materia is a site where intellectual curiosity, creativity, and critical theory meet in order to tackle planetary concerns, always with an interdisciplinary gaze. materia’s events are charged with a desire to stage transitional solidarities across the Global South. At the Graduate Student Research Fair, for example, the gathering showcased work-in-progress from doctoral students across disciplines and across universities – from Computer Science to Theater and Performance Studies, from UC Davis to UChicago.

eli melgarPhD Candidate - Theater & Performance Studies '23

I loved participating in this winter’s Materia programming, particularly the graduate research fair. I was invited to present on my research on puppetry and Mexican identity alongside other incredible scholars presenting on their dissertations. As a second year PhD student, it was an unparalleled chance to learn from more advanced scholars on how to theorize and think about the non-human, while also feeling like I was in a supportive community that was interested and engaged with my research.

María Zurita OntiverosPhD Candidate - Theater & Performance Studies

Engaging with materia this quarter has highlighted the interdisciplinarity that accompanies a de-anthropocentrist mission within and outside of academia. materia is a testament to the necessity of thinking across departmental lines to address climate change (I am specifically thinking about Dr. Dhanashree Thorat’s presentation at the materia & Digital Global South Collaboration event, which synthesized knowledge from a variety of fields). The group has prompted me toward thinking about how to consider scholarship across various disciplines in my own work. It has also reaffirmed the interconnection of environmental issues with so many other global and communal challenges (social justice, colonization, etc.) that continue to persist today.

So far, materia events have been some of the most interesting and engaging conversations I’ve experienced at Stanford […] It’s my first year, so I’m a little bit shy and just trying to get through my coursework, but I hope I’ll be able to become a more involved participant with materia over the next few years.

Matthew GilbertPhD Student - Department of Music

materia has allowed me to approach post-anthropocentric thought for the first time, not only from a literary or philosophical perspective but also from an artistic and material one. In this sense, materia gave me the opportunity to attend fascinating talks […] After my attendance I feel more prepared to understand material cultures from multiple and productive perspectives.

Òscar FerrerPhD Student - Iberian and Latin American Cultures