Alexis Matza

Background:

I graduated from Brandeis University in 1998 with majors in Anthropology,
Sociology, and Women’s Studies. I wrote a thesis comparing hormonal
transitions, such as for transsexuals undergoing hormonal therapy, with non-
procreative lesbians going through some form of menopause. This project made me
fall in love with social science research. I left school for a few years and
moved to the Bay Area, where I was caught up with the technology industry and
eating really good food. I moved to Iowa City specifically for the Feminist
Anthropology program, where I learned the power in critique and the beauty of
theory. I wrote my master’s paper on the worker community of the Michigan
Womyn’s Music Festival, looking at bodies, performance, and identity. I’m
currently at work on my Wenner-Gren funded dissertation research, exploring
masculinity in the Boston Area. Specifically, I’m looking at testosterone
therapy in the aging male and transgender male communities. For fun, I teach
anthropology at Bridgewater State College, and fall down mountains on my
snowboard and mountain bike.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences