Dr. Zooey Sophia Sangwanthong





Picture of Dr. Zooey Sophia Pook. The image shows a woman with long black hair, wearing a red long-sleeved shirt sitting on a chair at a table in front of a neutral-colored wall. She has one arm resting on the table in front of her and the other arm raised to touch the back of her neck. On the table in front of her is a piece of paper. Behind her, on a shelf attached to the wall, is a closed laptop. To the left of the laptop, some black cables are visible, hanging down. There is a projection screen in the background with faint, unreadable text on it. Surrounding the image is a border with a gradient of bright rainbow colors: red at the top, followed by orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple at the bottom.

DIRECTOR OF LGBT+ PROGRAMS AND

ASIAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER PROGRAMS

Dr. Zooey Sophia Sangwanthong is a transgender, disabled, Lebanese-American scholar whose research focuses on the intersections of politics, technology, and autonomy. She directs the LGBT+ Programs at NMSU and also teaches in the English Department. Zooey Sophia has worked to create the Preferred Name Rule as well as gender-inclusive housing and restroom options, for which NMSU has received national attention. She holds Master’s Degrees in Philosophy and Communication, and a PhD in Rhetoric and Professional Communication. She is currently engaged in grant research to examine healthcare for transgender individuals in southern New Mexico, as well as efforts to bring more attention to accessibility in DEI work. She has been invited to give numerous talks and workshops in the US and abroad for high schools, universities, and community organizations. Her published work can be found in The International Journal of Žižek Studies, Interalia, and Women’s Studies in Communication.  She can be reached directly at zspook@nmsu.edu or through LGBT+ Programs at 575-646-7031.

Fun Fact: Sophia also works at an online record store specializing in jpop. She loves the 90's and retro games such as Ridge Racer 4, which she insists has one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. 

Dr. Zooey Sophia Sangwanthong

Director of LGBT+ and Asian & Pacific Islander Program