Brianne Friel, who hails from Maryland, is a specialist in Women's Literature and Feminism. Her training, begun at the University of Maryland, College Park, eventually led to her Ph.D. in Women's Literature. Friel's dissertation focused on the works of Zora Neale Hurtston, the African-American writer of Their Eyes Were Watching God and other novels and essays. She taught English composition and literature for several years at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. While at the College she served as the Director of the Women's Studies Program at Montgomery College for five years and has had extensive experience coordinating the academic program as well as social outreach programs. Friel is producer and host of the TV show Pandora's Box on the Rockville Cable station. This invaluable program has featured numerous influential women and men who have helped promote the awareness and education of the public in terms of women's studies. The topics have ranged from the arts to literature to science to xenophobia. Friel resides in Rockville, Maryland with her family and often travels to Ireland, which holds many cultural ties for her.