Creating opportunities for undergraduate learners to engage in original research and creative activities within the field of women's, gender, and sexuality studies is an integral part of our course curriculum and degree program in Gender & Sexuality Studies. We believe in empowering our students to explore and express their ideas through research and innovative means, multiple tools, and d igital and material media arts. Digital humanities provides a valuable platform for many of their endeavors, as does digital storytelling. Here is noteworthy example of recent undergraduate research and creativity, undertaken by Gender & Sexuality Studies learners:
Arantza Zacarias: ARCHIVING FEMINICIDE
Mentors: Dr. Cynthia Bejarano and Dr. Sylvia Fernandez (UTSA)
Project Overview
Contribution to Gender & Sexuality Studies
Arantza's project serves as a pivotal scholarly and activist contribution to the Gender & Sexuality Studies minor at NMSU. Her innovative use of archival material to produce a digital exhibit not only contributes to academic dialogue but also creates a platform for wider social justice conversations. The project showcases the potential for research-based methods to foster both academic and public engagement in critical social issues.
About the Exhibit
"Archiving Feminicide" serves as an essential digital platform for raising awareness and fostering dialogue surrounding feminicide in the borderland regions. Through meticulous curation of archival materials and digital storytelling techniques, Zacarias crafts an exhibit that is both educational and impactful.
Academic Mentorship
Under the year-long mentorship of Dr. Cynthia Bejarano and Dr. Sylvia Fernandez (UTSA), Zacarias has developed this groundbreaking project. Her work exemplifies the interdisciplinary nature of Gender & Sexuality Studies at NMSU, effectively bridging archival research with digital media to engage with a critical social issue.
Alex Fonnest: Memory
Major: Gender & Sexuality Studies
Mentors: Dr. M. C. Jonet and Dr. L. Anh Williams
Project Overview
Created as part of the special topics course "Feminist Border Arts," Alex’s digital storytelling project, "Memory," delves into the complex emotional landscape navigated in the wake of her mother's passing. Employing poetic narrative techniques, archival material, visual cues, and time-based media technologies, Alex crafts a poignant and multidimensional narrative. Her project captures the essence of loss and remembrance through a feminist and queer theoretical lens, embodying the interdisciplinary and transformative ethos of Gender & Sexuality Studies at NMSU and the creative methodologies championed by FBA.
Contribution to Feminist Border Arts Film Festival
Alex’s work serves as a poignant example of how practice-based methods can facilitate research-creation in Gender & Sexuality Studies. This project not only contributes to the academic discourse but also enriches the media arts landscape by bringing personal stories to the forefront. "Memory" was an official selection of the 8th Annual Feminist Border Arts Film Festival, held on June 28, 2023, at the NMSU University Art Museum. T he project utilizes the digital learning methods and creative practices espoused by FBA to create a transformative narrative that resonates on multiple levels—academic, emotional, and artistic.
"Memory" was also featured in the 9th Annual Feminist Border Arts Film Festival, held on June 28 & 29, 2024, on a panel discussion digital storytelling, featuring digital storytellers. Alex was also named Outstanding Graduating Senior in Spring 2024, a departmental award.
Academic Mentorship
Working with Dr. M. C. Jonet and Dr. L. Anh Williams for a semester shaping the 2023 FBAFF, Alex's project exemplifies the kind of interdisciplinary work that bridges film, media, and cultural studies with practice-based methods. Her work demonstrates how MACS enriches the educational and research missions of the NMSU Gender & Sexuality Studies academic unit, offering a nuanced portrayal of personal narratives as they intersect with broader social and cultural themes.
