GECONF
Past Speakers
Prof. Dr. Isabel Palomo-Domínguez
Associate Professor at the Mykolas Romeris, Lithuania
Dr. Isabel Palomo-Domínguez, associate professor at Mykolas Romeris University (Lituania), has a Doctorate Extraordinary Award in Communication from the University of Seville (Spain). She leads the research project “Post-digital storytelling in favour of Gender Equality,” implemented under the “Centers of Excellence Initiative” initiated by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports of Lithuania.
Topic
Educommunication and Storytelling for Gender Equality: Case Studies from European Institutions and NGOs
Prof. Dr. Juan Filipe Stacul
Dr. Juan Filipe Stacul is a Professor at the Federal Institute of Goiás and serves as the Local Representative for International Relations. He holds a Ph.D. in Literature from PUC Minas and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Federal University of Viçosa. He was also a visiting scholar at the University of Illinois. His research interests include feminist criticism, men’s studies, and queer theory. His recent work focuses on contemporary Brazilian authors such as Caio Fernando Abreu and Rubem Fonseca, particularly their engagement with themes of subjectivity, gender, and alterity.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nora Taravari
Dr. Nora Taravari is a associate professor in Mother Teresa University- Skopje, researcher, and international speaker specializing in European integration & communication, and law. With a Ph.D. in European Studies, she has presented globally on topics such as migration, brain drain, gender, and socio-economic development. She is also certified by the IBO, with expertise in research methodology and European affairs.
Prof. Dr. Tanya Bakhru
Dr. Tanya Bakhru holds a Ph.D. in Women’s Studies from University College Dublin, Ireland (2007). She is currently a Professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies in the Department of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Science at San Jose State University, California. Her areas of interest include feminist critiques of globalization, reproductive health and justice, and transnational women’s health. Her most recent publications are Reproductive Justice and Sexual Rights: Transnational Perspectives (2019) and Reproductive Justice, Adoption, and Foster Care (2024), both published by Routledge.
Prof. Dr. Marya Rozanova-Smith
Marya Rozanova-Smith, PhD, is a Research Professor at The George Washington University (GWU) and has taught the Arctic Affairs course at GWU’s Elliott School of International Affairs since 2018. She also serves as the Principal Investigator of the NSF-funded project “Understanding the Gendered Impacts of COVID-19 in the Arctic (COVID-GEA),” www.arcticcovidgender.org
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Shae Miller
Shae Miller is an associate professor in Sociology at California State University, Long Beach. Their research focuses on trans identities and social movements.
Dr. CJ Jones
CJ Jones is a postdoctoral fellow in the department of Gender & Sexuality Studies at Santa Clara University. Their research focuses on trans politics and embodiment in sports.
Dr. Chiara Cocco
Chiara holds PhD in Cultural Anthropology from Heriot-Watt University (UK). Chiara has been engaging with EDI issues for over a decade, with a particular interest in the intersection between gender and disability. She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the UKRI funded Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Caucus (EDICa) at Heriot-Watt University. Her role in the caucus is to explore the relationships between life events and career, by focusing on reproductive health in the workplace. Her main concern is to address barriers to inclusion, development, and progression for commonly marginalised and underrepresented groups in male-dominated sectors.
Dr. Tien Ly Quyet
Lecturer and Researcher at Eastern International University (Binh Duong), Doctor Ly Quyet Tien has been guest lecturer at many universities in Vietnam. He holds bachelor's degrees in History & in English from University of Social Sciences and Humanities. He also holds M.A. degrees in FLE from University of Rouen, in Vietnam History from the Southern Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities in HCMC. In 2008, he received his Ph.D. in Oriental Studies and Humanities from University of Paris 7- Diderot. Specialist in Vietnamese studies, he has participated as presenter in international conferences since 2014. His research interests focus on LGBTQIA+, music, culture and international relations.
Dr. Donna Woodhouse
Dr Donna Woodhouse is Senior Lecturer in the School of Sport and Physical Activity, Sheffield Hallam University, UK. Her teaching and research centre on the social and cultural aspects of sport, with a focus on EEDI, women’s soccer and gambling. She teaches across a range of courses, as well as supervising PhD candidates.
Dr. Sarah Lockwood
Dr. Lockwood is a social scientist specializing in the social and cultural impacts of crisis events on vulnerable communities. The Senior Researcher at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa - New Zealand. Her interdisciplinary research informs policy and practice, with contributions to national and international initiatives and a focus on culturally responsive, equity-driven maternal care.
Dr. Sevilay Yavuz Çeşmeci
She earned her B.A. and M.A. degrees in English Language and Literature, and completed her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature. She is currently a faculty member in the Department of English Language and Literature at Doğuş University in İstanbul. Her research interests include comparative literature, the modern novel, and gender studies.
