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"I generally describe my research area as fashion in the metaverse. More specifically, my MA thesis aims to unpack the imaginaries being built around the increasing emergence of Web3 fashion houses and marketplaces that sell nonfungible fashion tokens."
Maria Sommers
Communication master's student in the Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology
I’m a Master’s student and teaching assistant at the School of Communication at SFU, as well as a research assistant at the Digital Democracies Institute. I am also currently acting as the secretary for my department’s graduate caucus, as an associate editor for Stream, SFU’s interdisciplinary communications journal, and a steward in my department for SFU’s Teaching Support & Staff Union.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO COME TO SFU?
I did my BA at SFU, also in Communication, and I had a really positive experience. I first met my supervisors Dr. Milena Droumeva and Dr. Aleena Chia when I took their classes as an undergraduate. They both very generously offered me encouragement and support when I expressed interest in pursuing further research in their respective fields, and I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with two such incredible scholars.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR RESEARCH OR YOUR PROGRAM TO A FAMILY MEMBER?
I generally describe my research area as fashion in the metaverse. More specifically, my MA thesis aims to unpack the imaginaries being built around the increasing emergence of Web3 fashion houses and marketplaces that sell nonfungible fashion tokens. I also do some work in the field of game studies that looks at the labour and gendered dimensions of mobile fashion and lifestyle games, and the project I work on at the Digital Democracies Institute is researching conflict and hate in digital game spaces.
WHAT ARE YOU PARTICULARLY ENJOYING ABOUT YOUR STUDIES/RESEARCH AT SFU?
The sense of community amongst my fellow graduate students. I feel lucky to have made such strong and supportive friendships since having started the program and to be working with people who are pursuing and producing such generative and exciting work. I am also incredibly grateful for the generosity of my supervisors and the other faculty members in my department, who have offered invaluable guidance, advice, and encouragement.
HAVE YOU BEEN THE RECIPIENT OF ANY MAJOR OR DONOR-FUNDED AWARDS? IF SO, PLEASE TELL US WHICH ONES AND A LITTLE ABOUT HOW THE AWARDS HAVE IMPACTED YOUR STUDIES AND/OR RESEARCH.
I am the recipient of a SSHRC-CGS Master's Scholarship.
Contact Maria: maria_sommers@sfu.ca