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

This summer, MSU students traveled to London, UK, for Gender, S*x, and Feminism, a study abroad program led by Dr. Lucy Thompson. feminist psychologist and MSU professor.

Through museum and gallery visits, walking tours, guest lectures, and hands-on research, students explored London beyond the classroom, examining the city’s diversity alongside the inequalities that have shaped it.

Emerson R. Bogacki (They/Them), an Art Education major with minors in LGBTQ+ and S*xuality Studies, was one of the students in this year's cohort and shared how the experience shaped their perspective as a future educator.

Photographed are a few recipients of the 2026 Gender, Justice, & Environmental Change (GJEC) and Women’s & Gender Studies (WGS) Fellowships.

Throughout June and July, we’ve had the opportunity to highlight the inspiring work of our 2026 fellowship recipients. We’d like to thank everyone who followed along and showed their support for our fellows.

To learn more about the WGS and GJEC specializations and fellowships, visit the GenCen website through the link in our bio. From there, hover over the Grad Students tab to explore the programs and fellowship opportunities.


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Meet Farzaneh Ebrahimzadeh Holasu, one of our 2026 Women’s & Gender Studies (WGS) Fellowship recipients, who is a PhD candidate in Film Studies, specializing in Women/Gender Studies and Digital Humanities.

Farzaneh received a dissertation research award for her project "Feminist Homecoming: Archival Turns in Historiography of Iranian Cinema"

Link to department profile: https://buff.ly/4F5dldZ

Website: https://buff.ly/ApOEkh0


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Our next featured 2026 Women’s & Gender Studies (WGS) Fellowship recipient is Ana Ponce Castañeda, a PhD candidate in Hispanic Cultural Studies and Teaching Assistant in the Department of Romance and Classical Studies.

Ana received a dissertation writing award for her project titled "Cinematic Vindication Models of Female Monstrosity in 21st Century Latin American and Iberian Horror Film".

Link to department profile: https://buff.ly/k0mupsz


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Our next 2026 Women's & Gender Studies (WGS) Fellowship spotlight features Estela Gonçalves de Souza, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of History with graduate certificates in Chicano/Latino Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies.

Estela's research examines Black masculinities in Brazil during the pre- and post-emancipation periods, with a particular emphasis on the city of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais.

She received a Dissertation Writing Award for her project, Negotiating Black Masculinities during Slavery and Emancipation in Juiz de Fora, Brazil (1880–1910).

Link to department profile: https://buff.ly/4w3lFxK


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Meet Jesse Beal one of our 2026 Women’s & Gender Studies (WGS) Fellowship recipients, who is a PhD candidate in the Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education program within the College of Education.

Jesse received a dissertation writing award for their project, "Cisheterosexism and the Postsecondary Orgscape"

Link to department profile: https://buff.ly/QNrflWZ


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We continue our 2026 Women’s & Gender Studies (WGS) Fellowship spotlight series by introducing Teresa Rivera a dual -major, PhD student with the Michigan State University Sociology and Chicano/Latino Studies at Michigan State University Program.

Teresa received a dissertation research award for her project "A Stress Process Model-Chicana Feminist Approach to Understanding Latina Immigrant Experiences and Interpretations of Interpersonal Violence"

Link to department profile: https://buff.ly/3TIukHc


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Our next 2026 Women's & Gender Studies (WGS) Fellowship spotlight features Melanie Rodríguez Vázquez, a doctoral student in the Department of English. She is studying Afro-Caribbean Literature, Woman of Color Feminism and Q***r Studies.

Melanie received a dissertation research award for her project
"(Un)Belonging and Collective Memory in Puerto Rican Cultural Production"

Link to department profile: https://buff.ly/hBLQFQ8
https://buff.ly/8Z9z54W


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This month, we're excited to highlight the 2026 recipients of the Women's & Gender Studies (WGS) Fellowship. With generous support from MSU's Graduate School, this fellowship provides funding to support dissertation research and writing.

Our first spotlight features Yuan Xiong, a PhD candidate in the MSU School of Social Work within the College of Social Science.

Yuan received a dissertation writing award for her project, "Survey Validation and Family Profile Identification: Understanding Family Dynamics and Their Impact on Chinese Transgender and Gender-Diverse Individuals."

Learn more about Yuan and her research by visiting her department profile: https://buff.ly/942m0zZ

Applications are now open for the Migiziwazison Living Community, a new living-learning community launching at MSU in Fall 2026.

Open to all undergraduate majors and minors, the community is rooted in Native and Indigenous studies and the knowledges, cultures, and leadership of Native and Indigenous peoples. Students will live together in Hubbard Hall while participating in a 1-credit UGS 110 seminar focused on Indigenous scholarship, cultural engagement, and leadership development.

To learn more or apply, visit the link in the flyer (https://buff.ly/uK1e5l1 )

Questions? Contact PASS Student Affairs at [email protected] or 517-432-1769.