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Contact Us
Main Line: 303-615-2052 | [email protected]
Hours of Operation: M-T 9am-4pm, Available Fridays Virtually
Mailing Address:
Campus Box 36
PO Box 173362
Denver, CO 80217
Campus Location:
Boulder Creek, Room 132
950 10th Street Plaza
Denver, CO 80204
Pro Staff
Director/Department Chair
Call: 303-615-1996
Email: [email protected]
Bio: Anahi Russo Garrido is an associate professor in Gender, women’s and sexuality studies at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She completed her PhD in Gender and Women’s Studies at Rutgers University, and postdoctoral fellowships at Carleton College and Brandeis University. Her research and teaching has focused on transnational sexualities, gender and sexuality in Latin America, queer and feminist theory and social justice organizing. More particularly, her current work investigates the transformation of intimacy in Mexico City in the lives of three generations of women participating in queer spaces. She is the co-editor of “Building Feminist Movements and Organizations” and has published articles on queer Mexico City in Women Studies Quarterly, NWSA Journal and the Journal of Postcolonial Cultures and Societies. She is the author of the monograph”Tortilleras Negotiating Intimacy: Love, Friendship and Sex in Queer Mexico City” (Rutgers University Press, 2020).
Department Coordinator
Call: 303-605-5769
Email: [email protected]
Bio: Javonne Archibeque (she/they) graduated from MSU Denver in the fall of 2017 with an individualized degree in Social Justice and Identity in Literature and Media, and a minor in Genders and Sexualities. She joined GITA (formerly the Institute for Womens Studies and Services) in early 2018 as a part-time temporary administrative assistant, and then was hired on as the department coordinator in fall 2019. Javonne’s family has lived in the Denver area for generations, and she feels very connected to this city and the Auraria campus.
Associate Director
Call: 303-615-2036
Email: [email protected]
Bio: Eneri “Netty” Rodriguez received their MA in Women’s Studies from San Diego State University and their BA in Chicana/o Studies and English Literature from UC Santa Barbara. They moved to Denver in 2008 and joined the MSU Denver Gender Institute for Teaching and Advocacy as Affiliate Faculty the following summer. Netty also worked for Project PAVE, a non-profit organization in Denver whose mission it is to empower youth to end the cycle of relationship violence. Netty has a particular interest in representations in media and popular culture, with an undeniable love for horror movies!
Anti-Oppression and Academic Excellence Program Manager
Call: 303-615-2037
Email: [email protected]
Bio: Soj Sirivanchai completed their B.S. in Biology, minoring in Chemistry from The University of Colorado, Denver. They then went on to complete a Master of Science in Microbiology from the University of California, Berkeley. As the first person in their family to attend college, Soj is most passionate about increasing access to higher education for historically underrepresented folks. Soj hopes to assist students in finding their own empowerment through holistic advising, community building, and advocacy.
Advisors
Anti-Oppression and Academic Excellence Program Manager
Assists students with all levels of Academic Advising, declaring GWS Majors and minors, advocating to get their needs met when working with Faculty or staff on campus, and crisis support.
Call: 303-615-2037
Email: [email protected] *Best way to contact Soj*
Bio:
Soj Sirivanchai completed their B.S. in Biology, minoring in Chemistry from The University of Colorado, Denver. They then went on to complete a Master of Science in Microbiology from the University of California, Berkeley. As the first person in their family to attend college, Soj is most passionate about increasing access to higher education for historically underrepresented folks. Soj hopes to assist students in finding their own empowerment through holistic advising, community building, and advocacy.
Academic Advisor and Retention Specialist
Assist students with Academic probation, General Studies Holds, and Freshman and Sophomore students with General Studies course scheduling.
Call: 303-605-5884
Email: [email protected]
Bio:
Alexis Magaña (she/her) is a proud, first-generation, alumna of MSU Denver. She graduated from the Department of Modern Languages with a concentration in French and Spanish. Alexis advices for History, Philosophy, and Modern Languages as well. You can contact her via email, by phone, or on Microsoft Teams. You can check her availability to schedule an advising appointment here.
