Emily Lauletta ’22 was recently awarded the opportunity to showcase two of her research projects at a prestigious academic conference.
The Southeastern Women’s Studies Association, a feminist organization that actively supports and promotes all aspects of women’s studies at every level of involvement, invited Lauletta to present “‘Radical Feminist Nuns’: Spiritual Activism, Catholicism, and the Power of (Sister)hood” and “Women and Femininity in the Modern Superhero Film” at their 2021 conference, which was held virtually this year. Both projects began as research papers in Hollins classes taught by Professor of Anthropology and Gender & Women’s Studies LeeRay Costa and Associate Professor of Communication Studies Lori Joseph.
As a gender and women’s studies major and social justice minor, Lauletta noted that her studies at Hollins motivate her research. She added that her courses inspire what she describes as her “passion for equity and liberation, and to pursue feminist research through an intersectional lens.” Last year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, she traveled to Washington, D.C., to interview Sister Emily TeKolsie of the social justice organization NETWORK to augment her study of religious leaders and spiritual activism.
Over nearly two years, Lauletta has practiced her love of academia and social justice advocacy as an intern with the League of Women Voters of Hudson, Ohio. “I learned that fostering community and bearing witness to the experiences of others is key to both feminist research and social justice work,” she said of her experience.
“From campus organizing and her partnership with the League of Women Voters to presenting at regional conferences in her field, Emily invigorates the feminist community through her research,” said Assistant Professor of Political Science Courtney Chenette.
Lauletta will also present “‘Radical Feminist Nuns’: Spiritual Activism, Catholicism, and the Power of (Sister)hood” at Hollins’ Student Performance and Academic Research Conference (SPARC) on May 8. She looks forward to continuing her research in the future.
