Each year, the Graduate Division Dean's Office benefits from the hard work of graduate student researchers who support the Division's administrative operations as well as conduct studies that will benefit graduate students and postdocs at UCSF for years to come. Past fellows have worked on projects like developing curricula for graduate studies courses, compiling and curating anti-racism resources, and contributing to other ongoing research projects in graduate education.
These students – drawn from PhD candidates in UCSF's social science doctoral programs – also benefit from working in the Graduate Division. In addition to the financial benefits of the fellowship, they gain meaningful experience in university administration at a research-intensive institution, which helps prepare them for academic careers.
In September, we were pleased to welcome two students to the Graduate Division Dean's Office team for the 2024-2025 academic year: Alexzandria Simon and Geremy Lowe.
Alexzandria Simon is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in the History of Health Sciences program, and joins us as the latest in a long line of Rosenberg-Hill Fellows. Alexzandria’s faculty mentor is Dr. Dorothy Porter. Her hometown is Sacramento, CA, and she attended California State University, Sacramento, where she earned a bachelor’s degree (U.S. History) and master’s degree (in History).
For her dissertation research at UCSF, Alexzandria’s is looking at the history of transgender healthcare, specifically from the 1970s to the 1990s. In particular, she wants to focus on the community healthcare that exists outside of hospitals and medical institutions, and how trans communities found safe spaces for primary care and specific trans health care, and/or how they built spaces themselves to serve their needs.
As a Rosenberg-Hill Fellow, Alexzandria will support Associate Dean Dr. Jennifer Nazareno with various projects. She remarked, “I look forward to working with other UCSF community members and students to help implement change to better the experience of students, and to working in a space where collaboration and teamwork is fostered and celebrated!”
After completing her doctoral degree, Alexzandria would like to be a professor at a state school or help build the history of health science departments at universities. When she’s not engaged in her research and academic work, you may find Alexzandria with a good book: “I love to read more than anything. I love all genres: fiction, fantasy, romance, mystery/thriller and historical fiction.” She also loves baking for her partner and friends, and working out. “You can always find me at a Pilates class or an indoor spin/cycling class.”
Geremy Lowe is also a fourth-year doctoral candidate in the History of Health Sciences program, working with faculty mentors Drs. Dorothy Porter and Aimee Medeiros. Geremy’s hometown is Chicago, IL (South Side). He earned a bachelor’s degree (Ethnic Studies) at UC Berkeley, an MPH from University of Michigan School of Public Health, and a Master of Studies in Law from UC Law San Francisco.
In his dissertation research, Geremy is examining how public health initiatives from the post-1980 period not only pathologized and criminalized certain youth groups but also marginalized youth groups and framed youth health as a societal threat. Consequently, the messaging around youth health became centered on protecting specific experiences, inadvertently placing all youth at greater risk for adverse health outcomes.
As a graduate student researcher in the Graduate Division, Geremy will work with Assistant Dean Dr. D’Anne Duncan and her team. “I look forward to understanding the process of creating curricula that reflect the principles of belonging, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (Be JEDI) within the UCSF mission. Additionally, I am excited to witness a transformation in basic science students' experiences as they learn more about how adopting social sciences brings a greater impact in their research and labs.”
In the future, Geremy hopes to move into a postdoctoral fellowship position where he can collaborate with scholars and researchers across disciplines. “I hope to continue my research and publish my first manuscript, detailing my research in a way that benefits the scholarship of scientists, medical and public health professionals, and other social scientists.” Outside of school and research, Geremy enjoys mini trips to Vegas and back home to Chicago, or exploring new places he has yet to experience. “I also love concerts and music, in general, because they relieve stress and keep me grounded. I love going to church and listening to Gospel music, learning how to be a better person for myself and others. Additionally, with my partner and puppy, I enjoy a good Netflix binge and popcorn.”
“We are excited to have Alexzandria and Geremy on our Graduate Division team as graduate student researchers this year,” said Dr. Nicquet Blake, Dean of the Graduate Division. “Their perspective as current students and as young social scientists and historians will be an asset as we work together in the months ahead.”
