FMST Alumni Updates
Ritika Aggarwal, 2006
After graduating from UCSC, Ritika moved to Oakland to organize with Critical Resistance, an organization committed to the abolition of the prison industrial complex. She worked as a Paralegal for a prisoners rights law firm in... see more
Kathryn Alexander, 2009
I'm in Montreal, Canada, working on a Master's in Library and Information Sciences degree (the official title is Maîtrise en sciences de l'information) at the University of Montreal. I am doing an internship at the two public libraries in the borough of Verdun, and with any luck should finish my degree by the end of April 2012... see more
Lisa (Meeker) Alexia, 1991
I graduated in 1991. Since then my life has been full of the experiences of rural living in America, so different than urban northern California where I grew up. The academic learning in the women's studies program infused much of my decision-making about where to live, and proved vital to my success when I eventually landed in a career... see more
Megan Baier, 2011
Last year I applied--and was accepted--to the Senate Fellows Program in Sacramento. For the last 6 months I have been working for Senator Wolk on Education, Health, and Human Services policy issues. I am working on several projects as a part of an innovative strategy to improve outcomes for children and youth involved in... see more
Amy Bailey, 1997
I have been an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Utah State University since Fall 2010. My research focuses on issues of race and inequality. I currently teach courses at the undergraduate and graduate level on social inequality, and enjoy bringing a feminist perspective to my students... see more
Cris Beam, 1994
I graduated Women's Studies 1994--and I'm now teaching creative writing at Columbia and NYU and Bayview Women's Correctional Facility here in NYC. I've also written three books. The first was Transparent (Harcourt, 2007) which covers seven years in the lives of four transgender girls in Los Angeles... see more
I am a rabbi and board-certified chaplain with the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. I work as the rabbi/senior chaplain at Providence Tarzana Medical Center. I am also teaching a chaplaincy class to rabbinical students at the American Jewish University... see more
KC Bly, 2003
KC Bly is a Certified Nurse Midwife at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, CT. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Women's Studies and Latin American & Latino Studies from University of California Santa Cruz in 2003 and his Master's in Nursing from University of California San Francisco in 2010. As a nurse, KC spent 5 years with... see more
Natascha Bruckner, 1992
Natascha Bruckner lives in Santa Cruz, California where she currently serves as managing editor for the Mindfulness Bell magazine, a journal of the art of mindful living (www.mindfulnessbell.org) and also works as a freelance writer and editor. Natascha can be contacted at... see more
Carolyn Caffrey, 2009
Carolyn Caffrey received her Master's Degree in Library Science from Indiana University in 2011. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Library Science / Instruction & Reference Librarian at University of Wisconsin, Superior. Her research interests include critical information literacy, as well as technology in library instruction.... see more
Jaymie Campbell, 2007
Since graduating UCSC in 2007, I have been working in HIV prevention and research with medically underserved populations in San Francisco and Philadelphia. Collaborating with the Harm Reduction Therapy Center in addressing the needs of the medically vulnerable inspired me to apply to graduate school... see more
Diane Cohen, 1986
I graduated with a double major in Psychology and Women's Studies in 1986. I then went on to study Clinical Psychology at the Wright Institute in Berkeley and received a Masters in 1987 and a Ph.D in 1992. I was licensed in 1994. What a ride! I currently have a private practice in Oakland CA doing Psychodynamic, Feminist therapy with... see more
Tallie Ben Daniel, 2005
Tallie Ben Daniel is currently a PhD candidate in the Cultural Studies Graduate Group at UC Davis. She is continuing the academic work she started at UCSC through her dissertation, tentatively titled "Branding Israel: Queer Markets and Politics in San Francisco and Tel Aviv." When not writing, she co-chairs the Queer, Feminist and... see more
Stephanie Denmark, 1985
Stephanie Denmark lives in the Los Angeles area with her family, including her son David, and her daughter, Helena. Stephanie is currently trying to recover from five years of sleep deprivation that began very soon after Helena was born, and continued until she turned 5 years old... see more
