Annik Bilodeau is a Lecturer in the Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Her academic career focuses on contemporary Mexican literature, street art, and hybrid learning methodologies. She has pioneered innovative teaching strategies to mitigate Foreign Language Anxiety and redesigned advanced Spanish courses to emphasize critical cultural analysis and digital accessibility. PhD, University of Ottawa (2016) MA, University of Ottawa (2011) BA, Université Laval (2010) Her research bridges literary analysis, political art, and pedagogical innovation. Recent publications explore cosmopolitanism's role in Latin American identity and the use of street art as resistance. She integrates feminist pedagogy and collaborative reading techniques into her teaching practice. Scientific awards include SSHRC Insight Grants (2022-2027) and a LITE Grant (2021-2022). Her 2025 articles examine experiential learning in medical education and feminist art activism. Publications span political graffiti studies (2011-2019), cosmopolitanism in literature (2016), and hybrid learning frameworks.
Dr. Alan Cummings has served as a Senior Lecturer in Japanese Studies (Education) at the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, SOAS University of London since 2000. His work bridges East Asian cultural history , pre-modern Japanese literature , and classical Japanese theatre with a particular focus on kabuki and bunraku . B.A. in Japanese and Law, SOAS M.A. in Japanese Literature, Waseda University, Tokyo Ph.D. on 19th-century kabuki dramatist Kawatake Mokuami , SOAS Dr. Cummings specializes in traditional Japanese performance forms , examining their evolution through historical, cultural, and dramaturgical lenses. His research investigates modernity’s impact on folk performing arts , Kabuki’s pandemic-era adaptations , and theatrical costumes . He has translated key kabuki plays and analyzed their structural, thematic, and societal dimensions. His publications span 15+ years , covering kabuki dramaturgy , bunraku stagecraft , and Meiji-era theatrical shifts . While no formal awards are listed, his scholarly reviews and book chapters have shaped discourse on Japanese theatre preservation and avant-garde movements . Dr. Cummings has supervised Ph.D. research on topics like Japanese noise music and collaborated with experts such as Andrew Gerstle and James Brandon . His work extends to theatrical education and cross-cultural translation projects.
Associate Professor Rebecca Scollen is a prominent academic in the School of Creative Arts at the University of Southern Queensland . With a PhD in Creative Arts from QUT, her career spans 25 years in tertiary education, focusing on Animal Studies , Wildlife Tourism , and Arts and Wellbeing . She serves as Program Director for the Bachelor of Creative Arts and Community Wellbeing since 2024. Her research explores audience reception in performing arts, ethical animal use in art , and regional arts development . Recent publications analyze media framing of urban wildlife, holographic zoos, and bushfire storytelling through performance. She supervises doctoral projects on topics like gender in paramedicine and theatre in social work . Key collaborations include work with Andrew Mason on sustainable tourism and Sea World discourse analysis. She contributes to Australasian Animal Studies Association and Flying Arts Alliance , with editorial roles in conference proceedings and exhibition catalogues.
Anna Blume is a Professor in the Art History and Museum Professions department at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), State University of New York. Her academic work bridges Mesoamerican art history, Native American studies, and contemporary art activism. Based in the Business and Liberal Arts Center (Room B649), she coordinates the Ethics and Sustainability Minor and teaches courses including HA 114 Prehistoric Art, HA 116 American Indian Art, HA 224 Mesoamerican Art, and HA 397 Studies in Maya Art and Culture. Her research spans Mesoamerican civilizations (particularly Maya timekeeping and architecture), Native American visual culture (Mississippian monuments and Plains Indian drawings), and art activism (ACT UP political funerals and gender identity). She examines how disaster, colonialism, and ethics manifest in visual representation, with recent work analyzing monumentality in Indigenous North American landscapes and cultural appropriation in fashion. Blume's publications reveal consistent engagement with interdisciplinary methodologies combining archaeology, anthropology, and art history. Her scholarship demonstrates particular strength in deciphering pre-Columbian epigraphy while connecting historical practices to contemporary issues of identity and representation. The temporal scope of her work—spanning ancient Maya codices to modern protest art—highlights her unique perspective on visual continuity across millennia. State University of New York Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching (2011-2012) Fulbright Fellowship American Philosophical Society Grant Dumbarton Oaks Grant Josef Albers Foundation Grant Ford Foundation Grant SUNY Research Grant Professor Blume has secured significant research funding from major institutions including the Ford Foundation and Fulbright program. Her teaching excellence was formally recognized by SUNY, and she actively bridges academic research with public engagement through museum collaborations and editorial contributions to major publications like the New York Times. While not explicitly mentioned as advising graduate students, her extensive publication record and dissertation supervision (evidenced by her Yale PhD and Zoe Leonard interview) suggest mentorship experience. Her work with the ACT UP Oral History Project and contemporary art exhibitions indicates active participation in activist and curatorial communities. The Archaic Bannerstone Project (2018) represents a digital humanities initiative connecting ancient artifacts with modern interpretation.
