2022-2023 Graduate Student Scholars in Residence
2022-2023 Graduate Scholars in Residence
Kimya Loder | Sociology | HBCU Exchange Program & NIA Series - I am a dissertation stage PhD candidate in Sociology. My work seeks to understand how highly stigmatized groups organize themselves to build political power. I currently use participant observation, interviews, and archival methods to understand the challenges and triumphs of Black transgender-led organizations in the U.S. South. I’m a proud HBCU alumni, having received by B.A. in Sociology and International studies from Spelman College. In my free time, I enjoy watching movies, gardening, and designing digital content.
What I do at the Black House: At the Black House I’m responsible for coordinating the NIA Series which is dedicated to connecting Black graduate students and Black Stanford alumni. I also work to support the BCSC HBCU Exchange Program.
Why I chose to work at the BCSC: Community building has been so important to my personal well-being as a Black grad student at a PWI. Working at the BCSC allows me to do work that I enjoy by creating spaces where Black students at Stanford can feel seen and safe.
Darion Wallace | Graduate School of Education | EHJS & Black Men's Guild -Originally from Inglewood, California, I earned a bachelor’s degree in Rhetoric and African American Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in International Education Policy Analysis from Stanford University. As a Black Education Studies scholar, my research draws upon Black Studies, Sociology, Anthropology, and History, while employing mixed methods, to interrogate the ways K-12 American schools cohere logics of (anti)blackness and structure the life and educational outcomes of Black students across temporal and spatial bounds. To this aim, my dissertation project explores the interwoven relationship and geography between the anti-slavery abolition movement and the early Black education movement in 19th century California through the life histories of Black abolitionist teachers and the social and political organizations they steered.
What I do at the Black House: In the Black House I serve as the Ernest Houston Johnson Scholars Program Graduate Coordinator which aids first year students garner personal, professional, and academic skills and competencies to be successful at Stanford. Additionally, I serve as a liaison to the Stanford Black Men’s Guild which aims to coordinate events that foster healthy Black masculinities for self-identified Black men at Stanford.
Why I chose to work at the BCSC: As an community-oriented undergraduate, I instantly sought out the Black community as a new graduate student and found the Black House to be a meaningful space to be in community with undergraduates, staff, faculty, and alumni in substantive ways. Working at the Black House grounds me in an ethos of care which is an essential daily reminder that my doctoral work is in service of and attendant to the Black community.
Marie Tano | Linguistics | Campus Partnerships and Collaborations - My current research interest combines methodologies from natural language processing (NLP), psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics and social psychology. Currently, my work seeks to problematize the differences in the language processing capabilities of humans and algorithms; specifically comparing the perception of media depictions of police brutality. I also am interested in raciolinguistics and Diasporic realizations of Blackness through languages such as African-American English and other linguistic varieties.
What I do at the Black House: I mostly look for ways for the Black House to collaborate with other community centers and departments on campus. I am often planning events with others on campus and am always looking for news ways to represent the Black House when engaging with the Broader Stanford community. I also support EHJS program and BGSA as Vice-President this year.
Why I chose to work at the BCSC: I initially joined as I was a BGSA Executive Board and was interested in serving as a liaison between the organization and the Black House. I feel like my role and sense of purpose as a Black House GRS has grown and developed even more, and I really find the work genuinely fulfilling and enjoyable.
Gabbi Polite | Symbolic Systems | Undergraduate Intern - Administrative & Event Support - Hi everyone! My name is Gabbi Polite (they/them) and I am from Philadelphia (by way of New Orleans and New York). I am interested in CS, AI, Linguistics, Mandarin Chinese, and the intersection between race and technology.
What I do at the Black House: I am the intern for the Grad Students in Residence Committee, so I help out with all the tasks going on in Grad Student land. Whether that be helping with EHJS, Grad Student Mixers, or planning reunions, I help out our grad students with the projects they are working on.
Why I chose to work at the BCSC: I decided to work at the Black House because I wanted to have a real, tangible effect on the Black experience at Stanford. Being involved with grad students has helped me see a new side of the Stanford experience, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to help connect grad and undergrad students. Working at the Black House has been a great experience, and I am looking forward to continuing it for years to come.