B.A. In Feminist Studies with a minor in Education; Currently I am about to begin a masters in education and teaching credential program at Alliant International University. I will also begin searching for full time teaching positions as an elementary school teacher within Oakland Unified and charter school... see more
Kaili Joy Gray, 2002
I am happy to report that I am in fact putting my degree in women's studies to good use in my professional career. I am associate editor at Daily Kos, where I cover politics on a daily basis, but I focus in particular on issues important to women, including writing a weekly series called "This week in the War on Women."... see more
Mary Hansen, 1996
Life is good. I am working in my dream job as an archivist for the City of Portland. My partner and I greatly anticipate the summers in the northwest for gardening, camping and enjoying the sunshine, ever reminded that the rain and darkness are what allow for the joy of summer... see more
Christina Jogoleff, 2010
I am currently living in downtown Riverside as a Ph.D student in Ethnic Studies at UCR (ethnicstudies.ucr.edu) and volunteering with a community re-entry home for recently incarcerated women in South LA. My dissertation project is interested in looking at histories of gendered scientific racism and contemporary forms of... see more
Amanda Kessner, 2010
Amanda Kessner is a Feminist Studies doctoral student in the department of Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. The program seeks to advance interdisciplinary feminist research. Courses are offered in post-colonial feminisms, social movements, critical sexualities, environmental justice, and... see more
Sarah Korda, 2001
Personal news first: I'm 6 months pregnant! My partner, step-daughter and I are expecting an addition to our family in late June 2012. Perhaps due to our new addition I've become obsessed with the idea of making our home zero waste and have recently rid our home of all plastic... see more
Nancy Lemon, 1975
I am happy to report that after graduating from UCSC in Women's Studies in 1975 (the first class), I went on to get a JD from Boalt Hall School of Law, UC Berkeley in 1980. I have focused on domestic violence legal issues ever since, have taught Domestic Violence Law at Boalt since 1988, wrote the... see more
Beth Lilach, 1989
Beth Lilach is the Senior Director of Education and Community Affairs at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center located on Long Island, New York. She supervises education programs for youth, adults, and conducts professional development seminars for law enforcement, military personnel, physicians... see more
Dana Linda, 2007
This Spring Dana will complete her third year of graduate study in the Department of Comparative Literature at UCLA, with a designated concentration in Women's Studies. Her research advocates for increased comparative study between literary and cultural fields of confinement in the Americas.... see more
Nancy Morgan,1984
Clinical Coordinator for Jackson County, Oregon's Secure Residential Treatment Facility, and liaison to the Psychiatric Security Review Board. Nancy is a part-time winemaker, Master Gardener, organic farmer, horseback rider, student of Tibetan Buddhism and is also currently a dissertation committee member... see more
Kristen O'Shea, 1997
After graduating from UCSC in 1997 with a B.A. in psychology and women's studies, I worked for 5 years as a peer counselor to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. I then enrolled in graduate school and earned a Master's degree and PhD in clinical psychology from The University of Montana ... see more
Jonnie Pekelny, 1998
Jonnie Pekelny (formerly Jeannie Pekelny) lives in Oakland with her beloved dog Echo. She spent many years working as a technical writer and is now exploring a transition to another career. She is also active in the cohousing movement, sings folk music (you can find some of the Russian songs she sings... see more
Michelle Potts, 2010
I graduated in 2010 and have been living in Oakland since then. Also this past fall I started my PhD in the Rhetoric program at UC Berkeley. My work mainly focuses on the intersections of feminized labor, race and health. Also another exciting thing was that this past fall I had... see more
Nidya Ramirez, 2008
In 2008 I graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a Bachelor's degree in Feminist Studies with an emphasis in Law, Politics, and Social Change and a minor in History.
After UCSC, I returned to my community of San Diego and began working as a community organizer for immigrant... see more
All is well in my life. I have a birth and postpartum doula practice (Mindful Doula Arts) in San Francisco, where I work with families as they prepare and welcome their babies into their homes. Amazing and dynamic work! In other news, I'm engaged and have a 12 yr old son through my partner. Life is lovely :)... see more
Julie Rose, 1995
I graduated in 1995. I live with my wife, Lynda and our son Dylan, 6 and daugher, Sophie, 2 in Pacifica, CA. Lynda and I have been together since 1998, and were legally married by Gavin Newsom in July 2008. I have worked at Levi Strauss for the last... see more
Brenda Shaughnessy, 1993
I graduated in Women's Studies and Creative Writing in 1993, and have since followed my dream to become a poet. I live in New York and am publishing my third book of poems in September of this year (Copper Canyon Press). I'm an assistant professor of English and Creative Writing at Rutgers University. I love my job!... see more
Mary Spicuzza, 1996
Mary Spicuzza has spent the last few years covering state government for the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison, Wisconsin. She has been extremely busy over the last year covering Gov. Scott Walker and massive protests at the state Capitol after the new Republican governor unveiled his plan to...see more
Sarah Steer, 2010
Sarah Steer lives in San Francisco
Works: UC San Francisco, School of Dentistry; Office of Admissions
Invovlement: GLBT History Museuem volunteer and docent, UCSF Gay-Straight Dental Alliance, Inside UCSF Planning Committee-Office of Outreach & Diversity... see more
Lauren Stower, 2006
Lauren Stower had a plethora of jobs after UCSC: Case Manager for HIV-positive parolees at San Quentin Prison, Flower shop manager, Marketing mind supporting the birth of eBay's first Green/Fair Trade online marketplace with non-profit org. "World of Good," and substitute teaching in Hayward, CA... see more
Renee Terrebonne, 2009
Since graduating in 2009, I moved from Santa Cruz to Los Angeles, where I worked in an office at UCLA for 2 years. This past September, I started graduate school at UCLA in the Education Department to obtain my Secondary Social Sciences Teaching Credential and Masters in Education. UCLA's Teacher Education Program has a strong focus on... see more
I am in the American Studies doctoral program at University of Hawaii at Manoa focusing on critical mixed-race theory and community organizing. I've taken a leave of absence though until December and am in New York right now. I'm trying to write and produce a comedy web series called Mixed Feelings... see more
Dawn Valadez, 1988
Since graduating from UCSC with my degrees in Women’s Studies and Psychology (’88) I have worked in the non-profit, social services field with children, youth, families and service providers in a variety of settings. As a social worker (MSW, UC Berkeley, 1992) I utilize community service, media literacy and... see more
Belinda Van Sickle, 1991
Belinda Van Sickle is President/CEO of GameDocs, a video game industry marketing service provider. She is also President/CEO of Women in Games International, a premier professional organization serving the industry. She's been in the video game business for over 15 years after getting her Master's in.. see more
Leah Walsh, 2007
After graduating in 2007, I moved north to Bethel, Alaska. Bethel has become my home. I work for the University of Alaska, Fairbanks at their rural campus offering nutrition education to youth and food stamp clients. I learn so much from the opportunity to be a minority in a community and region that is primarily Alaska Native... see more 
Lun Wang, 2010
News: I'm currently finishing my Masters in Social Work at San Jose State University in May 2012. I work full-time as a House Manager at Gemma in Santa Cruz. Gemma is a transitional program for women who are exiting Santa Cruz County's jails... see more
Matt White, 1976
Matt White practices law at Monty White LLP and lives in San Rafael, CA. He lectures extensively for lawyers and law students on trial practice, ethics, and settlement skills. Over the last few years, he has given presentations for Hastings College of the Law, Lorman Educational Seminars, the Marin County Bar Association... see more
Taflyn Wilschinsky, 2001
I graduated UCSC in 2001 and have returned to Santa Cruz this past year after completing my Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) in San Francisco at UCSF/SFSU. I was lucky to find a position at great local private clinic... see more
