Explore advaya's faculty of teachers, scientists, practitioners, philosophers and storytellers, who share multidimensional, local and diverse narratives from across the world.
Patricia received her B.A in Biology with a concentration in Environmental Studies in 2013 from Wheaton College, MA. In 2020, she received her Ph.D. in Forest Pathology and Mycology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Her doctoral work was focused on the taxonomy, biodiversity, and ecology of Laboulbeniales (Ascomycota) fungi. Patricia is broadly trained in the taxonomy of macro and micro fungi, with considerable field experience in numerous biodiversity hotspots around the world.
Following her Ph.D Patricia worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Aime Lab at Purdue University where Patricia served as curator of fungi at the Arthur Fungarium and Kriebel Herbarium. There Patricia focused on taxonomy and barcoding of Rust fungi, a group of plant pathogens. Results from this project are in progress.
Beyond more traditional scientific work, Patricia also works in the realms of philosophy of science, feminist bioscience, ecofeminism and queer theory, exploring how mycology and other scientific disciplines are situated in and informed by our sociopolitical landscape. Patricia's publication, The science underground: mycology as a queer discipline, appears in journal Catalyst: Feminism, Theory and Technoscience.
She is a founding member of the International Congress of Armenian Mycologists, a research organisation comprised of ethnically Armenian mycologists who seek to simultaneously advance mycological science and Armenian sovereignty and liberation.
Currently, Patricia is Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology at Bard College. her research will continue to focus on new species discovery and exploration of the use of certain fungi as potential indicators of ecosystem health. Course topics include: Fungal Ecology, Natural History, Evolution and Phylogenetics, Fungal Diversity and Climate Change, and Queer Ecology. Patricia also serve as faculty for the Bard Prison Initiative.
Patricia's forthcoming books are: Forest Euphoria, will be published by Spiegel and Grau.
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Queer Ecology is an emerging and shapeshifting field, challenging long-held perspectives in the sciences. In this course, we'll explore biological systems through the lens of queer theory, blending ideas from ecofeminism, philosophy of science, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Central to this approach are liberatory principles for humans and non-humans alike.
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For most of human history, myth was a durable mode of knowledge transmission, kept alive and resilient by the breath-laced web of communal storytelling. But the rise of empire depended on the deracination of mythologies. Just as landscapes were stolen and terraformed so were whole pantheons uprooted from their social and ecological contexts. How can we reroot, rewild, and retell?
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In this conversation with advaya, Dr. Patricia Kaishian discusses biodiversity and colonialism; extinction and regrowth; evolution and pleasure; and wild ways of knowing. She shares from her lived experience as a member of the Armenian diaspora, and from her wisdom gained from being a trained scientist.
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This is the transcript of the third episode of REBIRTH, a limited podcast series produced by advaya, in partnership with Stella McCartney Beauty.
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Ahead of advaya's upcoming online course: Queer Ecology: the science underground, with Dr. Patricia Kaishian, we speak with host and curator Patty, about how the study of mycology, ecology and queer theory can bring us towards a more expansive way of looking at the world. In this conversation, we discuss: how fungi can be our teachers in interbeing, redefining 'normal', and noticing the margins; dissolving the distinctions between humans and nature; what we have sacrificed in constructing the world as we have; and traditional ecological knowledge. How can looking at how we relate and how we think about the world lead us toward liberation?
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Dr Patricia Kaishian and So Sinopoulos-Lloyd discuss their backgrounds in environmental education, wildlife tracking and theology with a focus on meaning and the more than human, blending social and natural sciences.
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Ahead of advaya's upcoming online course: Queer Ecology: the science underground, with Dr. Patricia Kaishian, we speak with host and curator Patty, about how the study of mycology, ecology and queer theory can bring us towards a more expansive way of looking at the world. In this conversation, we discuss: how fungi can be our teachers in interbeing, redefining 'normal', and noticing the margins; dissolving the distinctions between humans and nature; what we have sacrificed in constructing the world as we have; and traditional ecological knowledge. How can looking at how we relate and how we think about the world lead us toward liberation?
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Dive into the fascinating world of Queer Ecology with mycologist Dr. Patricia Kaishian and wildlife tracker So Sinopoulos-Lloyd in this thought-provoking discussion hosted by Priya Subberwal. Uncover what Queer Ecology truly means and discover how it challenges heteronormativity in science and ecological thinking. How can queer ecology challenge traditional scientific narratives and inspire new ways of relating to and understanding the more-than-human world?
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In this conversation with advaya, Dr. Patricia Kaishian discusses biodiversity and colonialism; extinction and regrowth; evolution and pleasure; and wild ways of knowing. She shares from her lived experience as a member of the Armenian diaspora, and from her wisdom gained from being a trained scientist.