Dr. Alex Ketchum (she/her)
@aketchum22
Followers
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Following
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PhD in History, professor of Feminist + Social Justice Studies; food, environmental, gender, +tech history, queer, founder of @feministandacc1 , @historical_cook
Montreal based- Cali born
Joined December 2013
Don't wanna be here?
Send us removal request.
Working on writing a syllabus today for my new winter 2021 course: Feminist Futurities, Technologies, and Worldmaking
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I'm happy to officially announce that I will be the special series editor of a new book series at
@ConcordiaPress
: Feminist Tech Histories.
We'll soon update the press's website w/all of the details, but here's info for potential authors:
@McGillARTS
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@MikkiBrock
microsoft word also has this feature- I listened to my dissertation aloud and would change the voices (using a different app)-- helped me catch so many things- def would recommend
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It's official. I’m now a tenure-track Assistant Professor at
@mcgillu
@McGillARTS
's Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies. I can finally share the news. For the past 5 years I have been a non-tenure track Faculty Lecturer but this summer I received the offer 1/2
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Today I had to turn down the offer to be the co-editor in chief or managing editor of the same journal that published my first ever peer-reviewed article. The position was unpaid. I am not tenure track. I teach 7 courses a year, am director of a lab, am the PI on 3 grants, 1/2
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I'm so excited to share the cover for my book Ingredients for Revolution: A History of American Feminist Restaurants, Cafes, and Coffeehouses! It will be out in open access and paperback in Fall 2022 from
@ConcordiaPress
to commemorate the 50th year anniversary of the founding of
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I am SO EXCITED to announce that my book Engage in Public Scholarship!: A Guidebook on Feminist and Accessible Communication (
@ConcordiaPress
) is now available for PRE-ORDER! and there is a 20% discount code: "Ketchum20"
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I signed my contract for my 2nd academic book this week!
Ingredients for Revolution is the history of feminist restaurants, cafes,+coffeehouses 1972-today
Like my first book (Engage in Public Scholarship! out spring 2022) it'll be available OA in print w/ Concordia Uni Press.
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I think it is a mistake for academic writers to not see themselves as writers. I think this is part of an overall issue of scholars seeing themselves as apart (e.g. not viewing their work as work).
Viewing my writing as writing (and even as creative work!) has been key 1/8
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@ErickAguinaldo
@UMich
First- I am so sorry you experienced this. 2nd- this points to the ways that programs/departments that teach feminist studies aren't always feminist programs/departments (in labour practices especially)
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"Women in academia often hold contingent positions and experience higher-than-average teaching loads. They are assigned more remedial and introductory courses and counsel more students, including more students needing additional support.These inequities are amplified 4 faculty 1/
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I'm happy to share that I won the Principal's Prize for Public Engagement through Media for
@mcgillu
!!
Thank you so much to the jury and awards committee for selecting me!
(
@McGillARTS
@IGSFMcGill
@ConcordiaPress
)
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Sometimes when I find out someone is working on a similar project to what I am working on my first thoughts are: defensive, competitive, + frustrated BUT THEN I take a breath and think- how wonderful! someone else cares about what I care about + will likely approach the topic 1/3
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To add: there is a sadness in this. A modest honorarium might have made this possible. But I also want to be transparent about the labour issues here.
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This thread:
(these messages contain similar rhetoric as the kind of misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, and racist comments instructors receive in course evaluations (which unis still use for hiring and promotion))
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Today I finished recording the 22nd + final episode of the Intro to Feminist + Social Justice Studies Podcast. Every episode comes with a transcript, available free to the public at my website:
(195 hours of labour that I've done over the past 2 months)
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supervise 6-7 research assistants, supervise 3 TAs, oversee the honors program, am on 2 boards, and am writing books. I get paid 56,000 CAD (around 42,000 USD) BEFORE taxes a year. I cannot afford to do more unpaid work that doesn't directly help my students or community. 2/2
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I'm trying to assemble a list of universities that have a pathway for NTT folks to convert to TT positions. It's been in different threads but I'm trying to collect them. Please either reply to the thread or
@contingent_mag
@erin_bartram
@AcademicChatter
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So excited!
@ConcordiaPress
will be publishing my book Ingredients for Revolution: American Feminist Restaurants, Cafés, and Coffeehouses (1972-present) in Fall 2022!!!!!