Dr. Vo Thuy Nhat Minh
Dr. Vo Thuy Nhat Minh is a Lecturer at the University of Greenwich Vietnam. Her academic interests encompass gender, education, sustainable tourism, and cultural exchange. She holds international teaching certifications and has presented at global conferences on topics such as gender equality, leadership, work-life balance, tourism recovery, and intercultural collaboration.
Mr. Sergio López
Sergio López has a Degree in Law and Political Pcience from the University of Salamanca. After working for different city councils and the Consulate General of Spain in Brussels, he currently is working as an acting Administration Technician in the City Council of Vilalba, Lugo. He has a special interest in administrative law, focusing my professional activity and my research on the study of local administrations, public employment, gender equality and transparency."
Mr. Chiadikaobi Ihuoma
Chiadikaobi Ihuoma is a PhD candidate and Teaching Assistant in Media Communication Culture at the School of Humanities, Keele University in United Kingdom. He has research interests in social media, feminist activism, gender studies, media advocacy and representations.
Mrs. Amandine LONKO LACTSAP
Amandine Lactsap Mopi is an aesthetician and project planer at AMD International. She holds a professional certificate in project planning. Amandine works on consideration biases in women's professional careers as well as their difficulties in accessing value chains.
Mrs. Raïssa Lonko Kepseu
Lonko Kepseu Raïssa is young informatician Consultant who has just early ended her professional Training. She is currently following an internship at IFP-THEWAY in Bafoussam, Cameroon. She focuses herself on equal access to new technologies including Artificial intelligence (AI) for women and young girls. Her project is to reinforce equality an equity between men and women in term of training and employment.
Mrs. Malika Mardieva
Malika Mardieva holds both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree and is currently pursuing her PhD at the National University of Uzbekistan. She works as a university teacher, where she shares her knowledge and passion for learning with students. Malika enjoys reading books and is constantly exploring new ideas and subjects to expand her understanding and personal growth.
MSC. Jude Merit
Jude Merit is a disabled transgender autistic American researcher at the University of Sunderland in England. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Applied Mathematics in 2019 and a Postgraduate Diploma in Data Science in 2020. He then completed a Master of Science in Psychology from the University of Sunderland in 2023, where he is currently studying for his PhD. His research on the lived experiences of transgender autistic millennials is a continuation of his research from his Master’s in Psychology on the experiences of autistic adults with internalised ableism. He lives in Sunderland, England with his wife, Marissa.
Ms. Vasiliki Chelidoni
Vasiliki Chelidoni holds a Bachelor's degree in Translation Specialization from DFLTI, a Master's degree in Translation Science from the same Department, and is a graduate of the Foreign Language Teaching Program, obtaining a Teaching Proficiency Certificate in English and French. Currently, she is a Ph.D. candidate at DFLTI with her research focusing on the use of corpora to study the adoption of inclusive language in translating EU administrative documents. Since April 2024, she has been appointed as a member of the Gender Equality Committee of the Ionian University.
Ms. Angharad Morgan
Angharad is a teacher and PhD researcher at Lancaster University, looking at the role that male facilitators play in challenging or promoting different masculinities. She works as an education consultant, offering expertise on sexism in education and is also a research assistant on the Men4Change project at Liverpool University.
Mrs. Vijaya Vani Gonumakulapalle Lodi
Vijaya Vani G.L. is a PhD scholar at IIT Madras on gender-inclusive language and higher education equity. With 10+ years of international engagement and institutional strategy, she brings a policy-driven viewpoint to share. Vani has contributed to national and international forums on academic collaborations and is presently working on gender advancement, and holds certifications in IPR and business analytics. Her work supports promoting transformative gender policies across STEM institutions.
Msc. Iara Teixeira
Iara Teixeira is a psychologist and PhD researcher in Applied Psychology at the University of Minho, Portugal. Her work focuses on occupational health, psychosocial risks, and LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the workplace. She is currently a research fellow at the University of Beira Interior, contributing to studies on gender, mental health, and labor conditions among marginalized groups.
Assoc Prof. Dr. Kay Siebler
Associate Professor of English and Women and Gender Studies at the University of Nebraska Omaha, United States
Topic
Resisting the Gender Industrial Complex: Raising Gender-free Children
Dr. Kay Siebler is Associate Professor of English and Women and Gender Studies at the University of Nebraska Omaha in the U.S. She has published several books and articles on the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, and identity. Her most recent book, Black Women Shattering Stereotypes, examines the films and streaming media created and produced for/by Black women. She is currently working on a book focused on gender nonconforming children through the lens of parenting, schooling, and health care.
Dr. Mira Fadel
Dr. Mira Fadel, a Senior Market Research Manager holds a Ph.D. in Global Leadership & Change from Pepperdine University where she earned the Vice Provost Grant for her commitment to developing equality in leadership. Her recent dissertation culminated in the development of the Multifaceted Intercultural Resilience Approaches (MIRA) in Leadership Model which is applied in retail organizations operating in crises-prone environments.
