Olivia Alsup
Olivia Alsup is a student in the joint English Literature Ph.D. and Master’s of Library Science program at the University of Iowa, focusing on early modern literature and book history. She received her BA in English with a minor in Professional Writing from Western Kentucky University.
Bella Spilotro
Bella Spilotro is a visual artist pursuing their Master of Fine Arts in photography and a certificate in bookmaking. Using 35mm film, they record subtle changes that occur in familiar places over time. Their practice centers on repetition and an investigation of space.
Gregg Johnson
Gregg Johnson is a PhD student in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Iowa, where he also teaches Spanish language courses. His research spans contemporary Peninsular literature, Basque studies, and sports studies, with a focus on questions of community and culture. He approaches these areas through the combined interdisciplinary lenses of New Institutional Economics and Digital Humanities.
Aaron Stagner
Aaron Stagner is a doctoral student in History at the University of Iowa, where his research focuses on the financial relationship between federal and municipal governments and how local governments supported community redevelopment in the late 20th-century Midwest. Alongside his academic work, he has taught ESL, adult continuing education, and technology courses within a large public library system in Houston, Texas. Aaron is deeply committed to the service of connecting individuals and families with resources, skills, and opportunities for growth.
Robin Johnstone
Robin Johnstone is a doctoral student in the LASSE program in the Department of Teaching and Learning. Her research focuses on improvisation as an educational tool, with additional interests in community building, popular culture, and higher education, particularly in two-year institutions. She holds undergraduate degrees in Dramatic Arts and Communication Studies from UNC–Chapel Hill and Master’s degrees in English and Nonfiction Creative Writing from the University of New Orleans. She teaches composition at Kirkwood Community College.
Johanna Tesfaye
Johanna Tesfaye is a first-year MFA student in Film and Video Production. She received her MA from the School of the Art Institute, where she created various short film experiments and began developing a creative practice informed by her academic and professional background in communication design, performance studies, and psychotherapy. Her current work focuses on cultural memory, black & afro-diasporic histories, and personal archives. Johanna has presented at the Indiana University Cinema, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, hicago Cultural Center, The School of the Art Institute Chicago, Washington College, and the National Communication Association Convention.