Maura Beste

University Fellows Cohort Member, 2022-2023
PhD Student, Gender & Women's Studies
Portrait of Maura Beste
Pronouns:
they, them, theirs

Maura is a doctoral student in the Gender and Women’s Studies program. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a B.A. in English Literature, they worked as a Veterinary Technician with a special interest in canine dentistry. Combining their training in animal behavior, veterinary medicine, and critical cultural theory, Maura’s work focuses on the translation of canine science to human-dog experiences, untangling a variety of narratives surrounding our canine partners, such as domestication narratives, training and behavioral practices, and how scientific epistemologies come to inform how we relate across species. Their research interests are at the intersection of critical animal theory and gender studies, primarily investigating how understanding our relationships with animals can be a means of articulating and empowering queer identities and culture. Outside of their studies, Maura enjoys dog training and sports.