Gunnar Haaland serves as Professor of Theology, Religion and Philosophy at NLA University College in Oslo, Norway, based at the Staffeldtsgate campus. His academic profile spans biblical scholarship, theological inquiry, and religious education, with particular emphasis on Jewish-Christian relations and contemporary applications of scriptural texts. Haaland's research centers on Biblical Studies (Old and New Testaments), Systematic and Practical Theology, and Religious Education. He pioneers innovative pedagogical approaches through the analysis of challenging picturebooks for teaching complex religious concepts, especially regarding Judaism. His work critically examines New Testament reception in Nordic contexts and historical church practices, consistently addressing interfaith dynamics and curriculum development in religious education. Analysis of his 2019-2023 publications reveals two dominant research trajectories: first, the strategic use of picturebooks to explore sensitive religious themes in educational settings; second, Nordic reinterpretations of biblical texts with specific focus on Jewish-Christian relations. His scholarship demonstrates how visual narratives can facilitate nuanced understanding of Judaism within Christian frameworks while challenging historical misrepresentations in lectionary resources and pulpit rhetoric. Professor Haaland maintains active scholarly contributions through his publications and teaching responsibilities at NLA University College. Current profile materials do not specify graduate student supervision, research grants, or laboratory affiliations.
Miriam von Schantz is a Lecturer at the Department of Visual Arts and Sloyd Education at the University of Arts, Crafts and Design (Konstfack) in Stockholm. She holds a PhD in media and communication studies from Örebro University (2018) and teaches in teacher education programs for grades 7-9 (visual arts and crafts) and high school (visual arts/media and visual arts/design). Her research focuses on Deleuze and Guattari's philosophy, particularly examining affective processes and subjectification in spectatorship related to films that challenge categorization as documentary or mockumentary. She has developed a 'mediamaterialist method assemblage' that serves both as a theoretical framework for investigating affective processes in visual culture and as a didactic approach to developing critical media literacy. Her recent publications demonstrate a consistent trajectory exploring the intersections of philosophy, media studies, and education, with particular attention to truth claims, epistemology, and the political dimensions of viewing practices. Her work often applies Deleuzian concepts to contemporary media education challenges. Her teaching emphasizes moving images and learning through problem formulations concerning the relationship between images, reality, truth claims, epistemology, ontology, and ethics. She supervises independent projects and has developed pedagogical approaches for critically assessing the truth claims of moving images.
Andrzej Tobis is a Professor of Fine Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, where he has been teaching since 1996. He currently runs Painting Studio V, one of the diploma-granting studios at the institution. Born in Wieluń in 1970, Tobis graduated from the Faculty of Graphic Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków (Katowice branch) in 1995. His work spans painting and photography, with a focus on conceptual art projects that explore language, education, and cultural identity. Professor Tobis's primary artistic focus lies at the intersection of visual art, language, and education. His signature project "A-Z (Educational Cabinets)" represents a long-term conceptual exploration that began in 2006, where he creates visual dictionaries that document Polish and German language through photographs. Working primarily in painting and photography, Tobis investigates cultural identity, particularly in the Silesian region of Poland, often addressing themes of memory, education, and the relationship between language and visual representation. Analysis of Tobis's recent publications reveals a strong focus on his A-Z project, which has gained international recognition, particularly after its presentation at PhotoEspaña 2016 in Madrid. His work bridges conceptual art with linguistic exploration, examining how visual representation can serve as educational tools. The publications show increasing international interest in his work, with coverage in Spanish, German, and American media, highlighting the cross-cultural relevance of his visual dictionary project that documents words through photographs across Poland. Throughout his career, Andrzej Tobis has received several prestigious awards and scholarships: Scholarship of the Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship (2007) National Painting Competition Bielska Jesień - Gold Medal (1999) UNDP Painting Competition - 2nd Prize (1997) Scholarship of the Minister of Culture and Art Kulisiewicz Foundation Scholarship (1996) As a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, Tobis has mentored numerous students through Painting Studio V, guiding them in developing their artistic voices. His conceptual project "A-Z (Educational Cabinets)" has received significant institutional support, allowing for international exhibitions across Europe. The project has been featured in major institutions including Museo Lazáro Galdiano in Madrid, Galerie Města Třince in the Czech Republic, and multiple venues in Germany. His work has been collected by prestigious institutions such as Zachęta - National Gallery of Art in Warsaw and the Silesian Museum in Katowice. While not affiliated with traditional research labs, Tobis collaborates with various cultural institutions and has been part of collective projects such as "TRANSGENERATIONFORMATION" presented in multiple German venues. His work often involves collaboration with other artists, as seen in his 2007 exhibition "Ludzie, zwierzęta, architektura" with Jakub Adamek. He has also participated in collective exhibitions with other Silesian artists, contributing to the regional art scene's development.
