Reflections on the SBAI Teaching Fellowship from Lauren Berlin
Lauren Berlin, a recent grad with a PhD in Musicology from the Eastman School of Music, received the SBAI Teaching Fellowship for an introductory GSWS course of her own design, "Gender, Sexuality, and the Broadway Musical," which she taught in the fall 2025 semester. Check out her course trailer at the bottom of the page! Lauren shared the following reflection on her experience with the teaching fellowship, and she noted its value in giving her an edge in the job market. We congratulate Lauren on her new position at UNC Chapel Hill!
"The SBAI Teaching Fellowship allowed me to create, from scratch, a course that reflected both my own scholarly interests and an engaging way to introduce students to foundational frameworks in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies. It also gave me the opportunity to teach in an area that my home department did not have room for me to explore. That experience was absolutely transformative for me, and it became the foundation for the courses on American musical theater I will teach in my new faculty position.
The students are also unparalleled. Their diversity of backgrounds and intellectual curiosity make them ideal thought partners in developing a new course, and that openness allows all of us to be more intellectually adventurous over the course of the semester. When students feel safe to genuinely explore, question, and play in the classroom, everyone leaves better off for it."
Watch Lauren's fellowship course trailer: