Digital Communications Specialist at the Othering and Belonging Institute
How long have you been at Berkeley?
It will be five years in October since I started at the Othering and Belonging Institute (OBI) at UC Berkeley.
What do you love most about working here?
The people attracted to the area and the institution. Some faculty that come to mind are Darieck Scott, Eric A. Stanley, and Karen Nakamura, as well as the students who are now my colleagues, and some have even become friends too. In a way, without traveling all over the world, I’ve had the chance to meet folks from different corners unexpectedly, which I believe has had a profound impact on my praxis as my community evolved while working here.
What's your job?
As the Digital Communications Specialist for OBI, I develop strategy and manage social media accounts for the institute, Othering and Belonging Conferences, and our Director, john a. powell. My work spans project management in OBI’s convenings, arts & culture strategy, and internal communications.
What's a great day at work look like for you?
A great day is when it's time to pull off an event, whether it be a big on-campus situation or a weekly digital one. I enjoy pulling all the elements together to create something unique to bridge the gap that would exist if the person had not attended or watched the event. Our big moments, like the conferences, are balanced with smaller events, like our bi-monthly OBI Book Club on OBIU.org, which is more intimate and just one way to strategize scale and meet the people at the moment.
Where's your favorite place on campus?
I am biased because I usually go to Stephens Hall when I visit campus. That's probably why, but the location is convenient. It’s not too far from the trail, the main street, or food options either. We do have a great view from the OBI office and get lots of sunshine as well.
Fun fact about me:
I am an editor, poet, and fiction writer with work in or forthcoming in Beestung Magazine, Black Youth Project, and Cosmic Horror Monthly. I serve as the Art Director of FIYAH Literary Magazine, Co-fiction Editor and Art Editor of Anathema Magazine Spec from the Margins, and Associate Editor for Tenebrous Press’s Skull & Laurel. I have guest-edited FIYAH Literary Magazine No. 28, focused on belonging, and HEXAGON SF MYRIAD Zine, themed on kinship. My work has been supported through residencies and fellowships from Hurston/Wright Foundation for Black Writers, Sundress Academy for the Arts, Voodoonuats, Abode Press, The Watering Hole, and Under the Volcano.