (2020-2022)
Dominika Laster, Associate Professor, Theater & Dance (2019-2021)
Amy Levi, Professor/Clinician Educator, College of Nursing (2015-17; 2017-2019; 2019-2021)
Nancy López, Professor, Sociology, Institute for the Study of "Race" & Social Justice (2019-2021)
Andrea Mays, Lecturer, American Studies and Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies (2018-2020)
Olivia Roe, Ph.D. Student in Communication & Journalism (2020-2021)
Natalia Toscano, Ph.D. Student in Chicana and Chicano Studies (2020-2022)
Board members serve 2-year terms. The director serves a 3-year term. The Graduate Assistant is a full voting member of the board and serves a 2-year or 1-year term. All terms are renewable.
Past Board Members
2019-2020
Elizabeth Hutchison: Director, History (2015-2018; 2018-2021)
Amy Brandzel, Acting Chair Women Studies (2019-present), American Studies & Women Studies (2017-2019; 2019-2021)
Jessica Holland, Women's Resource Center, Director, ex-officio (2017-present)
Scarlett Higgins, English, Women Studies Chair, ex-officio (2018-present)
Amy Levi, College of Nursing (2015-17; 2017-2019; 2019-2021)
Andrea Mays, American Studies (2018-2020)
Laura Harjo, Community & Regional Planning, (2018-2020)
Kency Cornejo, Art & Art History (2018-2020)
Dominika Laster, Theater & Dance (2019-2021)
Nancy López, Sociology, Institute for the Study of "Race" & Social Justice (2019-2021)
Carlyn Stewart: Feminist Research Institute Graduate Assistant, Anthropology (2019-2020)
