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Women's Studies Graduate Program alumni

Look!  Some of our graduates appeared in a City Paper article.  Read it here.

Jeffrey C. Lunnen

Jeffrey graduated from the Women's and Gender Studies Graduate program with an M.S. (Women in an International Context concentration) in May 2011.  During his tenure in the department, Jeffrey explored post-colonial feminist thought in the context of Latin American--often writing about the intersections of "development" and women's health.  Instead of a thesis, Jeffrey opted for an internship and worked for the Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit (JH-IIRU).  There he researched road traffic injury--a leading cause of death worldwide--employed qualitative and quantative methods learned at Towson University.  Soon after graduating, he was offered a full time position with the JH-IIRU.  As a research program coordinator, Jeffrey helps manage several multi-country projects:  he has collaborated with the Pan American Health Organization; traveled to Mexico, Guyana, and Turkey; and has published in several international peer-reviewed journals.  In the next five years, Jeffrey plans to return to Mexico, and pursue another advanced degree.

Elizabeth Barr

After earning her MS in May, 2011 (Women's Health and Sexuality concentration), Liz Barr curated a web gallery for Visual AIDS (http://www.thebody.com/visualaids/web_gallery/2012/barr/01.html) based on her Master’s thesis, “Border Crossings and Mestiza Consciousness in AIDS Art in the US.” She had a book review published in Rhizomes, and article developed from her thesis will appear in the Summer 2012 issue of n. paradoxa. Liz remains interested in HIV, AIDS, and representation. Her research interests also include theories of the body, AIDS theory, AIDS activist histories, Chicana feminism, and queer theory.

In the fall of 2012, Liz will be entering the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a PhD candidate in the Communication Arts department. Liz's PhD concentration—Rhetoric, Politics, and Social Change—will allow her to continue exploring questions raised while she was an MS student, including the politics of representation; social change; and bodies/embodiment.

ChristieLyn Diller

ChristieLyn graduated with an M.S. degree in Women's Studies in the Public Policy concentration in 2006.  She currently works for Planned Parenthood of Maryland as the Community Relations Associate.  She feels very lucky not only because she has a job that matters to her, but also because she is using her degree at such a prominent and important women's organization.  Her job invloves producing a number of published materials, helping plan and attend events, updating their website, working on grants and grant reports, sending out electronic messages, and much more.  

The skills that she acquired during her time at Towson have been instrumental in the work that she does, especially in regard to research and grant writing.  "Dr. Dugger's Women and Activism course was by far one of the best courses I took in my graduate (or undergraduate) career because we studied the history and theoretical framwork behind organization's like Planned Parenthood, as well as doing valuable, applied work in the community.  I recommend this course for everyone in the program, it is what the 'Applied Masters' is all about." ChristieLyn also teaches in the Women's Studies department at Towson University.

Emek Ergun

After she received her B.A. degree in Translation Studies at Bogazici University, the most prestigious public university in Turkey, Emek came to the U.S. in 2003 to study at Towson University. She earned her M.S. degree in Women's Studies in the Women and Public Policy concentration in 2006. Her thesis was titled “Social, Medical, and Legal Control of Female Sexuality through Construction of Virginity in Turkey.”

Christina Murray

Christina Murray received her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Women's Studies at the University of Maryland College Park.  In 2006, she graduated from Towson University with an M.S. degree in Women's Studies in the Public Policy concentration.   During her graduate work, she studied adolescent dating violence, sexual assault on college campuses, as well as various other aspects of sexual health.  In graduate school she took two additional courses, created a portfolio and held a research internship at Baltimore County's domestic violence and sexual assault non-profit organization, Turn Around.

She was also awarded a Graduate Student Award and funding from the College of Liberal Arts and the Women's Studies graduate program to attend the Public Leadership Education Network's Women and Public Policy Seminar in Washington DC. Christina taught in the Women's Studies department at Towson University during the academic school year 2006-2007. She currently works for the U.S. Department of Justice in the Office on Violence Against Women as the Management and Program Analyst. There she is in charge of Congressional reporting as well as all performance and evaluation aspects for each grant program the office administers.