I'm so excited-I began this research a decade ago!!!
it will also be available open access
@IGSFMcGill
1/3
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I will continue my role as the Institute for Gender, Sexuality, + Feminist Studies Faculty Lecturer next year. My NTT contract in which I'm the only full time faculty member for the Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, + Social Justice Studies program has been renewed for another 3 years
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I can now announce that my book, ``Engage in Public Scholarship!: A Guidebook on Feminist and Accessible Communication'' is under contract with Concordia University Press (
@ConcordiaPress
). There will be an open access version!
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I'm so excited that the board of Concordia Uni Press was happy w/my edits after peer review + will be sending my manuscript (Engage in Public Scholarship!: A Guidebook on Feminist + Accessible Communication)to copy editing this week!! The book will be available OA + in paperback!
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I guess when it rains, it pours. I also just won a 2 year SSHRC Insight Grant!!!
As a non-tenure track prof, teaching a 4/3, writing these 2 major grants wouldn't have been possible without my amazing support system
@IGSFMcGill
.
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Thank you everyone for your kind words. I'll post a public copy of my syllabus when it is done (in the public versions I remove zoom links, mcgill specific info, and such).
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I have a new piece out with
@atlasobscura
on the history of kitchen computers and representations in tech mags:
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I have a few students interested in autoethnography (not my expertise). Can anyone share a pragmatic text on autoethnographic methods that would be useful for non-anthropologist undergrads? (bonus if it is from a feminist perspective)
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Check out this conference that I am co-organizing with Megan Elias, happening at
@gastronomyatbu
. Check out the conference instagram (queerfoodconference) and the website for the Call for Papers/Proposals (CFP) and more details!
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As promised, here is the public version of my syllabus (the link is under GSFS 401: Feminist Futurities, Technologies, and Worldmaking on my website, here:
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Research assistants:
1) should be paid (and paid well)- Don't try to undercut them. Don't exploit them.
2) are not for picking up dry cleaning, doing your errands, etc (this is a subtweet)
3) deserve mentorship and training. You have a responsibility to them to train them. 1/4
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@DrJessTaylor
I talk about this a lot in my book Engage in Public Scholarship (which is also available open access: and in paperback)
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@NBedera
wow....
(talk about the institution not looking at how it can actually provide students with the financial and community support students need to succeed! and of course not only is this messed up, how would most rec letter writers even know this?!) erghhgarw!
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Something I've been working on this summer...
Feminist Ingredients for Revolution: A Food and Queer History Podcast
This podcast will come out later this fall 2 accompany the release of my
@ConcordiaPress
book
#IngredientsForRevolution
(preorder 20% off)
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consumes more time for women faculty compared with their men counterparts. Plus, students approach women faculty more for mental health support and expect them to be more nurturing."
3/3
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It is such a pleasure to be able to invite so many fabulous authors, artists, and activists to speak as part of
@feministandacc1
Part of my pre-event ritual is to re-read their work.
Join us tomorrow!
( free, virtual, professionally live captioned)
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I put another syllabus up online for the public- my Feminist Utopias: Projects, Imaginings, and Futures Past course from winter 2019-- see this syllabus and others here:
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I'm so excited that after multiple rounds of revisions, my piece “‘All Are Welcome Here’?: Navigating Race, Class, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Age, and Disability in American Feminist Coffeehouses of the 1970s and 1980s” has been accepted for publication! More details forthcoming
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of color, who are often expected to take on additional service and mentorship duties that align with the institution’s goals of diversity and inclusion. Although institutions typically value service less than research or teaching when it comes to tenure and promotion, service 2/
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Excited to share that the Montreal Lesbian and Queer Women's Oral History Project that I have directed for the past year (alongside my team of 4 research assistants) has deposited 18 oral histories and transcripts -- the Archive Gaies du Quebec has the transcripts and audio files
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You know how some people's work constantly inspires you and keeps you motivated?
With the semester starting to wrap up and knowing I'll have more time to write again, this week I re-read
@caitmckinney
's fantastic book Information Activism! 1/4
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@robinmcstay
@iamlunasol
podcasts such as
@MakingGayHistry
might be a good starting place- to hear voices of queer elders from the past
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The Report on the State of Resources Provided to Support Scholars Against Harassment, Trolling, and Doxxing While Doing Public Media Work and How University Media Relations Offices/ Newsrooms Can Provide Better Support is now available!
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When people mention payment/ honorariums in initial request emails I am so, so, so much more likely to say "yes!" right away (no matter the amount) because it shows me that the person is aware of the labour dynamics and recognizes work as work.
(so happy someone just did this!)
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My editor and I are in the final stages of preparing my book manuscript on American feminist restaurant history to go out for peer review! It's very exciting (as I started this project in 2011 as a 20 year old! This has been the longest ongoing research project of my life)
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Also, I organize
@feministandacc1
and we have videos of past events on our website: (click on video link) and check out our upcoming free events (virtual with captions)
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I love that the
@McGillLib
has a seed library where you can borrow seeds. It has also been wonderful to see the joyful and excited reactions from students when I tell them about this resource.
Here are my seeds from this year! Thank you to our librarians.
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@elisechenier
I forgot to add- while simultaneously slashing the budgets of the women's studies/feminist studies/ ethic studies/ Black studies/ Indigenous studies/ social justice studies/ gender studies' program or programs
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very excited to share that I/the series
@feministandacc1
have won another
@SSHRC_CRSH
Connect grant to continue bringing y'all events!
@McGillARTS
@mcgillu
(thanks to our awesome collaborators
@Milieux_news
@thedigslab
@Mila_Quebec
, COHDS, Applied AI Institute, IFRC, IGSF )
Woooohoooo great news!
@feministandacc1
has received another Connection Grant, funded by the Joint Initiative for Digital Citizen Research (
@SSHRC_CRSH
)!!! We are looking forward to another season of events! (in addition to the 7 that are happening this semester)
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I just received wonderful news! My book
#EngageinPublicScholarship
just won a 8000 dollar grant from the Awards to Scholarly Publications Program via
@federation_hss
to help support its publication! Thank you
@ConcordiaPress
for all of your support of the book!
@geoffreylittle
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@csschmitt1
one thing is that some universities try to limit folks' side hustles-- in the same way PhD candidates often aren't supposed to work other jobs (built into their funding contracts), some faculty have similar restrictions
until pandemic, I was still walking dogs,consulting, + more
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Okay- so
@ConcordiaPress
folks are so amazing! My editor Ryan just biked over my author copies of
#EngageInPublicScholarship
. The book has such a nice hand feel (thanks Meredith for all of your work on the design!) So excited!!
(discount code KETCHUM20)
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I can now share my article“‘All Are Welcome Here’?: Navigating Race, Class, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Age, and Disability in American Feminist Coffeehouses of the 1970s and 1980s” in Gender, Work, Organization, doi: 10.1111/gwao.12595
open access repository link in next tweet:
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With new grad students beginning their years, here's a "how to read for grad school":
and how to prepare for comprehensive exams:
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w/a different perspective + bring new approaches 2 the material-I then think-is it possible for us 2 collaborate?can we cross promote our projects?can we elevate each other's work?
capitalism has us approach work from a scarcity mindset-yet our world offers so much abundance2/3
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@noraj_williams
I published 2 books this year while NTT:centring queer, feminist work! Ingredients for Revolution: A History of American Feminist Restaurants, Cafes, and Coffeehouses AND Engage in Public Scholarship: A Guidebook on Feminist and Accessible Communication,
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@MikkiBrock
I also got tired of hearing my own voice - but hearing my writing read aloud in different accents and voices changed the way I was perceiving the text
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+ when you do have lots of publications as a NTT, then that can also be used against you too (this was also mentioned in comments on the original thread). I've 2 books coming out in 2022 + a long tenured scholar made mean remarks about "quality of the press"- you lose either way
All the full professors doing the hiring didn’t have a solo publication till on the job. Give me a break.
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One nice aspect of the remote semester is that since I'm doing the lectures for my big intro course via podcast with transcripts, my mom has been able to listen to my lectures. She didn't go to university and it's really nice to share this with her
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OMG! First time seeing my book on a bookstore shelf!!! Thanks
@LibrairieDandQ
for the support!!
@ConcordiaPress
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I call it the writing rocket ship. I like to draw a project thermometer to mark progress rather than just a check off to do list. Seeing visual progress feels encouraging on a multi-year project(vs a check off list which I find overwhelming).I've been doing this since my 1st book
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I highly recommend
@eapickens
new book "Make Your Art No Matter What." I plan to include it on the syllabus for my graduate feminist studies seminar next year (WMST 601) as its approach to helping work through creative hurdles is fantastic. 2/8
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I love this video (thanks
@Swilua
for sharing it) in which the actual players are talking about the actual very queer history that
#ALeagueOfTheirOwn
was based on!
I really enjoyed the show
@LeagueOnPrime
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@timnitGebru
we've been talking about it already this semester in the feminist tech class I teach (multiple students have brought it up in presentations too)
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to become a tenure-track Assistant Professor . The paperwork is finally done so now I can share the good news!
