The purpose of the fund and of the lectureship is to memorialize and promote in other students Masha Dexter's extraordinary energy and engagement with the overlapping issues of gender, sexuality, and public policy, as reflected in the broad range of her own activities. Masha was active in planning the LGBTQ Resource Center. She was also active in the Queer Alliance, the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center, Students for Choice, and the American Civil Liberties Union. Masha was a Writing Fellow, a teaching assistant in economics, and a Meiklejohn Advisor. An economics concentrator, she was also a talented writer, an outspoken feminist, an engaged activist, a spirited debater, and an ardent friend. Her commitment to the principles of equality and justice in society were equal to her commitment and love for friends from all places and of all ages.