MSU's Center for Gender in Global Context (GenCen)

Congratulations to our 2026 Tracy Dobson Undergraduate Activism Award Recipients!

• Alex Guo (She/Her), for “Intersectional LGBTQ+ Student Activism”
• Sumaiya Binte Imad (She/Her), for “Global Intersectional Feminist Activism”

The Tracy Dobson Undergraduate Activism Award recognizes an MSU undergraduate student or student org who have earned distinction through exemplary local, national, or international activism on behalf of gender equity and social justice. The award recognizes those who have achieved a leadership position on behalf of their chosen cause.


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Congratulations to our 2026 Research Consortium on Gender-based Violence (RCGV) Paper Award Recipients.

• Joa Song (She/Her), for “Gender-Based Violence Against Women in South Korea"

• Nicole Becker (She, Her), for “The Impact of S*xual Assault Myths and University Training on Perceptions of S*xual Assault and Likelihood to Report"

The RCGV paper award recognizes the best undergraduate paper related to gender-based violence. Gender-based violence includes any form of harm that is both a consequence and cause of gender power inequities. It can be physical, psychological, sexual, economic, or sociocultural, and includes but is not limited to sexual abuse, r**e, intimate partner abuse, in**st, sexual harassment, stalking, femicide, trafficking, gendered hate crimes and dowry abuse.


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Congratulations to our 2026 Mary Anderson Undergraduate Paper Award Recipients

• Ava Parsons (She/Her), for “From Heteronormativity to Homonormativity: An Analysis of U.S. Asylum Case Law”

• Ceco Maples (He/Him), for “American Indian and Alaska Native Mothers' Experiences of Postpartum Depression: A Systemic Review and Thematic Synthesis”

Mary Anderson Undergraduate Paper Award recognizes the best undergraduate paper on Women and Gender in Global Perspective.


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Congratulations to our 2026 Rita S. Gallin Graduate Paper Award Recipients

• Qingxuan Pan (She/Her), for “Beyond Inclusion: Revisiting the History of Global HIV Research on Pregnant People”

• Lucy Cai (She/Her), for “Feminist Decolonial Pedagogy: Teaching History to Transform”

The Rita S. Gallin Award recognizes the Best Graduate Paper on Women and Gender in Global Perspective.


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GenCen Student Intern and history major Delaney Cram interviewed history professor Dr. Lisa M. Fine to highlight a unique course documenting the history of Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) at Michigan State University. The course engaged students as active collaborators in uncovering, researching, and preserving the legacy of WGS programs on campus.

Link to the full article: https://lnkd.in/enXvYUAm

You can also access the full article by visiting the Center for Gender in Global Context (GenCen) website and selecting the News tab.


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Class of 2026 Spotlight Series 🎓

Lorry is a proud Mexican American and first-generation graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in Women and Gender Studies. Throughout her time at MSU, she dedicated herself to growing academically and personally while deepening her passion for advocacy, social justice, and uplifting underrepresented communities.

As a first-generation student, Lorry’s journey has been driven by perseverance, resilience, and a desire to make her family proud through education. Following graduation, she hopes to create a nonprofit organization focused on supporting immigrant women and children by providing advocacy, resources, and safe spaces for those who may feel unheard. She is passionate about helping others feel safe, supported, and empowered within their communities.

Congratulations, Lorry, on this incredible accomplishment!


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Class of 2026 Spotlight Series 🎓

Heshani Guneratne

During her time at Michigan State University, Heshani made a lasting impact through her leadership, advocacy, and passion for supporting others. From serving as Vice President of Risk Management for the Panhellenic Council to Director of Event Planning for Alpha Omicron Pi, she developed strong leadership, collaboration, and organizational skills while helping create safe and meaningful experiences for students.

Her dedication to community outreach was reflected in her work with the MSU Center for Survivors and EVE, Inc., where she supported survivor-centered initiatives and advocacy efforts. As a Research Assistant at the Center for Gender in Global Context, Heshani also contributed to research focused on women’s empowerment and social impact.

Along the way, she gained legal experience as an intern at Reid and Reid, assisting with legal research and case preparation. After graduation, Heshani will continue pursuing her passion for justice and advocacy as she begins law school at Queen Mary University of London.


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Class of 2026 Spotlight Series 🎓

Alexandria Carron is a graduating senior with a major in Psychology and
minors in Graphic Design, Business, Human Behavior & Social Services, and
Women & Gender Studies. During her time here at MSU, she was an active
member on campus as a Gala Committee member in Empowering Women in
Law, served as an Undergraduate Learning Assistant, and worked as a Communications Intern in both the College of Natural Science and the Center for Gender in a Global Context. She also participated in the Gender, S*x, and Feminism London program through GenCen and won the Henderson Experiential Learning Award. After graduating, Carron plans to pursue a Communications career in the nonprofit sector.


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Class of 2026 Spotlight Series 🎓

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be recognizing members of our Class of 2026 who have been a part of our academic programs.

We’re kicking off our spotlight series by celebrating Kaylin Casper!

Kaylin is a graduating senior at Michigan State University, triple majoring in Sociology, Humanities Pre‑Law, and Women’s and Gender Studies, with minors in American Indian and Indigenous Studies, LGBTQ+ Studies, and Peace and Justice Studies. At MSU, she served as Co‑President of the North American Indigenous Student Organization for the 2025-2026 academic year, conducted original research on Indigenous rights litigation in the U.S. Supreme Court, was a member of the Social Science Scholars Program, a representative in the Associated Students of Michigan State University (ASMSU), and worked in the MSU Writing Center for over three years. She was awarded the CAL Outstanding Senior Achievement Award and Richard Lee Featherstone Endowed Prize for outstanding graduating senior. After graduation, Kaylin plans to take a gap year before pursuing graduate studies (JD and PhD Sociology) focused on federal Indian law.


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Congratulations to the winners of our Student Research Poster Showcase! We’re proud to celebrate your achievements—well done!

Gendered Barriers in Emergency Medicine: Bias, Triage, and Inclusive Care
Presenter: Cloe de Fays (she/her)

Feminist Themes in K-pop
Presenter: Hannah Huang (she/her)

Black Feminist Horror
Presenter: Jahla Banks (she/her)

Colonization, Gender Identity, and Indigenous Gender Experiences
Presenter: Margaret Broderick (she/they)

Gender Dynamics of Water Insecurity: From Michigan to India
Presenters: Ava Parsons (she/her), Lorry Betancourt (she/her), Delaney Cram (she/her), Paige Mattison (she/her), Olivia Selanin (she/her), Anuska Mukherjee (she/her), Kaustuva Banerjee (she/her), Riya Kanjilal (she/her)

Photography: Sloan Barlow


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