Office Hours –
Mondays: Plaza 339
9:00 AM-3:00 PM Appointments Only (both in-person and virtual appointments)
3:00 PM-4:00 PM drop-ins (both in-person and virtual appointments)
Tuesdays: Virtual
9:00 AM-3:00 PM Appointments Only (virtual appointments)
3:00 PM-4:00 PM drop-ins (virtual appointments)
Wednesday and Thursday: Central 211E
9:00 AM-3:00 PM Appointments Only (both in-person and virtual appointments)
3:00 PM-4:00 PM drop-ins (both in-person and virtual appointments)
Fridays: Virtual
9:00 AM-3:00 PM Appointments Only (virtual appointments)
3:00 PM-4:00 PM drop-ins (virtual appointments)
Full-Time Faculty
Assistant Professor
Email: [email protected]
Call: 303-605-7607
Bio: Assistant Professor Sonny Dhoot’s current research explores how the configurations of race, capital, gender, sexuality and normalcy shape the erotic lives of queers of colour. His current research and teaching interests include, queer/trans of color critique, decolonial/critical race feminisms, transnational and women of color feminisms, and queer erotics and sexuality studies. Sonny is also interested in anti-carceral community projects.
Associate Professor
Call: 303-556-2052
Email: [email protected]
Bio: Sandra is a folklorist by training who specializes in narrative and the art and aesthetics of everyday life. She received her Ph.D. and M.A. in Folklore & Mythology from UCLA and her B.A. in Comparative Literature from CSULB. Dr. Posey has been published in Western Folklore, Frontiers: a Journal of Women Studies, Women’s Studies: an Interdisciplinary Journal and in collections from Routledge, University Press of Mississippi, University Press of Kentucky, Anchor Books, Pearson and others. Her comic College Edge appears regularly in the independent Campus News, distributed at 37 universities and colleges.
Assistant Professor
Email: [email protected]
Call: 303-615-2052
Bio: Stephanie Dimatulac Santos is an interdisciplinary scholar who uses ethnography, computational humanities, and cultural analysis to examine gender and development issues in Southeast Asia. Her current book project, Filipina Women and Social Reproduction Theory, uses the Filipino concept of “kabuhayan” or life-making as a counter-narrative to examine how development instruments privilege Western ideas of labor and resource extraction. Her teaching and research interests include transnational feminisms, Asian and Asian Diaspora Studies, and feminist science and technology. Her next research project examines emerging forms of transnational digital labor in Southeast Asia.
Professor
Email: [email protected]
Call: 303-615-2038
Bio: Dr. Gerakina (Arlene) Sgoutas is a Professor of Gender, Women, and Sexualities Studies, and at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Her research and teaching interests include feminist interventions in global politics, international women’s resistance movements, and motherhood studies. She is co-editor with Tatjana Takševa of the publication by Demeter Press, Mothers under fire: Mothering in conflict areas (July 2015). She received the President’s Distinguished Service Award for faculty in 2014 and the Student Recognition Award for her commitment to serving students with disabilities. She has taught at MSU Denver since 2002 and served as Interim Dean for the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences from 2018-2020.
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Professor
Email:
Call: 303-615-2052
Bio: Dr. Judy Strathearn has been with MSU Denver since 2016 in the Department of Africana Studies and as Interim Coordinator for Supplemental Instruction. She is now a full-time lecturer at GITA. She earned her Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2017 where her dissertation investigated Gullah history and culture through the lens of gender and literature. Her research interests include Gullah Studies, Gullah Womanism and Black Feminism, and narrative strategies of Black women writers of the Diaspora. Her teaching philosophy is rooted in experiential education as a methodology to increase African Diaspora cultural knowledge and community contributions.
Affiliate Faculty
Instructor
Email: [email protected]
Call: 303-615-2052
Bio: Shanae “HonestlyNae” Adams, PhD(c), LPCC, NCC, CIGT (pronouns they/she) serves her community in a variety of ways, including therapist, educator, and sex-positive enthusiast. They became interested in sexuality as a teen watching Talk Sex with Sue and Real Sex on late-night TV. After joining a sexuality education club in undergrad, she developed into a well-established sexuality educator, researcher, and pleasure activist. Their mission of sexuality normalization, explanation, and melanated representation drives her to prioritize the healing and experiences of QTBIPOC and femmes of color. She utilizes an intersectional and indigenous approach with clients and in their lectures to amplify those experiences. They are currently pursuing their Ph.D. in Clinical Sexology focusing on the intersection of black people and the experience of kink.
Instructor
Email:
Call: 303-615-1014
Bio: Dr. Bridgette Coble is currently the Director of Career Engagement in the Classroom to Career Hub at Metropolitan State University of Denver and has worked as a career professional for over 25 years. She earned her doctorate degree in Higher Education Program at the University of Denver with an emphasis in diversity in learning and her Master of Science degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Colorado State University. Her career spans the realm of private industry and higher education but has always involved diversity, equity and inclusion, career development, and student support. Her research interests include strategies for achieving Inclusive Excellence in Higher Education, Mentoring Programs for Students of Color and African American College Student Experiences. She has also worked at Colorado State University, the University of Michigan and the Community College of Denver in the area of career services and six years leading human resource staffing initiatives at Hewlett-Packard and the spin off company Agilent Technologies. She is passionate about supporting students in their career planning journeys.
Instructor
Email: [email protected]
Call: 303-615-2052
Bio:
Andrea Rodriguez (she/they) was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. Andrea is an MSU Denver alum and a first-generation scholar who graduated with her master’s degree in Higher Education from the University of Denver in 2022. As the first to attend college in their family Andrea cares deeply about the student’s experience in and outside of the classroom. Their passion is to increase college access and retention of historically underrepresented students in higher education. During her free time, she enjoys everything plant related, DIY projects, hiking, paddle boarding, and laying on the grass on breezy sunny days.
Instructor
Email: [email protected]
Call: 303-615-2052
Bio: dena harry saleh (they/them/theirs) was born in Denver to Palestinian immigrants in the late 1900’s. They attended public school until moving to New York City in the year 2000. They went to Eugene Lang College at The New School University and graduated with a BA in Writing, with a focus on Nonfiction and Fiction. They then moved back to Denver and was a teacher of Social Justice Studies for eleven years before beginning their college teaching career. They have an MA from CU Denver. They are an avid writer, reader, and cultural critic.
Instructor
Email: [email protected]
Call: 813-368-3630
Bio: Kara Sand, MS, CPTD® (pronouns she/her) has over 15 years of experience in corporate training and leadership development and holds a Master’s Degree in Communication. Her purpose is to empower and connect individuals, teams, and organizations by increasing their personal development and growth through effective communication skills.
Student Staff
Academics and Outreach
Email: [email protected]
Call: 303-615-2052
Bio: Lauren (she/her/hers) is a junior, majoring in Gender, Women, and Sexuality, with a minor in music. Lauren is part of the Academics and Outreach team at GITA. She also is beginning her second semester as a Learning Assistant for the Intro to GWS course. Lauren is a non-traditional first gen student. Her goals after graduation are to do advocacy work, and trauma response. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her children, reading, singing, and playing the piano.
Scholarship Tutor
Email: [email protected]
Call: 303-615-2052
Bio: Dexter (He/him/his) is a sophomore, first-generation student who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design. In the summer of 2023, he began providing scholarship support to students through GITA as a Scholarship Tutor. It is his passion to work in collaborative, creative teams, help others find their voice, and build new connections. Along with his work with the GITA team, Dexter also participates in the Earn and Learn program on campus, working in an internship setting with alumni from the Industrial Design program at MSU Denver. He is also a work-study student in the Industrial Design department, immersing himself in campus culture and seeking to gain the maximum amount of knowledge and experience during his time here. In addition to working for GITA, Dexter enjoys riding motorcycles and dirtbikes, paddleboarding, gardening, swimming, hiking, and rock climbing.
