My research broadly focuses on the intersection of knowledge, practice, and education relating to sexuality, gender, and violence.

 

My dissertation research examines consent practices in U.S. BDSM communities. Using a feminist sociological lens, I am interested in how understandings of consent are constructed, shared, and enacted; the connection between consent and sexual joy; and the repercussions for consent violations in BDSM communities where legal response to harm is not desired, sought, nor expected.

 

Much of my other research and activism focuses on efforts within university systems to combat sexual violence and harassment (SVSH) and better support survivors. Following my participation as a graduate research intern for UC Speaks Up - a qualitative study of consent cultures, SVSH, and institutional resources on three UC campuses - I have co-authored multiple publications on campus sexual violence and prevention, several of which focus explicitly on the experiences of graduate students. 

 

I am currently collecting submissions for a survey project entitled #metoogradschool, where I solicit both quantitative and qualitative data on the experiences graduate students have with SVSH while in their graduate programs. The survey is open to anyone who is enrolled in or has completed a post-graduate degree AND has experienced SVSH while a graduate student. You can find the survey at tinyurl.com/metoogradschool. 

 

And, finally, for my next project, I will be conducting a multi-method study of fat people's experiences navigating medical consent in their pursuit of reproductive healthcare.