A student studying cultural studies on the stairs leading up to Hospitality Hall.

Department of Interdisciplinary, Gender, and Ethnic Studies News

The Department of Interdisciplinary, Gender, and Ethnic Studies allows students to create degree programs from courses across disciplinary boundaries, including cultural studies, linguistic studies, Asian studies, Latin American studies, multi-disciplinary studies, and social science studies.

Current Interdisciplinary, Gender, and Ethnic Studies News

collage of small square artworks
Arts and Culture |

Open to the public through Dec. 20, the collection was curated through a collaboration between the museum and UNLV's Asian and Asian American Studies program.

Norma Jean Almadovar, a sex worker rights activist, poses with her collection of documents.
Research |

The Norma Jean Almodovar Papers document decades of advocacy and expand UNLV’s collecting initiative on sexual entertainment and economies.

June campus horizon shot
Campus News |

The top headlines featuring UNLV’s staff and students.

A portrait of Saipin Chutima, the founder of a staple Las Vegas Thai food chain, Lotus of Siam.
Campus News |

UNLV students explore Asian American culture, one bite at a time, in Mark Padoongpatt's class.

Gina Anderson stands behind counter of Rebel Grounds
Campus News |

Rebel Grounds’ cafe operations manager brews the perfect blend of precision and creativity to keep campus energized throughout the day.

Several hands reach up toward a stethoscope.
Campus News |

Students examine the evolution of America’s healthcare system in the larger social, political, and economic context of the last 500 years.

Interdisciplinary, Gender, and Ethnic Studies In The News

The Jet Fuel Can't Melt Steel Beams Podcast

A deep dive into the origins of the Make America Great Again movement.

The 19th

The rise of OnlyFans and AI has some sex workers concerned their likenesses will be exploited. They want protections from the Nevada brothels where they work.

The Black Studies Podcast

In this conversation, we explore the importance of regional attentiveness in writing Black history in the United States, thinking blackness in the southwest, and the expansiveness of the Black Studies archive and imagination.

Nevada Independent

The rise of OnlyFans and AI has some sex workers concerned their likenesses will be exploited. They want protections from the Nevada brothels where they work.

KSNV-TV: News 3

As Black History Month continues, Ruby Duncan’s legacy is being celebrated for a lifetime of activism that helped shape social programs still valued today and for her role in securing a library for Las Vegas’ Historic Westside.

KVVU-TV: Fox 5

The earliest settlers and their direct descendants became notable leaders throughout Las Vegas in the 20th century, helped build up the Historic Westside, and now make up the African American community across the Las Vegas Valley.

Interdisciplinary, Gender, and Ethnic Studies Experts

An expert on Asian American history, race and racism, and Thai cuisine.
An expert on the history of slavery and racism's impact on African Americans' health care.
An expert on gender, sexuality, media, and popular culture.
An expert in educational equity and race theory in education.
Javon Johnson is an expert in African American literature, black pop culture, black feminist theory, and black queer theory.  
An expert in folklore and popular culture.

Recent Interdisciplinary, Gender, and Ethnic Studies Accomplishments

Assistant professor-in-residence Susana Sepulveda (Interdisciplinary, Gender, and Ethnic Studies) presented on Chicanas and Latinas in the Riot Grrrl revival scenes in a roundtable panel titled, "West Coast Punks, Scene Kids, & Riot Grrrls: Fringe Memories and Survival in Precarious Times," at PopCon 2026 (March) hosted at USC in Los…
Tyler D. Parry (Interdisciplinary, Gender, and Ethnic Studies) appeared prominently as a commentator in a documentary titled, "Upside Down: Paul Revere Williams in Las Vegas," that analyzes the life of Black architect Paul Revere Williams and his work in Las Vegas during the mid-20th century. The documentary premiered on March 29, 2026, at The…
On March 23, Tyler D. Parry (Interdisciplinary, Gender, and Ethnic Studies) gave a presentation about the "Westside Timeline" and Black history in Southern Nevada to members of the Clark County Museum Guild while they toured the West Las Vegas Library.
Tyler D. Parry (Interdisciplinary, Gender, and Ethnic Studies) presented research at the symposium, "That Was Then, What Now? Pathways and Lessons from a Generation of Studying Universities and Slavery" held at the University of Alabama. In this presentation, Parry revisited his work investigating the African American experience at the…
Tyler D. Parry (Interdisciplinary, Gender, and Ethnic Studies) appeared on a podcast titled, "Birtherism: The Birthing of MAGA," in which he provided historical context for the movement and connected it to the rise of Donald Trump in 2016.
Alisha Kerlin (Barrick Museum of Art), Zida Wang (Barrick Museum of Art), Deanne Sole (Barrick Museum of Art), Jackie Gaetos (Care Center), and Constancio R. Arnaldo Jr. (Asian & Asian American Studies) co-presented “Living Here, Being Here: Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art as Third Places” at the Artists Thrive Summit 2026 as part of a local…