i’m max (they/she)—or if you’ve met me online in my avatar form, lulu10tacles. recently, i completed my phd at the uc san diego department of music (and critical gender studies), where i developed & taught courses on virtual embodiments and vocal synthesis. my research sits in the intersection of music and gender studies, with work revolving around digital augmentation and trans identity. i received my ba at harvard as a history major and gender studies minor—my projects included pornhub metadata analyses, emotional labor & marxist theory in the gig economy, trans armament & liberation movements, the colonial engine of the call of duty franchise, and virtual reality community dynamics. my research ethos centers around accessibility & empathy-driven work with meaningful stakes in community.

prior to academia I worked as an electrician & lighting designer in theatre & television, a bike messenger & barista, and eventually a startup founder & product manager in the tech sector, where i designed & managed live event applications & hardware. i’ve shown visual art in festivals as an installation artist and perform as saint taint. i produce all sorts of music from bass-boosted memecore, to pop, to dance, theatre & film scores, and am primarily trained as a drummer. i grew up in new york city and spent time in boston, seattle, and san diego--now i live in tokyo. i love national parks, being trans, and battlebots—and i’m pretty friendly, so say hi anytime.