Even in these challenging times, the future of gender, women and sexuality studies scholarship is bright! GWSS undergraduates are producing innovative, creative, and independent research projects that make meaningful contributions across multiple fields of inquiry–underscoring the vital importance of feminist thought on campus and beyond.
On Friday, May 16, eight exceptional GWSS majors will showcase their work at the 2025 UW Undergraduate Research Symposium. Their projects draw from disciplines including anthropology, information sciences, law, medicine, and the visual and performing arts. Topics range from Andean cosmology and the archival legacy of U.S. nuclear programs to gameplay decisions in Stardew Valley. Each project explores the intersections of race, Indigeneity, and movements for medical and environmental justice.
Just skimming the titles of their research projects reveals the extraordinary breadth and depth of feminist research happening in GWSS. Check out the schedule below, and come support these brilliant presenters, performers, and artists!
And to our students participating in the symposium–congratulations! We’re so proud of all you’ve accomplished and grateful that you’re sharing your research with the wider UW community.
GWSS Student Presentations | Friday, May 16, 2025
Nina Zafra
"Why Do We Like to Play At Labor? Exploring How Identities of Femme-Presenting and Feminized People of Color Impact Gameplay Decisions in Stardew Valley"
Poster Presentation Session 1 | MGH Commons East | Easel #27 | 11:20am - 12:20pm
Alayha Chaudhry and Sydney Vangilder
"Conceptualizing Family and Kinship in Childfree Women in a Post-industrial Society"
Poster Presentation Session 1 | MGH 241 | Easel #70 | 11:20am - 12:20pm
Note: Sydney Vangilder is also listed in another project from a different discipline. We’ve chosen to highlight their GWSS-affiliated project here.
Fiona Rivera
“Queer Animality and Andean Cosmology: Dismantling Spanish Colonialism through Contemporary Peruvian Artistry”
Session O-1C: Studies & Reflections on Gender, Sexuality & Indigenous Peoples | MGH 288 | 11:30am - 1:10pm
Torin Burns
"Archiving for Community Use: Digital Collections of the United States Nuclear Legacy"
Poster Presentation Session 2 | MGH 241 | Easel #64 | 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Lou Chow
"Alleviating Dysmenorrhea in BIPOC Populations through Community Dance"
Performing Arts Session | Meany Hall Studio Theater | 12:30pm - 2:00pm
Ahna Rader (with Presley Berman, Information Systems)
"Mobilizing the Law: Environment and Business Interests Before the ECtHR"
Poster Presentation Session 3 | MGH Commons West | Easel #6 | 1:40pm - 2:40pm
Matthew Judd
"Dialogue/ Loving Yourself as You Would Love Another"
Visual Arts & Design Showcase | Allen Library Research Commons | 2:30pm - 4:00pm