Student Profiles

Symphony Bruce (she/her) is a first year MA student in the Social and Cultural Analysis Program. She is also the Critical Pedagogy Librarian at the NYU Division of Libraries. She earned a BA in Secondary Education and English from Webster University and a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Missouri. After spending many years teaching high school English, Symphony made the career change to librarianship, while developing a scholarly interest in critical theory and critical pedagogy. She hopes to use her time in SCA to explore the current wave of ideological attacks on librarianship and education and apply what she learns to a critical pedagogy of library instruction.

Jessica Medina is a results-oriented graduate student with a comprehensive foundation in Social and Cultural Analysis. She seamlessly merges her interdisciplinary knowledge from the humanities and social sciences to analyze complex relationships within societies and institutions. Proficient in theoretical frameworks encompassing social geography, feminism, queer studies, critical race theory, and cultural studies, Jessica possesses a keen historical acumen and deep understanding of significant developments like urbanization, identity formation, and ethnic cultures. Her educational journey spans a BA and upcoming MA from New York University, supplemented by a foundation in psychology, anthropology, and sociology from Queensborough Community College.

Arezou Moini is a first-year MA student in Social and Cultural Analysis. She received her BA in Political Science and Sociology with a minor in History from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Arezou’s research interests lie in carceralism, capitalism, globalization, and gender studies.

Madeleine Horn is a second-year MA student in Social and Cultural Analysis. She received her BA in Geography from Durham University, UK.  Her final year dissertation centred around emotional geography and queer studies, exploring encounters of heteronormativity within the LGBTQ+ community. This involved considering performativity within gender, as well as fears relating to direct and indirect violence, and invisibility contrasted with hyper-visibility. 

Candace Maldonado is a second-year MA student in Social and Cultural Analysis. She received her BA in Political Science with a Minor in Women’s Studies at California State University, Dominguez Hills in 2020. Following her BA, she has been employed at a Los Angeles based non-profit, and worked with Los Angeles County on allocating funding for their first ever Care First Jails Last initiative. 

 Ali Aoun is a third-year MA student in Social and Cultural Analysis. They received their BA in Social Relations & Policy and International relations from the James Madison College at Michigan State University in 2019. His capstone explored sex & gender identities through document analysis, participant observation, interviews and documentary filmmaking. Additionally, he has conducted filed work in Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector. Following his BA, he has held positions in non-profits, the Michigan Legislature, and Governor Whitmer’s office. Ali’s research interest lie in critical theory, political theory, culture, film studies, globalization and inequity.

Jasper Florack is a fourth-year MA student in Social and Cultural Analysis. They received their BA in American Studies with a specialization in literature, religion, and politics from Heidelberg University in 2018. Their senior thesis explored the religious beliefs and communities of gay Mormons. As an interdisciplinary scholar, Jasper’s research interests lie in queer history and culture.