Dr. Leticia Nkonya
Leticia is a Senior Technical Advisor for Gender Equality and Social Inclusion at World Vision United States. Her areas of interest are international development, social research, gender, social inclusion, social change, and program and evaluation. Leticia holds a PhD in Sociology - International Development, Social Change and Gender, a MA-Social Demography and Research Methods, Graduate Certificate in Women Studies and Gender (All from Kansas State University, USA), and several Certificates including Project Management and Diversity and Inclusion (Cornel University, USA), and Women in Leadership (WV US).
Prof. Dr. Gayane Yeghiazaryan
GAYANE VIUL YEGHIAZARYAN-Doctor of Sciences (Philology), Professor, Head of English Department, Brusov State University, Armenia. Governing Board Member and National Authority at European Center for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe. Academic Interests: Literary Studies, Gender Studies, Translation Studies, Comparative Literature, Axiology. International Conference Certificates-GB, Spain, Switzerland, Serbia, Armenia.
Mrs. Enva Doda
Enva Doda is a PhD student in Finance at the UWL and Senior Risk Analyst at Al Rayan Bank. Her research focuses on Europe's gender pension gap and discrimination. Enva holds certifications in High Dimensional Data Analysis from Harvard and Financial Markets from the University of Michigan.
Mrs. Titilola Vivour Adeniyi
Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi has spent 15 years in public service where she has served with Lagos State Government in different capacities. Her experience cuts across public policy and public administration, as well as legal expertise and social services (social welfare and social protection). She is an author of several books for children on Domestic Violence, Civic education, Sexual Violence & Self-love/Body Safety.
Ms. Linda Oloo
Linda Oloo works at the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), Nairobi, Kenya. She is currently a PhD student in Gender and Development at Daystar University in Kenya. She obtained her Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Nairobi (Kenya). Linda is interested in integration of service delivery for gender-based violence so that all services are accessible to those who need them.
Dr. Ruzan Museyan
Dr. Ruzan Museyan – PhD (Philology), Lecturer of Comparative Linguistics, Linguistic and Cultural Studies at the Chair of English, Brusov State University, Yerevan, Armenia. Areas of Interest: Semiotics, Gender Studies, Comparative Linguistics, Literature, Certificates of participation at International Conferences and Workshops in Austria, Serbia, Armenia.
Ms. Aleksandra Szlachcic
Ms. Aleksandra Szlachcic, a Master's degree holder in International Economic Relations and a current PhD student in Economics and Finance at Wroclaw University of Economics and Business. She is passionate about the economics of sustainable development and gender equality, dedicating her research to advancing these crucial areas.
Prof. Dr. Sheila Katz
Sheila M. Katz, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Houston and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies affiliated faculty. She earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from Vanderbilt and B.A. in Sociology and Women’s Studies from the University of Georgia. She uses qualitative research to understand women’s poverty and experiences in domestic violence, accessing health and human services, activism, and education. As a scholar activist, her work is applied, feminist, and intersectional. Her first book, Reformed American Dreams: Welfare Mothers, Higher Education, and Activism, was published by Rutgers University Press in 2019.
Ms. Lalitha Shankari Balachandar
Lalitha Shankari BALACHANDAR , is a PhD student at the Rennes School of Business. She completed her MSc in International Accounting Management Control and Auditing with a distinction, also at Rennes School of Business. Her research focuses on gender diversity and corporate outcomes such as reporting behaviour, tax payments and CSR policy.
Dr. Seline Keating (B.Ed, M.Ed, Ph.D, SFHEA)
Assistant professor in Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) and Wellbeing in Dublin City University (DCU) Institute of Education
Topic
Gender Equality: The role played by education settings
Seline is an assistant professor in Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) and Wellbeing in Dublin City University (DCU) Institute of Education. She was the Principal Investigator of a multi-partner, interdisciplinary, international project titled Gender Equality Matters (GEM) which won a National Education Award in 2021 for Best International Collaboration Project. In February 2022, Seline was invited to present at the European Commission’s discussion on Gender Equality In and Through Education. Seline was the lead author on the Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) research paper commissioned by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and was co-opted to two NCCA Development Groups: SPHE and RSE Development Group (2020); and Wellbeing Development Group (2022). Seline was awarded funding by the Irish Research Council (IRC) to engage in a collaborative knowledge exchange with the Frixos sexuality programme developers in Crete. Most recently, she has been awarded funding from SCoTENS and the Norwegian Research Council to progress her current research in her Nuts&Bolts: Anti-Bullying Policy Reflective Framework and in Life Skills Education. Seline is a Research Fellow in DCU’s Anti-Bullying Centre (ABC) and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).
