UMass Amherst

Alexandrina Deschamps

Women's Studies

Ed.D., University of Massachusetts


"I like my interactions with my students," says Professor Alex Deschamps, and because she lives in one of the Orchard Hill residence halls as Resident Faculty/Academic, these interactions are not restricted to her classroom. Conversations take place over a cup of tea in the hall lounge or in her cozy office filled with cards and mementos from former students. "We talk about life, careers, the world, and the future," she says "We talk about the state of gender studies today and where is it applicable. We also talk about the creativity they can bring to their thesis and their capstone courses and the way they can do theory outside of the box."

Because Women's Studies is an interdisciplinary program, many of her Commonwealth College students pursue interdisciplinary honors. "One Psychology and Women's Studies major," she recalls, "was a dancer and choreographer. She volunteered her entire four years here at a battered women's shelter, and for her honors research and thesis, she actually used dance as a creative outlet for battered women. For me, it's about allowing students to have space and flexibility to bring all of their knowledge into their theses and projects. It's not one-dimensional."

Originally from the Commonwealth of Dominica in the Caribbean, Deschamps' primary research involves the connection between economic and community development. "Caribbean women have a long legacy of resistance, activism, and political contributions," she explains. "My focus is on how their various modes of activism have contributed to legal reform programs in the Caribbean and to the field of global gender and development studies."