ROSE BERN, M.A.

she/her/hers
University of California, Davis
Office: Young Hall 148A
Email: rbern@ucdavis.edu

Research Interests: queer sexuality, consensual non-monogamy, intersectional feminist and community-engaged methods

Rose is a fourth year Ph.D. candidate in the Attraction and Relationships Lab. She graduated from the NYU Gallatin Individualized Studies program in 2018, where she broadly studied the intersection of love and human sexuality.

She is particularly interested in understanding the role that erotic intimacy plays in the maintenance of a diverse range of relationships. Her work is grounded in both feminist and queer theories as she aims to interrogate hegemonic frameworks within relationship science by deploying community-based methods.

She is currently spearheading a project that examines the factors that contribute to the well-being of polyamorous relationships by capturing the experiences of all members within a polyamorous network (i.e., polycule). Additionally, she is developing a theoretical framework to study queerplatonic relationships (i.e., platonic relationships built on mutual commitment and deep emotional intimacy but have no assumptions of sexual and/or romantic involvement), which are commonplace in polyamorous, aromantic and/or asexual communities. Queerplatonic relationships may resist heteronormative social rules imposed on traditional friendships in key ways, living in a liminal space between romantic and platonic relationships. She ultimately strives to do future work that amplifies underrepresented LGBTQ+ and CNM (consensually non-monogamous) voices.

She mostly spends her free time inhaling dangerous amounts of bread and cheese (see photo) and subsequently cozying up with her electric blanket and a good show (probably something by Michael Schur). She also loves tiny, furry creatures and will soon adopt a hamster named Abrahamster Maslow.