Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë

Carrie Hagan joins the BXA programs from the history department, where she has taught courses on women’s history and the history of juvenile justice. As a scholar of gender and youth, Dr. Hagan is interested in how societies define, at any given time, what behaviors are deemed to be “appropriate” for young people, especially girls. Her research focuses on transitions in mid-20th century American public policy with regard to youthful misbehavior, and how these changes were tied to broader shifts in youth culture, consumption and sexuality. She completed her doctoral and masters work in US social and cultural history at Carnegie Mellon, and became grounded in history and gender studies through a BA at the University of California, Santa Cruz, which has a mascot even more unusual than a “tartan.”

In addition to her scholarly work on adolescence, Dr. Hagan has a background in student advocacy and mentorship, and has been involved in different aspects of student affairs on campus for several years. She is skilled at offering thoughtful advice in matters of both work and life—including, but not limited to—how to ride local transit; how to navigate the channels of academic bureaucracy; how to build a network; how to craft an appealing personal statement; and how to wear many hats at once, attractively. Dr. Hagan’s experience includes a commitment to interdisciplinary approaches, and to the intersection of scholarship and community engagement, working locally with a range of organizations to champion the rights of women and girls, engage in arts-based approaches to urban revitalization and promote harm reduction in public health. She enjoys connecting people to other people throughout Pittsburgh and believes strongly that this city offers a wonderful base camp for making/thinking/learning about art, history and self-invention.

Emily Syes has been part of the BXA Intercollege Degree Programs team since 2007. She has served as a Staff Council Division 11 Representative for the College of Fine Arts and has been a member of the CFA Staff Advocates, Food Drive, Public Art, Rewards & Recognition and Take Our Daughters & Sons to Work Day committees. She was nomintated twice in the CFA Staff Henry Awards' Unsung Hero category.

Ms. Syes holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education for Museums and Cultural Institutions from The Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Education degree in Art Education from Carlow University. She is a PA certified K-12 art teacher with experience in both museum and public school settings. Her graduate thesis focused on the fear of failure as an inhibitor to student learning, creativity and total success.