2025-2026 Directorate Board Candidates
Priyanka Bharadwaj
Running for: Marketing and Communications Chair and Membership and Engagement Chair
Please introduce yourself and describe why you would like to serve in the chair position(s) you chose (please separate your answers for each position, making sure to label them), describing how you will contribute to the specific goals of the committee.
Hey everyone! My name is Priyanka (she/her), and I am currently the Assistant Director of LGBTQ Student Services at Rutgers University – Newark. I have been fat since I was quite young, so I know firsthand the repercussions of being fat in our modern society for much of my life. Attending ACPA and becoming involved with CFI over the past couple years has opened so many doors for me, from finding more fat community to learning about fat studies as a research area. After learning more about CFI, I’ve learned how passionate I am about advocating for fat bodies, so I am nominating myself for the Marketing & Communications Chair or the Membership & Engagement Chair.
I would like to be Marketing & Communications Chair as my first choice, as I have lots of passion and enjoyment for designing social media content. So much advertisement and recruitment happens through social media, so our graphics need to be appealing and eye-catching as a draw-in for folks to get involved with CFI. I would love to emphasize highlights of fat individuals, fat research, and general tips and tricks for fat folks to be more comfortable in life through our social media. This reflects the core values of Advocacy, Education, and Engagement that CFI upholds. By encouraging social media engagement, we will be able to create a stronger community for fat folks, promote education around fat liberation and justice, and work towards accessibility for all fat identities.
My second choice of chair position is the Membership and Engagement Chair. My career is devoted to facilitating social and developmental programs for students, so I would love the opportunity to showcase these skills in programming for other fat folks. I love the work that I do because it helps create inclusive and safe spaces for folks with marginalized identities, and this can be a reality for folks joining CFI as well. In order to keep members engaged, we need to have a combination of fun spaces where folks can feel comfortable in their bodies, as well as educational spaces for folks to learn more about fat justice and liberation, and how to work on dismantling systems of oppression in order to achieve liberation for all marginalized identities. I would love to coordinate a gathering in-person for any CFI folks able to attend before the annual ACPA convention, as well as virtual meet-ups to remain accessible to all members. In addition to this, I would love to continue the Book Club tradition as well.
Regardless of which position I serve in, I will always bring passion and positive energy to the work I do. I hope to bring a fresh feeling to this new Coalition, and establish some traditions that will carry on through the legacy of CFI. I have so much love for this community I have found at ACPA, and I would love to pay it forward by engaging with members as a DB member!
Please describe how you will contribute to ACPA’s Strategic Imperative on Racial Justice and Decolonization in your role on the CFI Directorate.
The Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization emphasizes first and foremost that all forms of oppression are linked. This is something that I keep very centered in my work, emphasizing that racism and colonialism are very real, present, enduring, and intersectional. In our fight to end fat oppression, we must not forget the oppression of other marginalized identities, and to advocate for marginalized communities in our work in higher ed. Our collective education, research and scholarship, advocacy, and capacity can create positive change in higher education. I believe in speaking about different forms of oppression linked to identities I hold as a Fat, Queer, Woman of Color, without ever forgetting my privileges in society and utilizing those privileges to uplift the struggles of others and advocate for equity for all.
However, I still wish to highlight that the oppression of fat people often goes ignored. There is a social norm of thinness in society, and those who do not adhere are shamed in a sense, whether that is through verbal body shaming or systemic fatphobia. I aim to influence this change, along with discussing the ways in which fat oppression and other forms of oppression are closely linked.
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Holly Clemons
Running for: Convention Relations Chair
Please introduce yourself and describe why you would like to serve in the chair position(s) you chose (please separate your answers for each position, making sure to label them), describing how you will contribute to the specific goals of the committee.
Hi everyone! My name is Holly Clemons, and I’m currently a program specialist/orientation coordinator at Iowa State University. I graduated from Grinnell College with my B.A. in Spanish in 2020 and from Iowa State University with my M.Ed. in Student Affairs in 2024. I’m an avid Pokémon GO player, thrifter and tabletop gamer.
I’m running for Convention Relations Chair for several reasons, the most pragmatic of which is professional development. While I have experience with event management and room reservations at an institutional level, I have never held a leadership role at a professional organization. I’m particularly driven, however, by my desire to build community with other fat people within higher education. I may be a new professional, but I am not a new fat person – I have always been fat, but I didn’t really start embracing my fatness until I attended the first CFI session at ACPA 2024. The session was like a veil had been lifted. I never allowed myself to embrace my fatness as a salient identity until I was able to sit in a room full of fat people and talk about fatness. I had found my people. By serving as Convention Relations Chair, I hope to do the behind-the-scenes work that ensures fat scholars can continue the educating fat people towards liberation.
