Alka Menon

Context Widows or, of GPUs, LPUs, and Goal Displacement

I wrote a piece on LLMs, citation metrics, and the institution of science. It's been up for a couple of days, but it is officially "out" now.

I'm working on a research project examining insurance coverage of GLP-1s--if you'd be willing to email me the communication or point me to it online, I'd be interested to learn more!

Michael Benediktsson in @nytimes.com on public benches, @awtsn.bsky.social in NewsCop on 🌐 access, Jennifer Glass in @theatlantic.com on 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦, Alex Wood in @equaltimes.bsky.social on freelancing, & @avmenon.bsky.social in @washingtonpost.com on cosmetic surgery.

TSP's Soc in the News:
🔗 bit.ly/4nlzaA1

Yale Sociology is hiring an associate or full professor in quantitative sociology. Come work with me! Applications open tomorrow. Details available here:

apply.interfolio.com/174709

I am also curious about this!

NYC: I'm speaking about my book Refashioning Race and Asian beauty tomorrow Sat 5/17 in a Creative Convening at The Met celebrating the exhibition “Monstrous Beauty: A Feminist Revision of Chinoiserie.” Looks like a fun day! Learn more: engage.metmuseum.org/events/educa...

“Revisiting Biomedicalization” (Feb 28-March 1, 2025) On February 28 and March 1, Alka Menon (Yale) and Melanie Jeske (Baylor College of Medicine) led a convening at Yale University titled “Revisiting Biomedicalization: Toward a Technology-Focused App…

Read about the "Revisiting Biomedicalization" conference held at Yale, organized by Alka Menon and Melanie Jeske, that took place on Feb 28-March 1, 2025 🧬

asaskat.com/2025/05/13/r...

I am excited to be hosting a workshop next Fri 2/28 and Sat 3/1 at Yale on biomedicalization! If you are in the area and would like to attend, DM or email me for details.

ASA Body and Embodiment 2025 Book Award Nomination This award recognizes the best book published between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024 that makes a significant contribution to the sociology of body and embodiment. Books that advance the unders...

Nominate books (published in 2023 or 2024) for ASA's 2025 Body and Embodiment Book Award by Feb 15! We're looking for contributions to scholarship on body and embodiment: forms.gle/BHUqaiRQ1Jzi.... Self-nominations encouraged! Reach out with questions.

🚨Call for Presenters! 🚨
Last semester at the Center for Tech Responsibility, we had a speaker series consisting of grad students presenting their ongoing work on sociotechnical computing (broadly conceived). It was fantastic: a relaxed environment, brief presentations, and lots of discussion. 1/4

ALOK The official website and shop of the comedian and poet Alok Vaid-Menon

Looking for something fun this weekend? Without leaving the comforts of your home? Check out my sib Alok's online comedy special, BIOLOGY, available here: alokvmenon.com/BIOLOGY/ It is a humorous (and quasi-STS) take on life's big questions (e.g., the gender binary, biology). I highly recommend it!

ASA Body and Embodiment 2025 Book Award Nomination This award recognizes the best book published between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024 that makes a significant contribution to the sociology of body and embodiment. Books that advance the unders...

I'm chairing ASA's 2025 Body and Embodiment Book Award Committee. Nominate books (published in 2023 or 2024) that make a contribution to scholarship on body and embodiment by Feb 15 here: docs.google.com/forms/d/12Ae... Self-nominations encouraged! Reach out with any questions.

Podcast | Alka Vaid Menon, "Refashioning Race: How Global Cosmetic… Subscribe for free. Alka Vaid Menon, "Refashioning Race: How Global Cosmetic Surgery Crafts New Beauty Standards" (U California Press, 2023)

Listen to my discussion of "Refashioning Race" with Miranda Melcher @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social covering: What do you get from comparing the U.S. and Malaysia? What’s “Asian cosmetic surgery”? And how do cosmetic surgeons discuss race with patients? newbooksnetwork.com/refashioning...