CV | Hillcrest | Writing | Research Interests
:+*===========================-=============-===+==========--=-*
-=+=-=------------------------:-----:-:--==-:::==-:--:--::-:-::+
-=+=-=-------------------------------:-:-==-:::==--:-:--:-:::::+
-=+=----------------------:----==--------==-:::==-:::-:---:--:-+
-=+=--------------------------==----:---:==-::-==-:-:::-::-::::+
-=*=---::---:--::::::::-==+#*=***%*=-:-====-:::==-::::::::-:::-+
-=+=-----:::-:::::::-:-=+***%#*@%%%#%+-=+==-:::==-:::::::::::::+
-=+=---:::::::::::::-==+%%%%%*#%@%%%@%#====-:::==-:::::::::::::+
-=+=--::::::::::::::=*%%@@@%%%%@@@@%%%@%%==-:::==-:::::::::::::+
:=+---::::::::::::-=*%%%%%###**#%%%%%@%%#%-=:::==-:::::::::::::+
:=+---::::::::::::=*#%%*++======+=++**#%#%*-:::==-:::::::::::::+
:=+---::::::::::::=*%*+=====+=-==+==+==**#+=:::==::::::::::::::+
:=+---::::::::::::=##*=======+===+=+*===*%+=:::==::::::::::::::+
:=+-:-::::::::::::=#*=====+=*======+=====**=:::-=::::::::::::::=
:=+-::::::::::::::=#*===*+=====+=====+*===+=-::-=::::=:::::::::=
:=+-::::::::::::::=**=+*+**+==-=+*%++*=+=+===::-=::::::::::::::=
:=+-:-::::::::::::==+==+*+**=-===#%%**++====:::-=-::-::::::::::=
:=+-::::::::::::::=++====+=*===+===*=====+==:::-=::::=:::::::::=
:=+-::::::::::-=:::++=++===++=-**=*+=====+==-::-=::::::::::::::=
:=+-:::::::::::=:::++=====+*+==*++=======*==-::==:::::-::::::::=
:=+-::::::::::==:::-====-==*+*##+*==+====*==-::-=-:::-::::::-=:=
:=+--:::::::::::::::++==*****+*%****++****=-:::-=::::-::::::::==
:=+-=::::::::::::::-=#++*#%**=+++**%%+**#*==:::-=-:::-=:::::-:=+
:=+-:::::::::::::::*%*%%%%***+*#+**%@@#%*%==:-=-=::::--=:::::::=
:=+-::::::::-+=**+*%@@%@@%#+**+#**##%@#%%%*==*--=-::::::::::-::=
:=+-:::::::-=#++##@@@@#%@@%++=+++*%%@%#+**++=%*%+-:::::::::-::-=
:=+-::::::=-*%=*%@@@@@%=+%@@#**%%%%%%*++#%++=%%@*=:-=:::::-:=::=
:=+--:-=::-*%*%%%@@@%%%*=+*%%#%%%%%**+=+%%++=%%@@%#+=+::::-==::=
:=+-=:-=-==#%%%@@%@@@%%%#*+***#*%+**++**#%+++%%%%%%%#+=*---=:::=
-*+--==+=#%%%%%%%@@@%%%%%###***##****%%%%%*+*%%@%%#%#+++%#*+=::=
-=*-+*#%%#%%%@@@@@@@%%%%%%%#***%*%##%%%%%%++*%%@%%%%***+##%*+-:=
-*#++#*#%%%%%%@@@@@@%%%#%%%%%**%####%%@%%%+++%%%%%%%*%%%*##*++-+
==##*%**%%@%%@@@@@@@%########***#**##%%%%%*++%%%%%%%%%%%%%*+=++*
=+*##%%*%%%%%@@@@@@%####*************#*%@%++*%%@%%#%%%%%%#*++=+%
*%%%%%@@%@%%%@@@@@@%%%%#%##%#**%#%###%++#@***%@@@%%@@@%@@%%**%%#


SIMON W. GRIFFITH 
\\ QUEER GEOGRAPHIES


 | 


  
Queer geographies is an ongoing investigation of the production and evolution of social, political, and built environments and experiences in gay enclaves in Turtle Island/north america.  Through collection of archival materials, interviews, ethnography, and aggregation of journalism sources, I aim to answer the question :: “How does spatial transformation, commodifciation of LGBTQ+ identity, and assimilationist activism impact queer folks’ sense of community and belonging in their everyday lives and spaces?”

