Get to know your VP for Equity & Inclusion!

What is your name?

Michelle Dreiling

What pronouns do you use?

They/Them/Theirs

Where are you from?

Oxford, KS

What degree are you working toward? 

PhD in Media Studies

What projects (research, creative) have you worked on? If your degree has a thesis/dissertation component, what is/will it be about?

I’ll be making a documentary/writing a dissertation that will focus on non-binary gender and folks’ experiences with Oregon’s 2017 policy change to include an ‘X’ marker on driver’s licenses and identification cards.

What would you like for your post-graduation career to be/focus on?   

I would like to continue bridging research and filmmaking. Ideally, that’ll be in the academy, but I’m open to all possibilities that the universe is keen to throw at me.

What job(s) do you have now or have had in the past? 

Right now, I’m a GE in the School of Journalism and Communication. I also shop & deliver groceries for Instacart, participate in market research and transcribe videos on the side. In the past, I’ve been a farmhand, a grocery clerk, a sandwich artist, a lunch lady, a Rubbermaid factory worker, a Tupperware salesperson, and at one point I had a burgeoning Etsy shop.

What GE positions have you held while at UO?

All things SOJC! (Gateway, Gender Media & Diversity, Intro to Documentary Production, Media Ethics)    

What is your educational background? 

 B.A. in Communication, Southwestern College, Winfield, KS

M.A. in Communication, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS

How many years have you been at UO?

2 (since 2017)

How many years have you been a GE?  

2 (since 2017)

How many years have you been a member of GTFF?

2 (since 2017)                    

What roles have you held within GTFF?

Steward

Bargaining Committee Member

What is your favorite aspect of GTFF?

Hands down: solidarity. The collective power we create when we come together to stand up for each other’s humanity.

What are your goals for GTFF for the coming year?         

To improve our processes and hopefully make them more equitable and accessible. I want to take the time to assess the things we do and be more mindful about any unintended consequences.

What else do you feel is important for GTFF members to know about you?

I believe that the union works best when we are willing and able to show up – both pieces are equally important. Please know that if you are willing to show up, but the way things are done precludes you from doing so in any way, I will support you. I want you at the table – I want you in the conversation. I will do everything in my power to make it so.

Meet Michelle’s pets, Juni (cat) and Reba (dog)!