Dr Beth George serves as an Honorary Senior Lecturer in Architecture within the School of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Newcastle, Australia, where she has been affiliated since 2019 after 15 years teaching at the University of Western Australia and Curtin University. A registered architect and award-winning researcher, her work bridges academic scholarship, architectural practice, and creative exhibition, with a focus on urban transformation, historical contexts, and honoring the built environment through innovative design processes. Her academic credentials include: Doctor of Philosophy, RMIT University Bachelor of Environmental Design, University of Western Australia Bachelor of Architecture (Honours), University of Western Australia George's research interrogates architecture's role in the Anthropocene, emphasizing cartographic processes for generating place-specific urban propositions and the power of architectural communication through drawing, writing, and dialogue. She investigates how architects can address climate challenges and housing crises through lateral thinking rather than problem-solving, with particular focus on collaborative drawing practices, urban distinctiveness, and the ethical obligations of architecture toward ecological systems. Her work consistently explores the beauty in architectural process—from conceptual sketches to spatial realizations—and the potential for drawing to cultivate empathy and shared understanding in design. Analysis of her recent publications reveals dominant trends in ecological empathy through drawing practices, historical analysis of architectural representation (particularly axonometry and paraline projection), and critical examinations of architectural movements like Brutalism. Her scholarship consistently connects theoretical frameworks with practical applications, examining how spatial interventions—from residential renovations to urban voids—can foster community resilience and address contemporary challenges like pandemic-era habitat reconfiguration. Her scientific recognition includes: Peter Overman Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions) in the 2020 WA Architecture Awards for the Reed House project, which balanced historical dignity with modern materiality George actively supervises doctoral research as co-supervisor for two current PhD candidates exploring ritual cartographies and perceptual worlds, building on her supervision of two completed PhD projects on Aboriginal living environments and locative technology. Her research is supported by grants including the $45,000 Wonnarua Place Project (2021-2022) with Maitland City Council, focusing on place-making in post-industrial contexts. As a sole practitioner, she transforms disused urban infrastructure and historic buildings, exemplified by her business matching empty spaces with creative tenants to revitalize ailing urban realms. She collaborates extensively with researchers like Michael Chapman on drawing-based projects, community groups on urban revitalization initiatives, and councils on resilience planning. Her current work investigates voided territories in Newcastle and global post-industrial city resilience, often materializing through exhibitions like Commonplace and Projective Cast that demonstrate how collaborative drawing practices can generate shared spatial understanding and attunement.
Keri Glastonbury is an Associate Professor in the School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Science at the University of Newcastle, specializing in English and Writing. She holds a Doctorate of Creative Arts from the University of Technology Sydney (2005) and leads the Creative Writing higher degree research program. Her work focuses on contemporary Australian poetics, life-writing, and emerging literary communities. Research Interests: Dr. Glastonbury explores displacement in regional/urban settings, digital media's impact on poetry, and cross-cultural literary expressions. Her research spans creative writing pedagogy, regional identity in literature, and networked writing communities. Publications Trends: Her 15 most recent works (2006-2022) examine digital literary communities, regional Australian identity, poetic critiques, and technology-culture intersections. Dominant themes include place-based narratives, interdisciplinary artistic dialogues, and evolving forms of literary expression in the digital age. Awards & Honors: Vice Chancellor's Award for Supervision Excellence (2011) BR Whiting Residency in Rome Asialink Literature Residency in India (2009) Prime Minister's Literary Awards Shortlist (2019) Supervision & Grants: She has supervised over 20 PhD/Master's students in creative writing projects ranging from feminist thrillers to Indigenous narratives. Notable grants include: Creative Writing Lab ($14,000, 2019) Australian Writing After the Internet ($13,500, 2017) Seeing the Self: Queer Representations in YA Literature ($10,000, 2021) Creative Community: Dr. Glastonbury fosters the University of Newcastle's Creative Writing HDR cohort as a dynamic literary community, supporting manuscript development across genres including poetry, novels, and memoir.
