Nina Billone earned a Bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, from Northwestern in 2001 with a double major in Performance Studies and Gender Studies; she has worked as a teacher, director and writer in Chicago with experience in both university and professional productions. At Berkeley, Nina Billone will be a candidate for the Ph.D in Performance Studies with a designated emphasis in Gender Studies, viewing her undergraduate thesis, ”The Women Writers Workshop at Cook County Jail: Race, Gender, and the Politics of Performance,” as a starting point for socially significant graduate work. Nina Billone’s mentor will be Holly Watkins, who is completing her Ph.D. in Music.