GRSJ PhD Graduates from left to right: Adeerya Johnson, Wajiha Mehdi, Don Shafer
Please join us in celebrating the incredible achievements of our November 2025 graduating class! We are proud to announce that 5 graduate students and 7 undergraduate students will be joining the ever-growing group of alumni from the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice.
The scholars below have contributed research and practice in wide-reaching areas. The commonality among their work is a commitment to equity, community activism, and social justice. Congratulations to each one of these extraordinary students!
Doctor of Philosophy in Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice
Adeerya Johnson
Thesis: Salt shakers : black women’s cultural expression and influence in Atlanta’s hip-hop dance scene
Supervisor: Annette Henry
Committee Members: Minelle Mahtani and Lakeyta Bonnette-Bailey – Georgia State University
Don Shafer
Thesis: Sticks and stones, roots and bones : exploring the power of words in a polarized world
Co-Supervisors: Minelle Mahtani and Janice Stewart
Committee Members: Jan Fook – University of Vermont and Andy Hoffman – University of Michigan
Wajiha Mehdi
Thesis: Violent geographies and Muslim women’s citizenship struggles in India
Co-Supervisors: Nora Angeles and Dina Al-Kassim – Department of English Language and Literatures
Committee Members: JP Catungal and Rubina Jasani – University of Manchester
Master of Arts in Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice
Lyric Atchison
Thesis: I am not your colonial girl : possibilities of Indigenous girlhood in Indigenous-created graphic novels
Co-Supervisors: Dory Nason and Rosanne Sia
Yakoop Margaretta James
Thesis: Coming Home : curation, exhibition and research-creation as reclamation and truth-telling
Co-Supervisors: JP Catungal and Henry Yu – Department of History
Bachelor of Arts (GRSJ Major)
Khushi Madan (Double Major – Psychology) | Syeda Sunehra Afsara | Stergios Darntanis | Juliana Jacobs | Elska Kono
Bachelor of Arts (GRSJ Minor)
Carly Charters | Bridget Kristjansson
The graduation ceremony will be held on Thursday, November 27th at 11:00am at the Chan Centre.
Please join us in sending heartfelt congratulations to our graduates for their dedication and accomplishments!