It has been a long journey to this point and I’m so grateful for everyone who has supported me through this process.
Thank you!
@ConcordiaPress
2/2
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@professor_dave
I'm so sorry that you experienced this + DEI washing is a huge problem. I also think maybe for the 19 people who attended, maybe your talk meant a lot to them (were 18 of them students?, potentially LGBTQ+ or questioning who now felt seen + supported by your words).
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@pcpeay
definitely! it's a huge problem-- if it is of use for you to have data on this, I studied this last summer (we contacted every uni in Canada to see their policies to support scholars):
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I'm so excited to announce that the article I co-authored with
#NinaMorena
"AI, Big Data, and surveillance zines as forms of community healthcare" published in
@FemMediaStudies
is now available!!
@McGillARTS
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when both peer reviewers recommend your 2nd book for publication, it is a happy day! (now focused on making edits and updates). I am so grateful for the generous reviews and reviewers!
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Just sent my book manuscript (about public scholarship) to my editor in order for it to be sent out for peer review in January!
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My book Engage in Public Scholarship!: A Guidebook on Feminist and Accessible Communication
@ConcordiaPress
(now available for PRE-ORDER! + there is a 20% discount code: "Ketchum20" ) cites the work of many of the
@feministandacc1
series speakers! 1/9
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sure some people might act in bad faith or not acknowledge other peoples' work- not cite- not share credit- not elevate others, but I have no control over that -what I can control is how I act
I can try 2 do my part in making academia less toxic+more collaborative+ generative 3/3
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Fun fact: the cover of my book Ingredients For Revolution: A History of American Feminist Restaurants, Cafes, and Coffeehouses is based off of/ inspired by the Bloodroot Feminist Vegetarian Restaurant and Bookstore cookbooks
@ConcordiaPress
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My books Engage in Public Scholarship!: A Guidebook on Feminist and Accessible Communication (
@ConcordiaPress
) and Ingredients for Revolution: A History of American Feminist Restaurants, Cafes, and Coffeehouses are available here:
+
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Update: since there has been so much ongoing interest in the LGBTQ2S+ archives list and resources list, I have created a website to house them.
@QUEERMTL
@LGBTQHistory
@MakingGayHistry
@TheArQuives
@HistoryisGayPod
@LambdaLiterary
@McGillARTS
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I really enjoy doing podcasts + radio. If you have a podcast or have a pod that you think would be a good fit for me to discuss this book on, please let me know! I've been reaching out to some folks but the pod landscape is so vast + I'd love to connect w/some new folks. Thanks!
I am SO EXCITED to announce that my book Engage in Public Scholarship!: A Guidebook on Feminist and Accessible Communication (
@ConcordiaPress
) is now available for PRE-ORDER! and there is a 20% discount code: "Ketchum20"
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I'm compiling a list of LGBTQ+ Archives in the USA and Canada (). If you see that I am missing any archives, please contact me here, leave a comment on the spreadsheet, or email me? (more info below) 1/3
@archivists_org
@archivistsdotca
@TheArQuives
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As part of
#LesbianVisibilityWeek
#LesbianVisibilityDay
want to read about the feminist restaurants founded by lesbians and queer women? If so, check out Ingredients for Revolution
@ConcordiaPress
@mcgillu
@McGillARTS
@LGBTQHistory
@LambdaLiterary
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Update on the LGBTQ2S+ archive list, available at
I've expanded the scope with a second spreadsheet page (with more resources) due to all of the enthusiasm . Thanks everyone!
@archivistsdotca
@archivists_org
@LGBTQHistory
it's still in progress
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@greenleejw
Hi, I run
@historical_cook
and a few years ago we published a 3 part series on eel history in Quebec: (the author Sam wanted me to share it with you since he doesn't have Twitter)
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The physical Recipe for a Queer Cookbook exhibit is now up! and the digital exhibit is now available here:
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Both
@kite_kite_
and I are contingent instructors at
@IGSFMcGill
of
@mcgillu
(I'm a NTT Faculty Lecturer). It's super important that unis recognize the research contributions of their non-tenure track staff-- so I'm happy about this post.
Two
@IGSFMcGill
instructors at have been recognized as part of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2021.
Congratulations to Professor Alex Ketchum (
@aketchum22
) and Course Lecturer Suzanne Kite (
@kite_kite_
)!
#McGillProud
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I just received really positive and constructive comments from peer reviews of an article I submitted!! This is one of the first times I've ever not cried after getting peer review feedback on an article (now I feel so excited +motivated to do the revisions!) thank you reviewers!
