Saffron Sener (she/her) is fascinated by the body, gender, and sexuality in the early modern Atlantic world, specifically through the lens of the supernatural (and natural), folklore, and visual and material cultures. Her undergraduate thesis looked at the apparitions of witches in the Salem Witch Trials as manifestations of the precarity and instability of women’s bodies in Puritan New England. This work crystallized her interest in how an individual or group’s corporeal and material existence interacts with the cultivation of power and personhood. In addition to her research, she is passionate about the Digital Humanities, and has worked in website development, 3D digital modeling, game design, and digital publications for years. 

She entered the Harvard History PhD program in Fall of 2022, following her graduation from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in History and minor in the History of Art. Outside of her studies, Saffron loves to rollerskate, make zines and work the risograph machine, write science fiction, knit, sew, build video games with friends, and cook for loved ones.