Patricia Carrig, a 2025 graduate of CWRU, has been published in the UCLA Journal of Religion’s seventh volume for her Capstone project, “The Final Girl? Or The Primal Androgyne? An Exploration of the Connections Between a Slasher Film Trope and Genesis I & II.” Since graduating with majors in Environmental Geology and Environmental Studies and a minor in Religious Studies, Patricia has joined the Colman Lab in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences as a research assistant, where she investigates sources of air pollution in Cleveland and their effects on urban health.

Patricia’s interest in the intersection of film and religion grew during her undergraduate years, when she became deeply involved in student filmmaking and explored courses in film studies alongside her religious studies coursework. Her paper examines the connections between Carol J. Clover’s influential “Final Girl” trope in slasher films and concepts of the primal androgyne and spiritual androgyny found in early Christian thought, as discussed by scholar Daniel Boyarin in his analysis of the writings of Philo of Alexandria. Reflecting on the project, Patricia noted her long-standing fascination with the shared focus on myth and ritual found in both film studies and religious studies. Her research demonstrates how interdisciplinary perspectives can reveal unexpected connections between popular culture and religious traditions.

Congratulations to Patricia on this outstanding achievement and publication!