1st Place Goes to RELS Graduate Student David Flaherty

Congratulations to David Flaherty, a Master’s student in the Department of Religious Studies, for winning “Best Graduate Paper” at the 2021 North Carolina Religious Studies Association (NCRSA) Conference. David presented his paper, “Strike A Pose: How Hijras Pose on Digital Religious Platforms,” in which he explores the ways hijras, a group of individuals in India who do not identify with gender-binaries, perform on Instagram. Whithin his paper and broader research, he explores and articulates his theoretical category of “pose” as a way to understand contemporary hijra performativity and activity–religious and secular–within Instagram.

David plans to graduate in May 2022, but until then, we look forward to working with David on his research and language studies.