Meet Our Team of International Editors & Interns
Meet our team of international writers, poets, artists, performers, interns, and scholars who edit & develop The AutoEthnographer. New to autoethnography? Visit What Is Autoethnography? How Can I Learn More? Interested in contributing? View our editorial board’s What Do Editors Look for When Reviewing Evocative Autoethnography? And check out our Submissions page. View Our Team to learn about our editorial board. Please see our Work with Us page to learn about volunteering at The AutoEthnographer. Visit Scholarships to learn about our annual student scholarship competition.
Our Team: Founder and Editor-in-Chief
Marlen Elliot Harrison, PhD
FOUNDER &
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
FLORIDA, USA
[editor at theautoethnographer dot com]
Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison is an instructor in the fields of English and Education. His autoethnographic writing has appeared in Writing on the Edge,The Qualitative Report, and Qualitative Research in Psychology. As a journalist, Marlen was the managing editor of the international beauty website, Fragrantica, and contributor to numerous popular publications. As an academic and cultural researcher, Marlen has worked with Smithsonian, the Japan Association for Language Teaching, and universities worldwide. Marlen is currently pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing from SNHU. After calling Japan, UK, Malta, and Finland home, he now lives in Florida with his husband and dog. Learn more at https://marlenharrison.com.
Our Team: Current Executive Board
Sandra Faulkner, PhD
EXECUTIVE EDITOR, POETRY
& EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBER
OHIO, USA
[sandra at theautoethnographer dot com]
Sandra L. Faulkner is Professor of Media and Communication at Bowling Green State University. She writes, teaches, and researches about close relationships. Faulkner’s interests include qualitative methodology, poetic inquiry, inclusive pedagogy, and critical perspectives on interpersonal and family communication. She often uses poetry, creative nonfiction, and autoethnography to explore her own negotiation of identity as a parent, partner, and professor. Her book, Poetic Inquiry: Craft, Method, & Practice (Routledge), won an Honorable Mention in the 2021 ICQI Book Award. She received the 2013 Knower Outstanding Article Award from the National Communication Association, the 2016 Norman K. Denzin Qualitative Research Award, and the 2020 Trujillo and Goodall “It’s a Way of Life Award” in Narrative Ethnography. https://www.sandrafaulkner.online/
Dilek İşler Hayırlı, MA
EXECUTIVE MANAGING EDITOR
& EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBER
TURKEY
[dilek at the autoethnographer dot com]
Dilek İşler Hayırlı is as an English Language Instructor at Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University. Her MA thesis in Folklore explored toy and play museums in Turkey and was published in Turkish. In addition to supporting The AutoEthnographer, she is the editorial assistant for the journal Culture Academy. Her research areas are cultural heritage, toy and play museums, autoethnography, village ethnography, monographies and memory. She is currently conducting a village monography project with Aliağa Municipality in İzmir, Turkey. This will be the focus of her autoethnographic PhD dissertation. She is very happy to have been introduced to autoethnography by her supervisor, Prof. Dr. Serpil Aygün Cengiz.
Guillermo Rebollo Gil, PhD
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AWARDS & RECOGNITION
& EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBER
PUERTO RICO
[guillermo at theautoethnographer dot com]
Guillermo Rebollo Gil (San Juan, 1979) is a writer, sociology professor, translator, and attorney. His areas of interest are whiteness and anti-racism, Puerto Rican Studies, and Professional Wrestling. Recent publications include poetry, prose, and scholarly articles in Journal of Autoethnography, Liminalities and others. His book-length essay Writing Puerto Rico: Our Decolonial Moment (2018) was published by Palgrave Macmillan. He belongs to/with Lucas Imar and Ariadna Michelle. Happily so.
