Ayse Lokmanoglu
Ayse Lokmanoglu’s research is at the intersection of communication, computational social science, and digital humanities. She investigates how supremacist ideologies are propagated online by state and non-state actors, with a particular focus on issues of race, gender, and religion. Her work utilizes advanced computational methods, including automated text and visual analysis, and network analysis, to provide insights into the digital strategies of supremacist groups.
Her research has been supported by substantial grants, including the Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET) and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). She has also received numerous awards for her scholarship, including the National Communication Association’s Gerald R. Miller Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, the IEEE VIS 2023 Best Paper Award, and top paper awards from the National Communication Association’s Division. Lokmanoglu is also a leadership member of the VOX-Pol Network and an affiliate of Northwestern University’s Center for Communication and Public Policy (CCPP), the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life (CITAP), and Monash Global Peace and Security Center.
She completed her Ph.D. in Communication at Georgia State University as a presidential fellow in the Transcultural Conflict and Violence Initiative (TCV). Previously, she was a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University, an assistant professor of Disinformation Studies at Clemson University, and a core faculty member of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation-funded Media Forensics Hub.
Craig Shepherd
Craig H. Shepherd is a film & television executive with over 25 years of experience in creating, producing, directing, and managing award-winning television series, feature films, documentaries, and digital content. Currently, he is the Chair of the Department of Film and Television at Boston University and the EVP, New Business Development and Affairs, TV/Film/Brands for Zero Point Zero Production Inc.
Shepherd line produced the feature films Girlfight (Winner of 15 awards including the Sundance Film Festival) and Edge of Seventeen (Audience Award Winner at the Sundance Film Festival and winner of the New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Film Festivals). Shepherd’s feature documentary credits include Wild Wild Space (HBO); Saving the Gorillas: Ellen’s Next Adventure (HBO Max); The Witmans (Discovery +); Edgewood (HBO Max); Fries! (Peacock); and Martina Navratilova (Tennis Channel).
Shepherd has extensive television credits as an Executive Producer spanning all streaming services and broadcast television including Queer Eye For The Straight Guy (NBC/Bravo), and Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown and No Reservations — two groundbreaking series that defined television. Shepherd began his career as a Financial Analyst for CBS Sports, where he was part of a team that constructed billion-dollar bids to acquire NCAA College Basketball, NFL Football, Major League Baseball, and Olympic sports properties.
Since joining Zero Point Zero, the company has garnered a Peabody Award Winner for Distinguished Journalism, 88 Emmy Nominations and 29 wins, eight Producers Guild of America Nominations and one win, eight American Cinema Editors Nominations, and five wins, Television Critics Awards, 4 IDA Documentary Award Nominations and 11 James Beard Foundation Nominations and five wins. ZPZ has been named a Top 100 Global Production Company numerous years in a row. Additionally, Shepherd is a long-standing member of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and was nominated twice for a James Beard Award.
Katherine Butler
Katherine is a TV writer whose credits include IN PLAIN SIGHT (USA Network), THE REPLACEMENTS (Disney Channel), THE BUZZ ON MAGGIE (Disney Channel) BRANDY AND MR. WHISKERS (Disney Channel) MONSTERS V. ALIENS (Nickelodeon) and more. She also writes humor essays and is currently at work on her third novel.
James Joyce
James is an award-winning video producer with over 30 years of experience working in the industry. He has been running a digital media company specializing in all aspects of digital media production and distribution for the last 20 years. Prior to this he worked as a news-tape editor for KUSA TV in Denver, Colorado, and owned his own video production company.
I am very lucky to have found my passion in all things video production. Finding creative ways to tell interesting, entertaining stories about our world using images and sound. I started in an analog world with heavy, two-piece cameras and linear, tape-based editing. The migration to a digital, nonlinear world has given us creatives so much more to work with and yet the art of good storytelling hasn’t changed. The challenge to discover the essence of a great story and communicate it effectively is what I love most about this field. The new toys are pretty awesome too. And here comes AI!
Daniel Weidknecht
Daniel C. Weidknecht is a Director and Producer known for nuanced storytelling and a focus on social justice. His first feature documentary, HEALING THE CHILDREN OF WAR, won the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at the United Nations Film Festival, the Grand Jury Prize at the Colorado Film Festival, and the Grand Jury Prize at the New York International Independent Film Festival. It was also an Official Selection at the Artivist Film Festival. His second feature, INDIGENOUS, ENDANGERED., won the Festival Prize at the Huntington Beach Film Festival, the Grand Festival Award at the Berkeley Video and Film Festival, and the Grand Jury Prize at the Colorado Film Festival. His latest short documentary, ROXBURY, was an Official Selection at both the Roxbury International Film Festival and the Rhode Island International Film Festival.
Beyond documentaries, Daniel directs commercials for major brands like Cartier, Subaru, and Nike. He is also a professional writer having sold screenplays to companies such as Plan B and Pastel. Whether fiction or documentary, Daniel strives to give voice to nuance. “I am not interested in black and white or good versus evil. This isn’t real and is just too simple.” His films explore how the othering of a people can lead to dehumanization, blame, and the spread of mis- and disinformation.