Serving on the Directorate Board will also allow me to uphold CFI’s mission and core values. I am particularly cognizant of space as it relates to Convention Relations. When we host CFI sessions and socials, are the rooms in which they are held accessible to fat people? Are they furnished with accommodating chairs that are not violent to fat bodies? I hope to work closely with ACPA leadership to ensure that the space we take up is as built for us as possible.
Please describe how you will contribute to ACPA’s Strategic Imperative on Racial Justice and Decolonization in your role on the CFI Directorate.
As Convention Relations Chair, I will strive to uphold ACPA’s Strategic Imperative on Racial Justice and Decolonization. I subscribe to an intersectional approach to understanding systems of injustice, and fatness is part of that conversation. With intersectionality in mind, I would love to collaborate with other identity groups at ACPA to create spaces in which folks that share several minoritized identities can unite and share the work they do on their campuses that support students with minoritized identities.
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Carly Mendoza
Running for: Co-Chair and Membership and Engagement Chair
Please introduce yourself and describe why you would like to serve in the chair position(s) you chose (please separate your answers for each position, making sure to label them), describing how you will contribute to the specific goals of the committee.
My name is Carly Mendoza, & I work as a Student Success Coach within the College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources (CASNR) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Within my current role, I support students by working to remove barriers to their success. Whether it’s a barrier to their academic success or their life in general, the two are intersectional & affect one another, & so I work to support students holistically so they can be successful in their academics & in life. This work typically involves meeting with students regularly, working with them to identify their barriers, helping students set goals for themselves, regular check-ins, & connecting students with campus resources & organizations. However, sometimes it’s just being someone who is there for them & who listens. An additional part of my role is providing proactive outreach to students who have been identified as being someone who may benefit from additional support, as well as planning/hosting events to encourage belonging &engagement among students within our college. Beyond my role as a Student Success Coach, I also serve as an advisor for our student organization, Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, & Related Sciences (MANRRS). This is a great opportunity to mentor students of diverse identities & support their professional development. Honestly, if you were to ask me about my dream job, I would say my current job. I love higher education & supporting students, I love learning about my students & all of their unique experiences, & I love being able to help others & try to make a difference in making everyone’s experience positive.
Membership & Engagement Chair – I have a passion for organizing events. With every job I’ve had within higher education, I have been in charge of and/or assisted with event planning & logistics. I am very detail-oriented, which leads to a well-executed event. I am also not quick to make decisions because I like to weigh all the options & possible outcomes & try to think of the most inclusive/accessible way to host an event. I believe the events we host a convention are our first chance to make a good impression & capture membership engagement. I think it’s important to keep up engagement, which can often be lost after the excitement of convention. If I were Membership & Engagement Chair, I would like to implement a pre- & post-convention meeting. The pre-meeting could be a ‘know before you go’ type of meeting & could also discuss some of the extracurriculars that are planned. The post-meeting could be a debrief about convention & what type of events & engagement opportunities members would like outside of convention.
Co-chair – I see the co-chair position as that of a representative & a leader. I lead through service. To me, being a co-chair is being able to step in & help other chairs when needed. It is also about making sure CFI has a chair at the table – preferably one without arms that has a higher weight capacity.
Please describe how you will contribute to ACPA’s Strategic Imperative on Racial Justice and Decolonization in your role on the CFI Directorate.
When choosing a higher educational professional association, I specifically chose ACPA because of their commitment to racial justice. It is important to me, and an area I am passionate about. If I am elected to CFI’s Directorate Board, I will continue to uphold ACPA’s Strategic Imperative on Racial Justice and Decolonization with my own work and look for ways in which I can make an impact on my campus. Not only that, but as a Director Board member, I will ensure CFI is aligned with the Strategic Imperative through its actions. CWI’s mission statement is centered on an intersectional framework, “recognition of the necessity to dismantle systems of white supremacy and colonization in order to achieve liberation for all marginalized and oppressed identities” in order to achieve fat liberation. Therefore, we cannot have one without the other. The Strategic Imperative is essential to CFI and what we stand for. Therefore, we need to be doing the work, having conversations, educating ourselves, and advocating for racial justice and decolonization. As either co-chair or Membership & Engagement chair, I will make sure the Strategic Imperative is at the forefront of what we do and look for ways we can actively embody it.
