Mehtia Zarielle Lee

Graduate Research Assistant

Sociology: Race, gender, femininities, Black studies, and disabilities.

Mehtia Lee is a first-year PhD student in the Sociology program and the project manager for Movement Engaged. She received an M.S. in sociology from Virginia Commonwealth University in August 2026, where she wrote her thesis, "Femininities and Disabilities: A Comparative Study Exploring Femininities Among Disabled Black American and White American Women." Mehtia developed an interest in race and gender studies during her undergraduate studies and continued to pursue it in her master's and now in her PhD. She wishes to critically examine Black womanhood and how societal expectations may constrain the lives of Black women. In addition, Mehtia also seeks to further her analysis of race and gender at George Mason University with the expansion of her use of theoretical analysis and methodological approaches.

Mehtia is also the project manager for the Movement Engaged Research Hub and a Graduate Research Assistant for Professor John Dale. Her role as project manager is to help update the Movement Engaged Research Hub's website, contribute to research on data centers in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and assist in organizing the hub's activities.