PhD in Cultural Studies

Ashley Gaddy Robbins

Ashley Gaddy Robbins, 2023

PhD in Cultural Studies

During her time at Mason, Dr. Gaddy Robbins focused on race and gender, as well as biopolitics.

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Xinyi “Amy” Zhang

Xinyi “Amy” Zhang, 2023

PhD in Cultural Studies

Xinyi “Amy” Zhang received her Ph.D. in Cultural Studies while also serving as a Term Instructor at Mason Korea.

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Matt Malzkuhn

Matt Malzkuhn, 2020

Bridging Communities through Scholarship and Entrepreneurship

Matt Malzkuhn never thought his doctoral work in cultural studies would push him to become a budding entrepreneur.

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Andrea Zach

Andrea Zach, 2017

Using her interest in German culture to earn her PhD in Culture Studies

Department of Modern and Classical Languages faculty member, Andrea Zach, earned her PhD in December and plans to continue teaching, using knowledge gained from her doctorate.

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Mika'il Petin

Mika'il Petin, 2016

Petin is an impassioned professional with more than 20 years of experience in solving problems within private and public organizations.

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Donna P.  Hope

Donna P. Hope, 2007

2017 Spring Distinguished Alumni - Cultural Studies

Dr. Donna Hope is a cultural analyst and senior lecturer at the University of the West Indies in Mona, Jamaica, and is currently on a research fellowship studying the global spread of Jamaican popular culture.

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Molly Dragiewicz

Molly Dragiewicz, 2006

Researching the role of technology in domestic violence

Dragiewicz is an internationally award-winning criminologist who studies violence and gender and has to date published her work in a number of books, as well as in over 70 journal articles, book chapters, and research reports.

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Jaafar Aksikas

Jaafar Aksikas, 2005

Exploring the fields of Cultural Studies, media and culture industry studies, critical legal and policy studies, American Studies, and Middle Eastern studies.

Aksikas serves on the editorial boards of Cultural Studies and Lateral journals. He is also Past President of the Cultural Studies Association (CSA).

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Wendy Burns-Ardolino, PhD

Wendy Burns-Ardolino, PhD, 2004

2018 Distinguished Alumni - Cultural Studies

Burns-Ardolino teaches courses that cut across media, cultural and women’s studies and is nationally recognized as a scholar in the fields of feminist media studies, body studies, and American popular culture.

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Elena Razlogova

Elena Razlogova, 2004

2021 Distinguished Alumni - Cultural Studies

Elena Razlogova received her BA from the University of California at Berkeley, her MA from New York University, and her PhD from George Mason University. She an associate professor of history at Concordia University in Montreal, specializing in the history of the United States, the global Cold War, and digital culture.  

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Felicia L.  Carr

Felicia L. Carr, 2003

2022 Distinguished Alumni - Cultural Studies

Felicia Carr created an early love of storytelling into a career in communications and marketing with a focus on non-profits, advocacy organizations, and higher education.  

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Deborah Willis

Deborah Willis, 2003

Deborah Willis, PhD Cultural Studies '03, is the first Mason PhD to be elected to the National Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is a university professor and chair of the Department of Photography and Imaging at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, where she also serves as director of the NYU Institute for African American Affairs and the Center for Black Visual Culture.

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