The Simpson Center for the Humanities recently granted funding to the department’s Gender and Sexuality Graduate Research Cluster. Working groups play a critical role in cultivating community among graduate students, postdocs, and faculty. The working group, originally established in 2014, includes students from five departments across campus and is coordinated by Daiki Hiramori.
Connor Gilroy, one of the members of the working group, has credited it for getting some of the best feedback on his work. He commented that "it's also offered us the unique chance to build ties from graduate students from other universities by inviting them as guest presenters, and that flow of ideas and development of friendships has been incredibly enriching." Aliyah Abu-Hazeem said that the Gender and Sexuality Graduate Research cluster "has helped [her] to become more versed in the gender and sexuality literature as well become a more thoughtful and critical scholar in the field."
Throughout five meetings per quarter, the working group offers a supportive intellectual community that encourages a variety of rigorous work on topics relating to gender and sexuality. Last year, the group shared and discussed research with graduate students from across the country through virtual sessions. They also maintain a Twitter account at @UWGenderGroup.
The funding of $1000 will go to support the working group’s goals to provide space for workshopping members’ work, foster collaboration, promote project and deadline accountability, grow as an intellectual community, and network with graduate students at other universities.