* Queer geographies is a term whose first appearance I’ve traced to Bell and Valentine (1995) in their book Mapping Desire: Geographies of Sexualities

***************************************
NEWS & UPDATES
***************************************



03/16/2025
I’m grateful to have been appointed as a graduate student member of the Student Affairs Committee of the Pacific Sociological Association for 2025-2026.


--------  



02/14/2025
I’m honored to accept UC San Diego’s offer of admission to their Sociology PhD program, beginning in Fall 2025!


--------  

01/20/2025  
I will be serving as TA for Dr. Alicia Gonzales’ SOC 560 graduate Quantitative Research Methods course for Spring 2025.  

--------  

12/06/2024  
I have been invited to present my research-in-progress on "Community Impacts of Hillcrest’s Redevelopment" in a session entitled "Reclaiming Urban Spaces: Community Identity, Housing Justice, and Development," at the 2025 Pacific Sociological Association conference in San Francisco, CA on March 27-30, 2025. The conference theme for 2025 is "Sociology in Crisis: Strategies for Teaching and Researching in a Culture of Anti DEI."  

--------  

11/07/2024  
I successfully defended my graduate thesis proposal and it was accepted without revisions! I will begin my research immediately upon approval from our IRB. Thank you to my committee and my Chair for your time and the valuable feedback!  

--------  

11/01/2024  
I am honored to accept the Outstanding Graduate Student Award from the California Sociological Association for 2024. I extend my deepest gratitude to my nominator, Dr. Alicia Gonzales.  

About the award: The Elizabeth and Edward Nelson Graduate Student Award is designed to honor a current graduate student enrolled in a California college or university graduate program (or one who graduated last school year). The student should be enrolled in (or have completed within the past year) a course of graduate study in sociology completing 20 graduate units of sociology with a GPA of at least 3.5 and has earned distinction in outstanding scholarship and/or outstanding service to the school, community, or the CSA.  

--------  

07/10/2024  
I will be serving as Graduate Assistant / TA for Dr. Christopher Bickel's SOC 361 Qualitative Research Methods course for Fall 2024.  

--------  

06/28/2024  
The NSF social sciences research grant that I co-authored with Profs. Bertrand, Ometto, and Kannothra (CSUDH) entitled "Pathways for Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Entrepreneurs, the Role of Cultural Narratives, Identity, and Collective Action" has been recommended for selection and funding from September 2024 to August 2027.  

--------  

12/20/2023  
I will be serving as Graduate Assistant / TA for Dr. Marisol Clark-Ibáñez's SOC 361 Qualitative Research Methods course for Spring 2024.  

--------  

12/04/2023  
I have been invited to present my research-in-progress on "Actor-Network Theory and the Erosion of LGBTQ+-Centered Spaces" in a session entitled "Queer Spaces," at the 2024 Pacific Sociological Association conference in San Diego, CA on March 21-24, 2024. The conference theme for 2024 is "Ties That Bind: Social Space and Social Permissiveness."  

Congratulations to my colleagues Niko Crumpton and Dulcinea Arroyo who have also been invited to present on their research-in-progress, and I hope more of my academic colleagues receive presentation invitations for this conference soon!  

--------  

10/04/2023  
I have joined the research group of Drs. Carly Offidani-Bertrand (CSUSM Human Development) and Paola Ometto (CSUSM College of Business Administration), the NSF grant-funded Multicultural Entrepreneurship Project, as a research assistant. Our interests align in the areas of research around places, spaces, and agency. I look forward to partnering with this talented group on many exciting projects and publications.  

--------  

08/28/2023  
I will be serving as Graduate Assistant / TA for Dr. Christopher Bickel's SOC 361 Qualitative Research Methods course for Fall 2023.  

--------  

03/30/2022  
I was invited to the Fall 2023 cohort in the Master of Arts in Sociological Practice (MASP) program at California State University San Marcos and have graciously accepted.  


--------  

01/26/2023  
I was named on the Dean's List for the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences at California State University San Marcos for Fall 2022.  

--------  

06/10/2022  
I was named on the Dean's List for the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences at California State University San Marcos for Spring 2022.