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I'm so proud of my former student publishing an article: "On Witches, Shrooms, and Sourdough: A Critical Reimagining of the White Settler Relationship to Land" (OA). She wrote it as a paper for the Feminist Utopias course I taught
@IGSFMcGill
in 2019!!
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I'll be promoting Engage in Public Scholarship!: A Guidebook on Feminist and Accessible Communication from
@ConcordiaPress
this late fall to spring. I love chatting on podcasts + radio programs + would be honoured to be a guest if you want to discuss the topic (details below) 1/
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@Abebab
it's not fully comprehensive and the scope is a bit bigger than AI ethics, but we assembled a directory
@cyberdirectoryS
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(and I realize I am not saying anything groundbreaking here- I just want to acknowledge that it is possible to have those uncomfortable feelings (like the defensiveness) and still think- okay- where is that coming from and what can I do with that?)
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I did kind of a wacky thing and applied for more grad school (I'll still be teaching- just taking one class a term, some terms)- I just got accepted to begin a Graduate Certificate in Digital Archives Management
(+ I can take advantage of the tuition matching program)
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Prepping for tomorrow's zine workshop for
@rockcampmtl
(3rd year in a row volunteering. It's such a great organization!)
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OMG so excited to see pictures of folks receiving copies of the book!!!!
@ConcordiaPress
!!!!! thank you for sharing!!
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Okay- this is super exciting- my book Ingredients for Revolution: A History of American Feminist Restaurants, Cafes, and Coffeehouses is now available for pre-order:
(for Americans)
(for Canadians)
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So excited to share with you all that the trailer for Feminist Ingredients for Revolution: A Food and Queer History Podcast is now available!!
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Looking forward to today's
#NeurIPS2020
Workshop on Resistance in AI (
@ResistanceAI
).
@kite_kite_
will open- then
@radical_ai_
, followed by
@Abebab
,
@timnitGebru
,
#NoopurRaval
,
@vilarinoramon
, followed by
@kite_kite_
#AshleyCordes
,
@oiwi3000
,
#JasonLewis
- also
@rajiinio
1/
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@timnitGebru
Definitely!
also Sara Ahmed
@SaraNAhmed
- the fantastic feminist theorist- has written about this
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dear
@TwitterSupport
@Twitter
can you please unsuspend the
@historical_cook
account? I have gone through the process and it still is suspended. It didn't violate any rules- I just didn't receive the verification code text since I only had wifi. It is a food history account.
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@histoftech
nice! I made my Intro to Feminist and Social Justice Studies course audio lectures and transcripts available to the public. Took 200 hours to create (this was after teaching the class many times previously). audio format increased access- transportable 1/2
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Documentary film making today. Director Annie Laurie Medonis interviewed me today for her documentary about Bloodroot Feminist Vegetarian Restaurant.
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Thanks
@mcgilltribune
for this write up of
@DocDre
's
@feministandacc1
talk last week:
(I'm so grateful for the support of student journalists of the speaker series)
@IGSFMcGill
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Taught my first class of the term this morning! It's for my Feminist Futurities, Technologies, and Worldmaking course.
(public version of the syllabus with open access links to many of the readings is here: ) 1/2
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These stories we keep hearing about students being falsely accused of using chaptgpt4 by instructors using detection software, are part of the same narrative of surveillance educational technologies deployed on students in exam scenarios that
@hypervisible
@savasavasava
discuss
Just got off the phone with a GF, in tears bc after two weeks of writing, research, proofing & tweaking an essay, her instructor accused her of using an AI bot. She’s 51, didn’t know AI bots exist, and is mortified at the accusation. AI Checking APs are just as faulty as AI.
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Today I am launching the beta version of my digital exhibit From Tech Wizard to Cyber Witch: 40 Years of Magic on the Web!!
(launching today because yesterday was the 25th anniversary of the Buffy episode I Robot, You Jane)
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25 years ago today in Buffy history, Willow got catfished by a demon while the Scoobies met *technopagan* Jenny Calendar and everyone learned If you're not jacked in, you're not alive and the Buffy season 1 episode "I Robot, You Jane” aired
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I am so excited that I won another
@SSHRC_CRSH
Connections Grant in order to continue the
@feministandacc1
series! I had already lined up over 20+ events for next year. We won't be announcing any schedule yet (for obvious reasons)-- but it's something to get excited about!!!
Fantastic news!!! We just won another
@SSHRC_CRSH
SSHRC Connections Grant to support our series through our second season!!!! (written by
@aketchum22
)
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