As an instructor, Daniel emphasizes experiential learning while developing tangible, marketable materials, worthy of showing prospective employers. And his students deliver – projects from his classes have screened at festivals such as Rhode Island International Film Festival, Salem Film Festival, Newburyport Documentary Film Festival, New Haven International Documentary Film Festival, Bridgeport Film Festival, Massachusetts Independent Film Festival, and Independent Film Festival Boston. Screenplays from his students have also been selected at the Nantucket Film Festival and Austin Revolution Film Festival.
Sung-Un Yang
Dr. Sung-Un Yang is the Harold Burson Professor in Public Relations and Department Chair of Mass Communication, Advertising, and Public Relations at Boston University. Previously, Sung-Un was a faculty member and held the position of Ralph Winslow Professor of Strategic Communication at Indiana University Media School, where he taught courses in strategic communication. Before that, he was a tenured faculty member at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, serving as the Newhouse Endowed Professor. Since August 2024, Sung-Un has been a member of the Arthur W. Page Society, a prestigious organization for global leaders in corporate communications and education.
His research primarily focuses on strategic communication management, including organization-public relationships, organizational reputation management, social media effectiveness, and public diplomacy. He has received several awards for his work, including the Best Doctoral Dissertation Award from the International Communication Association (ICA) Public Relations Division, as well as Top Research Paper Awards from major international conferences in his field, such as the International Communication Association (ICA), Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), and IPRRC (International Public Relations Research Conference).
Regarding teaching, Sung-Un was honored with the Meredith Teaching Excellence Recognition Award at Syracuse University and the Indiana University Board of Trustees Teaching Award at Indiana University.
Since 2022, Sung-Un has served as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Public Relations Research, the official journal of the AEJMC Public Relations Division. Additionally, he has been a member of the editorial boards of several peer-reviewed journals, including Communication Research and Communication Theory. Sung-Un has authored two books, multiple book chapters, over 100 research papers in international peer-reviewed conference papers, and articles in esteemed academic journals, including Communication Research, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, International Journal of Communication, Computers in Human Behavior, American Behavioral Scientist, Journal of Public Relations Research, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Communication Management, Corporate Reputation Review, Public Relations Review, and Management of Communication Quarterly.
Sung-Un has been recognized as a Top Scientist (the World’s Top 2% Most Cited Scientists) by the Stanford University School of Medicine for five consecutive years since 2020 (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024).
Tunji Akinsehinwa
Tunji Akinsehinwa is a cinematographer, documentary filmmaker and photographer who has lived and worked across the UK, Europe, and Africa.
From a Stills photographer to cinematographer, he has been fortunate enough to work and travel in many different countries. Like India where he got hit by an elephant’s trunk, to Cuba where he sat in a taxi with no brakes as it sped downhill at 90km and seated backwards on a scooter, filming petrol smugglers escaping on motorbikes across the Nigeria-Benin border. Since 2005 most of his work has been across Africa where he shot the first ever Zombie horror film in Nigeria called Ojuju which is now listed as one of the top 20 Zombie films ever on Indiewire. He was a director cameraman on the first ever series about African Artists titled African Masters. Tunji also shot a 6-part TV drama called Dere, an African Tale, for Ebony Life TV and Netflix, and has worked for MTV, Bloomberg, The Africa Channel and the BBC. Currently he is a producer of a TV series about ex-African presidents titled African Excellence and a 13-part documentary series that features all 54 countries on the African Continent. His recent cinematography work in the UK includes two feature films, Deer Woman Child and The Reckoning of Erin Morrigan. In cinematography he runs a lighting for diverse skin tones masterclass and has contributed to several related articles including Inclusive lighting feature for Definition. Online magazine – 21st September 2022. Tunji has taught cinematography and film production at multiple films schools in the UK. He has guest lectured at I-Rep film Festival, Realtime Film festival and the Pan-Atlantic University in Lagos.
Outside of film he managed the Nike Art Gallery, one of the largest in Lagos and co- runs a social media app.
Cinematography is Tunji’s passion, and he is committed to seeing more women and underrepresented groups get involved in this craft. As Black Panther Cinematographer, Rachel Morrison ASC, said “DP is the best job on set, we all know that”. Consequently, he was a founding member of the British Society of Cinematographers’ inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Committee and believes strongly that Diversity, Equity, and inclusion is about everyone and is for everyone.
Brianna Altman
How I started
Growing up, I took an interest in writing and art. It wasn’t until my father took me to an off-broadway play, that my love of telling stories blossomed. Much of my childhood involved doodling goofy faces on the backs of my homework and seeing underground plays throughout Manhattan.
Why briannairl?
briannairl stands for “brianna in real life”. I wanted to highlight how the work I produce stems from a source of sincerity, passion, and authenticity.
Where I’m Headed
While my interest range from fashion, copywriting, art direction, and filmmaking, I am currently looking to expand my horizons as a visual storyteller with a penchant for writing.
Becca Benoit
I’m a Masshole born and raised (yes I drink iced coffee in the winter).
I am obsessed with fashion and am currently documenting my personal style journey.
I do aerial silks! I’m bad at it, but I love it.
I ’ve donated my hair 4 times.
I have a tattoo based on the typeface Montserrat.
I play 4 instruments and am trained in 8 styles of dance!
I caught the travel bug my semester abroad in London and turned it into a design experiment.
Camilla Atalla
Hi! My name is Camilla Atalla, and I am an art director with a passion for branding and design.
If you’d like a tattoo (or if you’d like to talk art direction), please contact me ASAP.