Lara Allen is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Humanities and Media Studies department at Pratt Institute's School of Liberal Arts & Sciences, serving as SCPS Lecturer and Writing Tutorial Center Tutor. Appointed Academic Coordinator of the Intensive English Program (IEP) in 2023, she has taught undergraduate/graduate IEP courses since 2018 and previously instructed performance at Bruce High Quality Foundation University. Her academic credentials include: MFA in Painting & Printmaking from Yale University School of Art CELTA certification from University of Cambridge BFA in Interdisciplinary Publications and Projects from San Francisco Art Institute Allen's research centers on adolescent mental health and institutional abuse within the "troubled-teen industry," expressed through interdisciplinary practice combining sound collage, spoken word, illustration, and vaudeville under her "Sailor Beware" project. Informed by Bakhtin's heteroglossia theory, post-punk, and underground comics, her work critically examines techniques of control in institutional settings while maintaining a deliberately "childish" aesthetic that defies high/low cultural binaries. Her publications reveal a cohesive trajectory merging artistic practice with socio-critical analysis, progressing from historical music studies (Harry Partch) through urban subcultures (post-punk San Francisco) to contemporary art theory (Kiefer's work). This interdisciplinary approach consistently bridges creative expression and institutional critique across sound, visual, and performance media. Allen's accolades demonstrate significant recognition in both artistic and educational spheres: Manhattan Cultural Council SwingSpace residency Brooklyn Arts Council Grant Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant Abby Mural Fellowship Embassy CES National Teaching and Learning Award As Academic Coordinator of Pratt's IEP, she oversees curriculum development while maintaining an active exhibition schedule. Her grant-funded projects enable collaborations with institutions like Artists Space and SFMOMA, reflecting dual commitments to pedagogical innovation and socially engaged art. International presentations—from Vienna's Café Korb to Havana's Museo de Bellas Artes—highlight her global impact. Allen's practice thrives on cross-disciplinary collaboration, evidenced by performances at unconventional venues including Eastern State Penitentiary and San Francisco City Hall. Her work consistently transforms spaces through site-specific installations that confront institutional power structures while inviting viewer participation in dismantling oppressive systems.
Amber Arifeen is a Pakistani-American Visiting Assistant Professor at Pratt Institute within the School of Liberal Arts & Sciences and Humanities and Media Studies Department . She is a multidisciplinary artist and educator whose practice spans painting, performance, sound, animation, film, and sculpture, focusing on themes of embodiment, power dynamics, and the lived experiences of contemporary Muslim South Asian women . MA Painting, Wimbledon College of Arts (2019) BA International Development Studies, UC Berkeley (2011) MBA Social Entrepreneurship, Lahore University of Management Sciences Her work critically engages with feminist theory, phenomenology, and post-colonial frameworks, informed by her professional experience with organizations like Marie Stopes International and the United Nations Development Program . Recent exhibitions include solo shows in Karachi, Lahore, and London, and upcoming shows in Los Angeles. She participated in the Domus Eco-Feminist Residency in Italy (2021). Artistic and Theoretical Keywords: Feminist Art, Post-Colonial Critique, Embodied Subjectivity, Digital Consciousness, South Asian Female Narratives, and Material Protest. Nominated, Sovereign Asia Art Prize 2023 Domus Residency (2021) Shortlisted for Ashurst Emerging Art Prize (2019) Shortlisted for Ingram Collection Purchase Prize (2019) Contact: aarifeen@pratt.edu | amber.arifeen@gmail.com | amberarifeen.com
Oriol Fontdevila is a curator, writer, and researcher specializing in art and education. He serves as Director of Bòlit, Centre d'Art Contemporani de Girona , and holds academic roles as a Teaching Collaborator at EINA (Centre Universitari de Disseny i Art de Barcelona) and Visiting Lecturer in various master's programs. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in Humanities and Communication at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, supported by a competitive university scholarship. Fontdevila's research explores art mediation, curatorial methodologies, and contemporary art discourse . His work critically examines the intersections of institutional practices, cultural memory, and participatory engagement. Key themes include performative pedagogy, archival reinterpretation, and socio-political dimensions of artistic production. His publications emphasize curatorial ethics, art criticism, and mediation theory , with recurring analysis of avant-garde legacies, conflict representation, and collaborative practices in contemporary art. Articles frequently engage with museum studies, cultural policy, and transdisciplinary research frameworks. Awards: Arts Visuals Ciutat de Barcelona Award (2012) ACCA Art Criticism Award (2009) Professional activities include membership in the European project Performing the Museum and management of Sala d'Art Jove (Generalitat de Catalunya). His curatorial projects span institutions like Fundació Antoni Tàpies, Fundació Joan Miró, and Hauser & Wirth Menorca.