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Mack Pruitt
Running for: Co-Chair
Please introduce yourself and describe why you would like to serve in the chair position(s) you chose (please separate your answers for each position, making sure to label them), describing how you will contribute to the specific goals of the committee.
Hello! I am Mack Pruitt, I use She/They pronouns, and I work at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. My day job consists of serving as the Senior Student Affairs Specialist for our Student Activities and Organizations office. Outside of work, I find life in cooking; movement of all kinds; organizing; and spending time with my community, husband, and two cats. I became a member of the Taskforce for Fat Identities during ACPA22, served on the Membership and Engagement Committee for the 22-23 year, and served as the Membership and Engagement Committee Chair for the 23-24 year and 24-25 year.
Over the last 3 years, I have had the chance to build the foundation of our membership initiatives including Book Club, Fat Stanley, and Fat Lunch Dates. These initiatives and their success are thanks to the wonderful Directorate Board members I’ve worked with, my committee members, and the members who have shown up time and time again as we have found our way as a coalition. Not only am I excited to support the next chair in these initiatives but to continue our expansion of research and scholarship initiatives, convention presence, and fundraising.
I would be honored for the opportunity to support this coalition in a different way through a Co-Chair role. While balancing my leadership in CFI with my role at Purdue, I have also served as the Co-Chair for Purdue Employee Pride, overseeing a board that provides monthly programming for approximately 135 members. I would love the opportunity to learn how to translate the knowledge I’ve gained from this role into a predominantly virtual space.
Please describe how you will contribute to ACPA’s Strategic Imperative on Racial Justice and Decolonization in your role on the CFI Directorate.
As a fat, white, queer student affairs professional, it is imperative to me that our work in CFI centers the fact that anti-fatness is rooted in anti-Blackness and colonization. In my role on CFI’s Directorate Board, I will continue working to ensure our coalition continues challenging the whitewashed narratives often present in body liberation spaces.
This means prioritizing that our programming, communications, and scholarship efforts reflect our continued commitment to racial justice and decolonization. Through initiatives like Fat Lunch Dates and Book Club, I’ve prioritized accessibility and inclusion, and I plan to carry that same approach into future coalition-wide efforts. Decolonization and racial justice are not paths to abandon when tides change. I’m committed to continuing that work on the Board in practical, transparent ways that move us forward as a coalition.
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Lene Reynolds
Running for: Research and Scholarship Chair
Please introduce yourself and describe why you would like to serve in the chair position(s) you chose (please separate your answers for each position, making sure to label them), describing how you will contribute to the specific goals of the committee.
Hello! My name is Lene Reynolds (they/them) and I am excited to have the opportunity to be considered for the CFI Research and Scholarship Chair. I am a new professional, having recently graduated from my Master’s program, and have worked primarily in 2LGBTQIA+ centers and Student Equity-related roles. Prior to this, I also worked full time in governmental HIV and STI programs, as well as a BRIEF stint in the tech sector.
I envision myself in this role as someone who is deeply committed to bringing emerging perspectives to the forefront, centering visions for fat liberation that move beyond current narratives. I am someone who is passionate about leveraging prominent narratives and figures in pop culture to engage our communities in educational programs. I am excited to bring this passion to the Research and Scholarship Committee, in ways that seek unique opportunities to engage not only those who consistently engage with CFI, but those who have never considered how anti-fatness shows up in their work. My own research in this area, for example, has allowed me to explore how prominent Queer and Trans Fat characters in television shows contribute to ongoing intra-community violence and students’ self-perceptions of identity. I have experience successfully managing educational social media campaigns, virtual historical tours, and other creative endeavors in the realm of scholarly programming.
I also recognize the significant role played by conventions, regional and national, for this position. I would be excited to collaborate with the entire directorate, and specifically the Convention Relations Chair, to continue building on the previous years’ momentum of engaging convention-goers. This year, I had the honor of presenting at ACPA25 on issues of Carceral Student Affairs work. I am looking to further this research, as well as looking to pursue new projects that are specifically situated in fat liberation. I also believe that, in seeking to further the mission of CFI, I can work in collaboration with other similarly-minded coalitions to highlight relevant work in the field. Engaging the broader ACPA membership in recognizing the connections between Queer of Color Feminisms, DisCrit, and other relevant critical theories is imperative to meeting CFI’s strategic goals. Additionally, building on the previous work to establish and grow CFI’s Resource Library, a long-term goal would be to continue expanding the database, while working to find engaging modalities and search tools, as well working to ensure that universally-accessible formats are available.
