Dr. Shawn Mendez
Dr. Shawn Mendez (they/she) has helped plan the Queer Studies Conference since 2018 and is the Co-Chair of the 2023 conference with Dr. Amanda Wray. Formerly a professor at UNC Asheville, they are currently Core Faculty in the Human Sexuality PhD program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). Shawn lives in Asheville with one dog and many plants.
Dr. Amanda Wray
Amanda Wray (she/her) is director of the Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies Program at UNC Asheville and co-chair for the 2023 Queer Studies Conference. Amanda created and manages the Blue Ridge Pride LGBTQIA+ Archive, a cultural heritage repository of oral histories and physical artifacts from LGBTQ+ people in Western NC.
Jordan Perry
Jordan Perry (they/she) attended the Queer Studies Conference as a student in the early 2000s and joined the organizing team in 2017. A former UNC Asheville staff member and adjunct faculty, they now work at Appalachian State University. They work in public health, are a mediocre roller derby player, and have a black hellcat named Olive.
Dr. Sophie Mills
Sophie Mills (she/her) is Professor of Ancient Mediterranean Studies at UNC Asheville and is old enough to have helped establish the very first Queer Studies conference back in 1998. She likes cats, Renaissance music, British comedy, beer and teaching ancient Greek to anyone who’s interested.
Anne Slatton
An award-winning writer and director, Anne Slatton (she/her) teaches video production and film studies at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Her production work in film and television includes directing, writing and producing. A frequent panelist on issues of diversity and women in film, scholarly works include co-authorship of video production textbook, Video Production Techniques: Theory and Practice From Concept to Screen as well as book chapters on Sofia Coppola and Lorraine Hansberry.
Lennon O’Hagan
Lennon O’Hagan (he/they) is a senior at UNCA, he is double majoring in Health and Wellness Promotion and Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. They are the student organizer for this year’s conference. Lennon enjoys cooking, watching movies, and spending time with their cat, Scooter.