Tanya Sheehan is the Ellerton M. and Edith K. Jette Professor of Art at Colby College, where she serves as Chair of the Humanities Division (2023-24, 2025-26) and Chair of the Science, Technology and Society Department (2024-27). She also holds the position of Director of Academic and Scholarly Engagement at the Colby Museum's Lunder Institute for American Art (2025-). Previously, she served as Director of Research at the Lunder Institute (2018-21), Director of the American Studies Program (2019-20), and Chair of the Department of Art (2015-18). Her research sits at the intersection of American art history and critical medical humanities, with particular focus on photography, race, and medicine. She is the author of Doctored: The Medicine of Photography in Nineteenth-Century America (2011) and Study in Black and White: Photography, Race, Humor (2018), which won a Terra Foundation for American Art International Publication Grant. Her current book project examines medicine and public health in modernist art by African Americans, for which she received a 2023 Beinecke Visiting Senior Fellowship. She has co-edited Modernism, Art, Therapy (2024) and previously edited Photography and Migration (2018), Grove Art Guide to Photography (2017), and other significant works in her field. An essay from her current project on art therapy and Jacob Lawrence was published in The Art Bulletin in June 2024. Terra Foundation for American Art International Publication Grant (2018) Boston Medical Library Fellowship in the History of Medicine (2019-20) Beinecke Visiting Senior Fellowship at CASVA (2023) Since 2015, Sheehan has served as executive editor of the Smithsonian Institution's Archives of American Art Journal , developing special issues on African American art, Latino art, art and the environment, and other critical topics. She also leads Colby's Public Humanistic Inquiry Lab, a grant-funded faculty research initiative devoted to critical perspectives on the intersection of medicine and race. Her teaching covers American art history, African American visual culture, art and science, race and representation, and the history of photography, with emphasis on experiential learning and collaborative research.
Chloe Elizabeth Cassidy is an Education-Focused Lecturer at the School of Art and Design, UNSW Sydney , where she teaches across Bachelor, Honours, and Masters programs in integrated design. Her academic career centers on trauma-integrated design and somaesthetics , employing transdisciplinary methods to explore how protective experiences can be cultivated through design. Her research activities have resulted in creative outputs exhibited internationally, including at the Venice Biennale and Sydney Children’s Hospital . She is affiliated with the Big Anxiety Research Centre and has secured significant institutional support through grants like the UNSW Education-Focused School Grant (2022). Key recognitions include the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship and UNSW Deans List for Academic Excellence . Chloe’s publications and exhibitions demonstrate trends in therapeutic design applications , socially engaged design , and health-focused creative outputs . Her work bridges design education with mental health advocacy through collaborative projects with institutions like Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation and Rowing Australia GrOW program . Scientific Awards: Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship (2020-2023) UNSW Deans List for Academic Excellence (2010) Nominee Design Institute of Australia NSW/ACT Graduate of the Year (2009) Winner Inaugural 'BODY Fledgling Designer Project’ (2007) Chloe holds a Bachelor of Design , Master of Design , and is completing her PhD in trauma-integrated design. She has contributed to cross-disciplinary teaching innovations, particularly in mixed-modal learning environments using Microsoft Teams, and participates in community-focused design initiatives that address mental health and social equity.
Abi Paytoe Gbayee is an Assistant Professor of Art Education at the School of Art and Design, University of Northern Colorado. She holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum Studies, an M.A. in Educational Leadership, and a B.A. in Art Education from the University of Wyoming. Ph.D. (Curriculum Studies), University of Wyoming M.A. (Educational Leadership), University of Wyoming B.A. (Art Education), University of Wyoming Gbayee specializes in Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB), focusing on the role of teachers in TAB frameworks and the continuum of choice in art education. Her research bridges curriculum theory with practical applications in K-12 settings. Her recent publications include a 2023 doctoral dissertation on TAB historiography and a 2023 interview exploring unconventional art media. Earlier works from 2016 and 2013 address technology integration and literacy in art classrooms, respectively. Scientific awards: National Art Education Association, Pacific Region Art Educator of the Year (2021) Wyoming Art Education Association Art Educator of the Year (2021) Wyoming Middle Level Art Educator of the Year (2021) Gbayee has served as a guest instructor at the University of Alaska Anchorage and supervised student teachers at the University of Wyoming. She co-hosts the TAB Storytellers podcast and has delivered keynote presentations, including the [re]TAB keynote at the TAB Colorado Conference (2023).