Lina Fe Simoy, PhD Candidate
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MEDIA DEVELOPMENT
& EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBER
PHILIPPINES
[lina at theautoethnographer dot com]
Lina is currently pursuing a PhD in Global Communication at Bangkok University. She obtained a master’s in Development Communication and bachelor’s in Communication Arts from the University of the Philippines. Her research interests include impression management, autoethnography, dramaturgical framing, women’s leadership development, social media environments, and development communication. She currently serves as the Asia Pacific Regional Director for a global executive search firm. She is also a Mentor & Interview Leader at Wedu – a non-profit organization supporting young women from Asia in their leadership development. Lina is passionate about theater arts, which she practiced for 15 years. She lives between Thailand and China with her husband, Edoardo.
Our Team: Current Editorial Board
Francisco J. de León
CALIFORNIA, USA
[francisco at the autoethnographer dot com]
Francisco J. De León Alonso is a bilingual writer from Fresno, CA. He earned his B.A. in Spanish and Chicano Studies at California State University, Fresno where he wrote for The Collegian, a student-run newspaper, as a reporter for the first bilingual edition. Currently, he works as an RSP Teacher developing Individualized Education Plans for students with similar challenges he once experienced at the start of his education as an ESL student. His poems have been published locally in Chicanx Writers and Artists Association’s Flies, Cockroaches and Poets Journal, The Fresno City College Review, and recently in Notes.
Dawne Fahey, PhD Candidate
AUSTRALIA
[dawne at the autoethnographer dot com]
Dawne is currently pursuing an arts-based and practice-led PhD. She is an interdisciplinary artist who makes use of autoethnography, poetic responding and visual art. Her work explores the intersection between cultural immersion, landscape, personal meanings and sensibility. She holds a Master of Documentary Photography, Bachelor of Arts (Psych), and degrees in health and nursing. Her lauded artwork and writing have been featured and recognized in international exhibitions, conferences, and book chapters. Having completed international residences as an artist, Dawne also trained as a therapist and and group facilitator. She also founded and managed an arts-based not-for-profit.
Renata Ferdinand, PhD
NEW YORK, USA
[renata at the autoethnographer dot com]
Dr. Renata Ferdinand is Professor and Chair of the Department of African American Studies at NYC College of Technology. She writes autoethnographies that explore the complexities of the lived experiences of Black women and girls. She is interested in how race and gender impact experiences within the healthcare system. Renata also researches colorism, racial stereotypes, and Black women’s identity. Her much lauded work has been featured in several outlets. Renata is the recipient of the Ellis-Bochner Autoethnography & Personal Narrative Research Award from the NCA. A reviewer for several publications, she is currently an editorial board member of the Journal of Autoethnography. Her book, An Autoethnography of African American Motherhood: Things I Tell My Daughter is newly released (Routledge, 2021).
Sreekanth Kopuri, PhD
INDIA
[sreekanth at theautoethnographer dot com]
Dr. Sreekanth Kopuri, PhD is an Indian poet and a Professor of English hailing from Machilipatnam, India. Sreekanth did his PhD on the autoethnographic poetry of Jayanta Mahapatra. He was poetry editor of Kitchen Sink Magazine New Jersey and has presented his research and poetry internationally. His forthcoming book From an Indian Diary is the finalist for Eyelands Book Award 2022, Athens. And his book Poems of the Void was the winner of Golden Book of the year 2022. Sreekanth’s interests are Contemporary Poetry, Silence, Ecopoetics, Autoethnography and Holocaust poetry. He lives in his hometown Machilipatnam with his mother.
Nadine Khair, PhD
JORDAN
[nadine at theautoethnographer dot com]
Dr. Nadine Khair is an assistant professor in marketing and department head at the American University of Madaba. Nadine completed her PhD in the UK and specialised in international marketing, consumer behaviour and fashion marketing. She also pursued her bachelors and master’s degree in international business and marketing at Hagan School of Business, New York. She previously occupied different positions, such as Marketing and Sales Team leader with Estee-Lauder in New York and Sales & Marketing Manager /Assistant Operation Manager at Jordanian Coast Cargo in Jordan. Her research interests articulate around international marketing, consumer behaviour, fashion marketing, gender-related studies, ethnography and auto-ethnography.
Ulla-Maija Matikainen, MA, MSc
FINLAND
[ulla-maija at theauteothnographer dot com]
Ulla-Maija Matikainen is a Finnish poet and writer who has lived in Europe, Asia, and Africa. She earned her MA in Cultural History and MSc in Political Science. After studying, she worked in Finnish embassies and Finnish academia. Recently, she has been concentrating on writing poetry. Her philosophical interests are existentialism and phenomenology, particularly Merleau-Ponty, as well as the philosophy of language. Ulla-Maija thinks that artistic expression holds one of the most important positions in the learning process. As a poet, she hopes to convey and share her own search for meaning with others through her poetry. She believes that speaking another language and encountering different cultures as well as our own historical background enriches us.
Jay Meadows, MA
SOUTH CAROLINA, USA
[jay at theautoethnographer dot com]
Jacob Meadows is known by many as Jay, but will publish as Jacob. He is a gay man in small town South Carolina, fighting the good fight through poetry, prose, and local activism. Jay received an MA in Creative Writing and MA in English from SNHU. He is currently pursuing his MFA in Creative Writing. You can find him on Facebook and Instagram @readJacobMeadows.
Shanita Mitchell, MA
VIRGINIA, USA
[shanita at the autoethnographer dot com]
Shanita Mitchell currently serves as the Assistant Director for the Rappahannock Scholars Program at the University of Mary Washington. She provides underserved and underrepresented student populations with college access opportunities and scholarships. That same passion recently led Shanita to acquire her M.A. in English from Southern New Hampshire University. Shanita also works as a dance instructor at The Courthouse School of Ballet and Umbiance Dance Studio. Shanita enjoys portrait painting, amateur photography, costuming, and video editing. She is passionate about advancing her study of Black feminist thought and Critical Race Theory. Shanita is the recipient of the 2022 IAANI Honorable Mention for Audio/Visual autoethnography.
Odessa Ogo, MA
WASHINGTON, USA
[odessa at the autoethnographer dot com]
Odessa Ogo is a community college Developmental Composition professor. She received her MA in English from Southern New Hampshire University. Her foray into the world of autoethnography opened her mind’s eye to a new sense of self. Using autoethnography, her MA thesis examined her experiences as part of the CHamoru diaspora. She also explored the effects of colonization on CHamoru culture through literature. Her research interests include ethnic studies, food, food and culture, cultural studies, and autoethnography.
Marieke Slovin Lewis, PhD
WASHINGTON, USA
[marieke at theautoethnographer dot com]
Dr. Marieke Slovin Lewis is a participatory artist, writer, musician, and songwriter. Marieke holds a PhD in Sustainability Education. Her doctoral research focused on the idea of “Self-sustainability”. To create sustainability at the global level requires beginning with each individual person. She also focused on the beneficial effects of participatory art for creating opportunities for self-sustainability. She is the co-creator of a method of songwriting called Story-to-Song (STS). Marieke is a bird enthusiast and wandering soul. https://guidingsong.com/
Jessica Smartt Gullion, PhD
TEXAS, USA
[jessica at theautoethnographer dot com]
Jessica Smartt Gullion, PhD, is Associate Dean of Research for the College of Arts and Sciences at Texas Woman’s University. She is also an Associate Professor of Sociology and Affiliate Faculty of Multicultural Women’s and Gender Studies. Jessica teaches a variety of courses on qualitative research methods. She has published more than 35 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. Her writing has appeared in numerous international journals and edited collections. Her most recent book is Doing Ethnography with Susan Harper (Guilfold, in production). She also recently authored Qualitative Research in Health and Illness. And in 2021 she co-authored Researching With: A Decolonizing Approach to Community-Based Action Research with Abigail Tilton.
Our Team: Former Editorial Board
William J Doan, PhD
PENNSYLVANIA, USA
William J. Doan, Ph.D., is a past president of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education. He has also been a Fellow in the College of Fellows of The American Theatre. In addition to articles in scholarly journals, Doan has co-authored three books and several plays. He has created solo performance projects at a variety of venues across the U.S. and abroad. Most recently has has created Drifting, a solo performance about traumatic brain, injury, sibling loss, and memory. He is a Professor of Theatre in the College of Arts and Architecture. He alse serves as Director of the Arts and Design Research Incubator at The Pennsylvania State University. Doan served as artist-in-residence for the College of Nursing for two years and as the Penn State Laureate for 2019-2020.
Antony Kaminju
KENYA/SOUTH AFRICA
Antony Kaminju is a photographer & academic originally from Kenya but currently living in South Africa. Antony is a forward thinking creative who uses digital tools and platforms to communicate contemporary issues. He is the founding editor of Photohadithi.org, a collaborative visual platform. With presence in Nairobi and Johannesburg, its mission is to nurture and explore different forms of visual storytelling. He is currently an MA by research candidate in Film & Television studies at University of Witwatersrand, South Africa.
Michelle Reale, PhD
PENNSYLVANIA, USA
Dr. Michelle Reale is a professor at Arcadia University. She is the author of seven monographs in her field of library science. She is an Italian-American poet and the author of numerous collections. In her work, Michelle troubles various aspects of Italian-American culture and the Italian-American experience. She explores immigration history, narrative inheritance, and inherited trauma. Her work also touches on organized crime, damaging stereotypes, and the pervasive mythologization of the culture in general. Her ethnography project in Sicily seeks the lived experiences of those who left their homes for freedom and safety.
Our Team: Social Media and Google Ads
Kasey McCormack, Social Media Coordinator
SOUTH CAROLINA, USA
[kasey at theautoethnographer dot com]
Kasey McCormack is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, Columbia, and has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in Mass Communications. The environment is extremely important to her, and she jump started her environmental career working for the Palmetto Trail in South Carolina right after graduation. Alongside her environmental journey, Kasey is working as a publicist for a band local to her city, and wants to shift her focus toward joining professional road crews for touring bands within the next few years. Working within both fields is difficult and rewarding, but she loves being part of two industries that she has so much passion for!
Addison Tice, Google Ads Director
SOUTH CAROLINA, USA
[addison at theautoethnographer dot com]
Addison Tice is an undergraduate Junior Marketing and Real Estate major in the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. He loves to learn about and work with people from different cultural backgrounds. Addison sees the value in diversity in the business world and enjoys bringing his unique experiences to our team.
OUR PAST INTERNS
Tala Toubassi
JORDAN
[tala at theautoethnographer.com]
Tala Toubassi is a 4th year Marketing student in the American University of Madaba, Jordan. She is a young woman passionate about politics, music, psychology, and environmental causes. She currently interns in Micro fund For Women (MFW). MFW is a Jordanian-based non-profit organization committed to funding female-owned and operated small businesses.
Amanda Lapin
SOUTH CAROLINA, USA
Amanda Lapin is currently studying to get her B.A. in Advertising with a cognate in Business from the USC-Columbia. She serves as a brother within the organization “Zeta Phi Eta”. Amanda is also acting VP of Service in “Tau Beta Sigma Sorority” and a section leader in Carolina Band. She has also worked on a professional commercial shoot for the South Carolina Education Lottery as a PA.
Sophie Olsen
SOUTH CAROLINA, USA
Sophie Olsen is a senior advertising major and Spanish minor at the University of South Carolina. She is the VP of the USC Equestrian Team and an Assistant Account Exec at the advertising agency The Variable. Sophie is also captain of the Google Ad Grants team that help The AutoEthnographer successfully run Google Ads. Being born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio has turned Sophie into a Cavs, Browns, and Guardians fan. But on weekends in South Carolina, you can find her cheering on the Gamecocks at Williams-Brice stadium. After graduation in May, Sophie hopes to keep working in advertising or marketing.
Please see What Is Autoethnography? How Can I Learn More? to better understand our magazine’s theme. Check out our Submissions page for more information about publishing. See our Work with Us page to learn about volunteering with our team. Thinking of submitting? Review our editors’ What Do Editors Look for When Reviewing Evocative Autoethnography?
