Hi! I’m Joan!

I’m a PhD Candidate at Stanford University, in the Department of Political Science. I work primarily at the intersection of contemporary political theory and history of political thought, focused on varieties of feminism.

My dissertation is tentatively titled, “On Patriarchy: Origin Stories in Contemporary Feminist Thought.” In this project, I explore the various ways that feminist thinkers have “diagnosed” the problem of patriarchy, using their stories of how we got to this point to better understand where they think we ought to go from here. The dissertation covers a wide range of thinkers, from the 14th to the 21st centuries. You can read more about this project here.

In addition to my dissertation, I also work on the intersection of sexuality and law. My most recent project concerns the relationship between sexual autonomy and affirmative consent in pornography contracts. To learn more, visit my page on “Sex and the Law”.

I love teaching, and have been lucky enough to be a graduate teaching assistant on a wide variety of courses, from Ethics for Activists to Justice to Citizenship. Most recently, I was a visiting faculty member at Deep Springs College, where I taught The Ethics of Sex, Gender, and Reproduction.

I also enjoy mentoring, so if you’re a former student looking to get in touch with me, you can always reach out or find my office hours on Calendly.