MA (2005) University of Maryland, BA (1999) University of Connecticut.
Ryan Shanahan is an activist and scholar working from an intersectional feminist perspective. Ryan draws from her direct service work to guide her research on young people engaging in street prostitution in the U.S., specifically their raced experiences in the juvenile justice system. Ryan received her BA from the University of Connecticut and her MA in Women's Studies from the University of Maryland, with a specialization in race and racialization. Ryan was awarded a university fellowship for graduate study, was the recipient of a Center for Teaching Excellence award for Outstanding Teaching Assistant, and the Evelyn T. Beck Research Prize. She completed a major field in Feminist Intersectional Approaches to Prostitution, Juvenile Justice and Racialization and is beginning work on her dissertation.
Ryan currently lives in Brooklyn and works for Family Justice. In her role as project director, Ryan partners with juvenile corrections departments throughout the country to develop innovative solutions to the challenges surrounding youth affiliated with gangs; facility visitation policies and procedures; and tools for staff to involve families and social networks in the reentry process.
Research Interests:
Sex Work, Race and Racialization, Intersectional Feminist Theory, Prison Industrial Complex, Social Justice, and Activism