Karina Eileraas Karakus is a published author and professor with over a decade of teaching experience at UCLA, USC, UC Berkeley, and Pomona College. Her teaching, research, and writing address gender and sexuality, nationalism, revolution, film, fashion, visual culture, social media, digital citizenship, bodily protest, sexual violence, transnational trauma, global reproductive health and politics, and diaspora, centering especially on the Middle East & North Africa. Eileraas Karakus is the author of Between Image and identity: Transnational Fantasy, Symbolic Violence, and Feminist Misrecognition. She has also published and presented research on Turkish modest fashion influencers, nude protest and digital citizenship in the MENA region, 1990s girl bands, Marilyn Monroe and celebrity culture. Beyond academia, Karina consults on global gender equity and DEIA strategy, sexual and gender-based violence, mental health, cultural inclusivity, free speech and inclusive content curation on digital media platforms.
Annelise Eileraas is a Barnard College 2025 graduate, filmmaker and journalist researching freedom of expression – particularly dance between New York and Tunisia. She investigates intersections of technology and movement at the Barnard Movement Lab and Movement Research, and publishes arts and culture journalism for outlets including Glasstire. Annelise has served as a 2023 PEN America Freedom of Expression Fellow as well as a Delegate to the 2023 UNESCO World Press Freedom Day and the 2021 UN Commission on the Status of Women.