Serving as the Research and Scholarship Chair would additionally allow me to personally stay more deeply connected with CFI, comprising a community of people who celebrated my own research and scholarship efforts. My deepest gratitude to you all.
Please describe how you will contribute to ACPA’s Strategic Imperative on Racial Justice and Decolonization in your role on the CFI Directorate.
In the realm of research and scholarship, it is critical to interrogate and consider how knowledge production in academia is gatekept and filtered through the lens of White Supremacy Culture. In a role focused on uplifting academic resources, it is my responsibility to not only center Black-led and Indigenous-led scholarship, but to additionally showcase resources that are less entrenched in traditional avenues like peer-reviewed journals. These resources have their place, alongside and in conversation with sources like personal narratives. I am looking to continue the work of previous Chairs who have incorporated podcasts, social media-based resources, and other opportunities for members to engage with broader communities of scholars. While it is important to celebrate and highlight scholarship and knowledge from Black educators, Indigenous educators, and other educators of Color, it is just as important to make sure that this scholarship is actually in alignment with radically anti-racist and liberatory frameworks. I hope to provide a community-sourcing approach to gathering resources, as I understand that my networks, access, and perspectives as a white practitioner are limited.
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Evelyn Yuengst
Running for: Awards and Recognitions Chair and Membership and Engagement Chair
Please introduce yourself and describe why you would like to serve in the chair position(s) you chose (please separate your answers for each position, making sure to label them), describing how you will contribute to the specific goals of the committee.
Awards and Recognition Chair
Hi, my name is Evelynn Yuengst, and I am excited to apply for the Awards and Recognition Chair position. I believe that honoring and celebrating the work of individuals is so important. In higher education, our work is often thankless and not seen. This is particularly true when it comes to challenging oppressive systems. I would love to be in this role to make space and uplift marginalized voices who are fighting for fat liberation. In this role, I aim to recognize and uplift those whose contributions often go unseen, letting them know their impact is felt and appreciated. I will intentionally approach this work through an intersectional lens, ensuring that individuals from multiple marginalized communities are centered and celebrated. Everyone deserves to receive their flowers, and I would be honored to facilitate this recognition within our community.
I have experience coordinating student awards at my university, where I worked to ensure the process was equitable and celebratory. I would bring this same care and intentionality to CFI, while creating space to honor efforts toward fat liberation.
Marketing and Communications Chair
Hi, my name is Evelynn Yuengst, and I’m deeply interested in serving as the Marketing and Communications Chair. Since convention is in person only once a year, I see marketing and communication as vital tools to keep our community connected and informed year-round. Effective communication helps ensure that both the Directorate and members are on the same page and supported.
I’ve previously managed social media accounts for my university in my undergraduate years, which allowed me to channel my creativity while highlighting the meaningful work happening across campus. I had a blast doing it, and I would love to bring that same energy to CFI. I’m particularly passionate about designing campaigns that are not only informative but empowering spotlighting fat joy, resistance, and solidarity.
In doing so, I will apply an intersectional and justice-based lens by prioritizing accessibility through the use of image descriptions and high-contrast visuals. I want our digital presence to reflect the inclusive community that CFI embodies.
Lastly, I care deeply about continuity and institutional memory. I believe that learning from the work that came before us can help us evolve and build a stronger future. I will document systems, maintain and organize the shared drive, and ensure that communications materials are archived and accessible. Communication shouldn’t just serve the present but it should also serve the future. Overall, I’m excited about the opportunity to shape how CFI shares its message and connects its members.
Please describe how you will contribute to ACPA’s Strategic Imperative on Racial Justice and Decolonization in your role on the CFI Directorate.
In my role on CFI’s Directorate Board, I will contribute to the Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization by ensuring that all aspects of my work are grounded within equity. Fatphobia is rooted in anti-blackness and as a white woman I make sure I am aware of the privilege I hold with that. The work we do in fat liberation cannot happen in isolation and must be approached while also dismantling other systems of oppression like white supremacy.
As Awards and Recognition Chair, I will prioritize honoring individuals who deserve their flowers for the work they do and ensure to apply an intersectional lens with their recognition. Recognition is a powerful tool, and I intend to use it to uplift those fighting for liberation.
As Marketing and Communications Chair, I will ensure that CFI’s messaging is accessible to all. I am committed to creating inclusive communication that reflects the full diversity of our community and affirms the visibility of everyone.
Overall within either role, I will also commit to ongoing reflection and education in my own practice, remaining open to feedback and accountable to the communities we serve.
