Manic Pixie Dust

Manic Pixie Dust

Home
Notes
Curriculum Vitae
Archive
About

Curriculum Vitae

Anika Dane, MALS: academic, advocate, mentor.

Education

WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

Master of Arts in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Social Sciences, 2019
Continuing studies, 2023-

  • Related Course of Study

    • Adolescent Brain Development

    • Culture and Learning

    • Dynamics of Character

    • Emotions: Motivation and Development

    • Life Span Development

    • Narrative in Fiction and Film

    • Narrative Trends in New Audiences

    • Popular and Literary Fiction

    • Psychiatry: Science, Religion, Oppression, Control

    • Psychopathology and Psychotherapy in Film: Portrayal and Impact

    • Psychopathology and Society

    • Statistics

    • Writing for Television

BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY

Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts with a concentration in Dance and Movement,1998
Awarded Honors for performance thesis, “Reclaiming Pandora”
Minor in Feminist Studies

BRITISH AMERICAN DRAMA ACADEMY

Midsummer in Oxford

Work Experience

  • WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY, 2007-present

    • College of Integrative Sciences (CIS)

      • WesWAVES, an inclusion in STEAM initiative

      • Women in Science (WesWIS) and Wesleyan Science Camp (formerly Girls in Science)

    • previously supported: College of Design and Engineering Studies (CoDES), Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (MB&B), Molecular Biophysics, Sociology

Associations

Presentations and Panel Appearances

  • Academic Poster Structure and Style, Wesleyan University Psychology Department (Wesleyan University)

  • AGLSP Annual Conference 2024: Putting the “I” in AI in the Age of Digital Cultures (Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs)

    • “Performing Humanity: using stories to humanize Artificial Intelligence”

  • Holding Hope: How can we stay centered and resilient as individuals? (Wesleyan University)

    • “Neon Genesis: an exercise in guided journaling”

  • ConnectiCon 2024 (ConnectiCon)

    • “Neon Genesis: Using Fandom to Rewrite Your Story”

  • LadiesCon 2024 (Ladies of Comicazi)

  • ConnectiCon 2023 (ConnectiCon)

    • “Teen Girls in Space”

    • “Saving the World Isn’t Therapy: Trauma in Anime”

  • “Neon Genesis: Using Anime in Narrative Therapy”, Anime Boston 2023 (New England Anime Society)

  • “Saving the World Isn’t Therapy: Trauma in Anime”, Anime Boston 2022 (New England Anime Society)

  • Wiscon 45, 2022 (WisCon)

    • “Redemption Panel” (Virtual)

    • “How Do We Use Our Fandoms to Impact the World?” (Virtual)

    • “Female Friendships in Star Trek” (Virtual)

  • “The Women Who Built Fandom“, New York Comic Con 2021 (Reed Pop)

  • “Teen Girls in Space”, Rhode Island Comic Con 2019 (Altered Reality Entertainment)

  • Ladies Con 2019 (Ladies of Comicazi)

    • “Fandom Online”

    • “Disneybounding and Beyond!”

  • “Strong Women of Trek”, Respect: Women’s Podcast Festival 2019

  • ConnectiCon 2019 (ConnectiCon)

  • “Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl“, Awesome Con 2019 (Left Field Media)

  • “Gaming and Social Identity: Helping Ourselves, Helping Our Kids” PAX East 2019 (Reed Exhibitions) (mod)

  • Northeast Trek Con 2018 (Northeast Trek Con)

    • “The Evolution of Rom” with Max Grodénchik (mod)

    • “Women and Star Trek” with Nicole deBoer, Leslie Hoffman and Chase Masterson

    • “Toxic Fandom”

  • “Cosplay on a Budget“, CumberCon 2018 (Cumberland Public Library)

  • “The Herstory of Fandom: What We Lose When We Forget the Past“, Ladies Con 2018 (Ladies Con)

  • “Shakespeare and Star Trek” with Mary Chieffo, Star Trek Las Vegas 2018 (Creation Entertainment)

  • WisCon 42, 2018 (WisCon)

    • Star Trek: DISCO (mod)

    • Tasha Yar: Potential Unrealized

    • Bisexual Representation in Film and TV

    • Themes of The Last Jedi

    • The Defenders

  • “Games without Gates”, PAX East 2018 (Reed Exhibitions)

  • “Seeing Past the Screen: Transforming Technology into a Tool for Learning”, Minds in Motion, 2018 (Connecticut Association for the Gifted)

  • “Man as Machine: Androids & Cyborgs in Literature”, Escape Velocity 2017 (Museum of Science Fiction)

  • “The Association between Depression and Trouble Sleeping.”, Wesleyan Summer Research Poster Session 2017 (Wesleyan University)

  • Wiscon 41, 2017 (WisCon)

    • Rebel Scum: Finding Hope in Resistance (mod)

    • HBO’s Westworld—A Spoilerful Panel (mod)

    • Destroy the Myth of the Traditional Family (mod)

    • #inhonorofcarrie: Carrie Fisher and Mental Illness

  • “Gaming with Your Kids”, PAX East 2017 (Reed Exhibitions)

  • “Trek Talks: An Examination of Literature and Star Trek“, Mission New York 2016 (Reed Exhibitions)

  • “Shakespeare and Star Trek”, 50 Year Mission Tour Cherry Hill, 2017 (Creation Entertainment)

  • Wiscon 40, 2016 (WisCon)

    • The Fandom Awakens

    • Why Did We Have To Fight For Rey Star Wars Toys? (mod)

    • Is Rey a Mary Sue? (mod)

  • “Star Trek: Voyager, Twenty Years Later” (mod), Wiscon 39, 2015 (WisCon)

  • “The Carol Corps and the Changing Face of Fandom” Geek Girl Con 2014 (GeekGirlCon)

  • “Ready-to-Wear Fandom Fashion!”, Anime Boston 2014 (New England Anime Society)

  • “Ready-to-Wear Superhero Fashion” Geek Girl Con 2013 (GeekGirlCon)

  • “Follow the White Rabbit”, Wesleyan University 2013 (Alpha Delta Fi Society)

Podcast Appearances

Contributing Author

© 2025 Anika Dane
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture