This August, Hannah Pelphrey will join the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) program as our new undergraduate assistant. Pelphrey is a junior history and social sciences secondary education major and a WGSS minor. 

Pelphrey was drawn to the WGSS program because, in her words,  it is “a vital part of a well-rounded education, as it uses an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the world around us and experiences people have.”

Over the past two years at Illinois State, Pelphrey has helped to organize and participated in a number of rallies in the Bloomington-Normal community related to issues of sexual violence, reproductive justice, and LGBTQIA+ issues. Last year, Pelphrey served as the president of FLAME, Illinois State’s registered student organization whose mission is to bring awareness of intersectional feminist issues to the community.

When asked about what she is looking forward to in this position, Pelphrey says she is excited “to work with the WGSS office staff and collaborate on various projects,” as well as for “the opportunities this position will provide to grow (her) various professional skills.” 

We welcome Hannah Pelphrey to the WGSS office and are eager to watch her continue her activism and advocacy at Illinois State.