Dr. Maria Kalfa
Maria Kalfa is a Social Anthropologist and Lecturer at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and University of Western Macedonia. She was a lecturer in the Polytechnic School of the University of Thessaly and in the School of Social Sciences and Humanities in University of Western Macedonia. At this moment she is lecturer in the departments of International and European Economic Studies, in the Psychology department and in the Early Childhood Education department of the University of Western Macedonia, and in Political Science department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. In addition, she holds five masters in Gender Studies, Social Policy, Management and Organization, Psychopedagogy and Semiotics. Her research interests focus on interdisciplinary approaches based on gender (indicative fields: Sociology, Politics, Social Policy, Education, Communication, Administration).
Dr. Marius Janusauskas
Marius Janusauskas is a practising fashion designer and academic. He began his studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, receiving his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in arts. In 2018, he started his PhD in gender and diversity studies at Ghent University, Belgium. His dissertation research is focused on masculinity, queer and fashion studies. ID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8692-018X
Dr. Hana Israeli
Dr. Hana Israeli is a teaching associate at the Women’s and Gender Studies program in the University of Haifa, Israel. She obtained her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Wright Institute, Berkeley, California. She is also a practicing clinical psychologist in Tel-Aviv. Her areas of specialization are gender identity, gender and psychoanalysis, and the psychological and cultural aspects of motherhood.
Mrs. Ștefania Chihaia
Ștefania Chihaia is a PhD candidate at the Interdisciplinary School of Doctoral Studies, University of Bucharest, Romania. She earned her BA in Media and Communications from the University of Sussex and her MA in Cognition and Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her main areas of interest are Human-Nonhuman Relations, the Material Turn, Ecofeminism, Ecophilosophy and phenomenology.
Mr. Elio Iannacci
Elio Iannacci is an award-winning arts reporter and graduate student at York University whose research interests include ethnomusicology and gender studies. Iannacci has contributed to more than 80 publications worldwide, profiling icons such as Barbra Streisand, Lady Gaga, Aretha Franklin and Beyoncé. He is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
Mr. Shriram Bhargaw
He is Indian born Human Rights Activist recognized by the United Nations Human rights counsel and renowned Lawyer. He is the founder and executive director of Anmol Social service Trust in India and activist since as a student where he launched champagne for awareness in Gujarat west India for illiterate and marginalized minority voiceless women and children whose fundamental constitutional rights were blatantly being violated under the pretext of Personal Law and for that he was invited and participated in Geneva summit for Human rights and democracy -2018 at Geneva which was held on the heels of UN Human rights Council. He has been consistently named one of the top 10 Human rights Lawyers in India and comment regularly on Indian Politics and empowerment of women and children and their advancements in society. He is alumnus of the International corporate law and Human rights fellowship in University of southern california as well as Gujarat University. .
Ms .Brittney Monique Walker
Brittney Monique Walker is a narrative strategist with a background in journalism. She is currently a student at The New School for Social Research, where her research interests include Black sexuality and romantic relationships, the intersectionality of sexuality and racism, policy, religion and culture. She has earned a B.A. in Journalism, a Certificate in Entrepreneurial Journalism and is currently pursuing her Masters in Liberal Studies.
Ms .Deeghi Basu
Deeghi Basu holds a B.Sc. in Economics from Presidency University, Kolkata, India (2022) and is currently pursuing her M.Sc. in Applied Economics from the same institution. Her research interests encompass Feminist Economics, Public Policy, Postcolonial Studies, and Literature. Deeghi recently showcased her paper titled 'MGNREGA: A Bane or a Boon?’ at the Annual Economic Conclave 2023, hosted by the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Kolkata. Currently, she serves as a research intern at the prestigious Indian Institute of Science & Educational Research (IISER Bhopal), delving into the intersections of Literature and Economics.
Mrs .Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi
Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi has spent 15 years in public service where she has served with Lagos State Government in different capacities. Her experience cuts across public policy and public administration, as well as legal expertise and social services (social welfare and social protection). She is an author of several books for children on Domestic Violence, Civic education, Sexual Violence & Self-love/Body Safety.
Ms. Polina Lukyantseva
Lukyansteva Polina A. is a Ph.D. (D2) student at the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures in The Graduate School of Letters at Kyoto University. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in the field. In addition to her academic pursuits, Polina actively engages in social activism, particularly as an antiwar advocate. She passionately promotes peace and raises awareness about the detrimental effects of conflict. She received the best paper award for her presentation at the conference titled "The East in a Changing World: Challenges, Solutions, Prospects." Her winning paper, titled "Problems of Gender Inequality in Modern Japan on Examples of Japanese Female Literature," was presented on March 31st, 2022. Furthermore, Polina was honored with the best paper award in the "Contemporary Social Policy" section of the Public Health and Development Conference at HSE. This recognition was bestowed upon her on April 21st, 2023, highlighting her exceptional research and expertise in the field.