Academics and Outreach
Email: [email protected]
Call: 303-615-2052
Bio: Sadaf (she/they) is a junior transfer student working towards earning her degree in Computer Information Systems. She started working for GITA in Summer of 2020 as a Scholarship Tutor and is now part of the Academics and Outreach team. Her work mainly focuses on GITA’s online presence by handling all social networks and the department website. She enjoys collaborating on events with her team and building new connections when working in office. Sadaf cherishes the safe space GITA provides and encourages others to experience it for themselves. Outside of GITA, Sadaf loves to spend quality time with her friends and family, look after her plants, go to live shows, explore new restaurants, work as a makeup artist, and build new relationships.
Scholarship Tutor
Email: [email protected]
Call: 303-615-2052
Bio: Hi friends! Annabel (she/her/hers) is a junior transfer student currently passionately working towards her degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Cultural and Linguistic Diversity. She believes strongly in the power of empathy and self-growth, which she makes strides to translate into her career and personal life. Her journey towards wanting to be a teacher is fueled by her mission to foster creativity and authentic diversity in the classroom. Her desire to advocate for herself as a first-generation, Korean American woman led her here to GITA, where she works as an enthusiastic Scholarship Tutor and Events/Marketing student staff member. Her second job is as an elementary tutor, where she thrives in the opportunity to guide kids in their educational journey with love and fun! Outside of work and school, Annabel loves to try new food, bullet journal, write poetry, and paint.
Academics and Outreach
Email: [email protected]
Call: 303-615-2052
Bio: Say hello to our new Academics and Outreach team member Kloe (she/her/hers)! She attends MSU Denver and is currently a senior. She is very passionate about psychology and aims to leave with a bachelor’s degree to pursue her dreams of becoming an art therapist for children. She believes that art therapy is a perfect form of self and emotional expression that goes beyond the bounds of language. She loves to paint, sing, write, and exercise! Her interests include the topic of self-esteem, emotional intelligence, and true crime. She is so excited to be here with us and add comfort and openness to our safe space.
Scholarship Tutor
Email: [email protected]
Call: 303-615-2052
Bio: Hi everyone! Ari (He/They) is a Mexican-American First Generation University Freshman who has interests in Marketing, GWS Studies, and Music. He currently does not know his major or degree path, but most likely will be somewhere in GWS/Marketing with a Music Minor. He joined GITA under the CollegeWorks program and loved it so much he stayed with us and is now a Scholarship Tutor at GITA. Ari loves Hello Kitty, Sanrio, Video games, Pink things and plants!
Scholarship Tutor
Email: [email protected]
Call: 303-615-2052
Bio: Hang (It/Its) is a junior, who is working on a Gender and Women Studies degree with a minor in
Cultural Studies. It is currently passionate about ways to make resources accessible and equitable for POC
and LGBTQ+. It enjoys learning different experiences and how to view the world in a way that is
decolonizing. Before coming to GITA (Gender Institute for Teaching and Advocacy), it was a Learning
Assistant doing Introduction to Gender and Women Studies. Here at Gita, it is a Scholarship Tutor
looking forward to helping and connecting students. In its free time, it likes to catch up with sleep and
take time for itself, as well as drawing and doing stories.
Academics and Outreach
Email: [email protected]
Call: 303-615-2052
Bio: Brooke (she/they) is a transfer student working towards their degree in Gender, Women, and Sexualites with a minor in Social Work. She is a part of the academics and outreach team here at GITA. In the future, they hope to work in a field that advocates for and supports underrepresented individuals. She enjoys making connections and forming new friendships. Brooke was a frequent visitor at GITA space before joining the team, and formed amazing connections with the individuals within the community. Along with being a part of the student staff at GITA, she is going to be a learning assistant for the intro course to GWS for a second semester. In her free time she likes to experiment with makeup, go to concerts and hang with friends.