Michelle Lewis

Dr. Mel Michelle Lewis is an Assistant Professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Goucher College in Baltimore, MD and is currently serving a three-year term as the Lesbian Caucus Chair for the National Women’s Studies Association. Mel’s research focuses on Black queer feminist pedagogies, teaching as performance, and embodied text at the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality. Mel completed her PhD in Women’s Studies at the University of Maryland (2012), she holds an MA in the area of Bodies, Genders, and Sexualities (2008), and was an Honors Humanities Doctoral Teaching Fellow (2009) at the same institution. Mel acquired her MS in Women’s Studies with a Public Policy concentration at Towson University (2005), and attended Goucher College as a Rosenberg scholar in Dance, holding a dual bachelors degree in sociology and women’s studies (2002).

Mehmet Ergun

Mehmet received his B.A. degree in Psychology from Bogazici University. In 2006 he earned his M.S. degree in Women's Studies in the Women and Health concentration. His thesis was titled “Social Determinants of Attitudes towards Women's Premarital Sexuality among Female Turkish University Students.” Mehmet also taught WMST 233 “International Perspectives on Women” at Towson University during Spring 2007.

He recently accepted an offer from the University of Maryland College Park Sociology Department's Ph.D. program. His teaching and research interests include sociological aspects of human sexuality, social context of women's sexuality, sexual deviance, ethnic conflicts and women's status, and neocolonialism. When he completes his doctoral degree in the U.S., Mehmet plans to continue his academic career in Turkey.

Esha Dora

Esha Dhora received her B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Maryland College Park. In 2006 she graduated from Towson University with an M.S. Degree in Women Studies with an International Context concentration. In Graduate school, she took various classes that related to International topics of women and participated in a semester long independent research project.  She also did extensive research on feminism in India, particularly concentrating on sex-selective abortions in India and China and the preference for male children in these countries.

Esha currently works for an international women’s non-profit organization in Washington D.C. called Women for Women International. This organization allows women in the US and other countries to sponsor women in war-torn countries and help provide education, training, and skills in order for them to become more independent in their societies. She is a Customer Service Representative in the Sponsorship Department and helps sponsors by answering their questions, updating accounts, and providing more information about this organization.

Kyla Bender-Baird

Kyla Bender-Baird received her master's degree in Women's Studies at Towson in 2008.  She now works as a research consultant with the National Center for Research on Women (NCRW) on their Big Five Campaign.  She is involved in collecting critical data and research on economic security, health, violence, immigration, and education, and develops fact sheets from this research.  She also provides research for media outreach.

What some of our other Women's Studies Master's Program Alumni are doing:

Jen Reger serves on the Board Directors for the Philadelphia Chapter of the Younger Women's Task Force (YWTF), a Project of the National Council for Women's Organizations.  Jen runs the Board, which oversees programming of events for younger women in the Philadelphia area - seminars this year include: financial planning, self-care, women's health, philanthropic endeavors with women's organizations, programs promoting educational opportunity, and first time home ownership. Jen has also taught a course at Rosemont College on Women's Bodies titled the Diversity of Women which uses the female body to discuss issues of race, class, ethnicity, ability, etc.

Anna Berglowe began working for Towson University in The Career Center as the Student Employment Coordinator.  She is also currently working for Towson University in the Office of Student Activities as the Coordinator for Student Groups and Organizations.

Lisa Bryan is currently living in Charlotte, North Carolina, and working as a Development Associate for Planned Parenthood in Charlotte and Asheville, North Carolina.

Christina Cosgrove is currently working for the State of Pennsylvania in the Office of Victim Advocate as a Victim Advocate.

Pam McCann is working in Portland, Maine as the Program Coordinator for the Maine Speakout Project, an advocacy and education non-profit for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in Maine.

Megan Heflin lives in San Francisco, where she works for the California Cryobank. She is the Donor Program Coordinator and is in charge of the anonymous sperm donor program for the Palo Alto branch.

Alexis Turrentine worked at the Maryland Commission for Women in Annapolis, MD after her graduation, from May 2003 to August 2005. She currently works at GAMA International in VA. She has also been volunteering at the National Zoo in DC for 3 years now, helping with the behavioral research on the pandas.