Oceano Daniel Meyers (they/them pronouns) graduated in 2018 with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (LSA), exploring ideas of phenomenology & artistic expression. Coursework focuses included linguistic anthropology, musicology, poetry, choral & orchestral conducting, dance, and philosophy. At U of M, they were a member of Men’s Glee Club & Amazin’ Blue and spent time in both Living Arts & the Residential College. They’ve worked in the Newnan Academic Advising office, U-M housing, arts research, as a campus tour guide, a tea connoisseur & director of events at TeaHaus in Kerrytown, and as a figure model for artists at U-M Stamps & the DIA’s Scarab Club. Currently, j. maintains the collections and pulls requests in the U-M libraries. Their small family lives west of Ann Arbor out in Scio; consists of fiancé Zack, and their two cats: Aïda Cloudytoes & Peridot.

Before discovering my passion for UX research and entering the workforce, I explored various fields including industrial design, mechanical engineering, and data analysis. I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Penny Stamps School of Art and Design, with a focus on product design. During my undergraduate studies, I participated in a sensor network lab through the Multidisciplinary Design Program (MDP) and studied abroad in Copenhagen, specializing in furniture making. These experiences ignited my interest in community research and design methods. To further my expertise, I pursued dual master’s degrees: one in Design Science with a concentration in Integrated System Design, and another in UX Design and Research from the School of Information. By combining these skills, I embarked on a career in design research. My previous research has primarily focused on design and engineering within multicultural contexts, collaborating with diverse local communities worldwide. Currently, I am a UX researcher at Microsoft Azure.

About my mentoring style:

As a newcomer to the U.S. and a non-native English speaker in the STEM field, I empathize with the feeling of being lost, anxious, and not being in the “right position” at the “right time”. Like most of us in tech, on the good days, I am always drawn to the wild ideas, new trends, and on the bad days I feel the anxiety, pressure from deadline and lack of drive. Over time, I have learned to balance the voices, good or bad, in my head and be true to my core values (most of the days :)). 

If you are an explorer with a wide range of interests and ever doubt if you are making the right choice in pursuing your passion, I would be happy to help you to explore and channeling all your interests. If you ever need advice on navigating a new culture, landing your first industry job, diversifying your skill sets, or just need surplus of positivity, I will be your cheerleader!

KARL (he/him) is a composer, percussionist, and performance artist based in New York City, where he is the Dramaturg/Commissioning Associate at the Metropolitan Opera, helping to shape commissions and new works from their inceptions to their premieres. He is the co-founder and co-artistic director of Fifth Wall Performing Arts with Grey Grant, and has worked with artists and companies including Radiolab, Meredith Monk, Carnegie Hall, Nico Muhly, Sō Percussion, Elliot Cole, Alkemie Early Music, Missy Mazzoli, Contemporaneous, New Music Detroit, Anthony Davis, Christopher Rountree, Joyce DiDonato, Metropolis Ensemble, Jeanine Tesori, and the Lincoln Center Theater’s Directors’ Lab. Karl is a teaching artist in incarcerated communities with the non-profit Musicambia and is also the inventor of the Snaxophone, an electric Pringles can instrument. He hosts annual Fluxus-inspired parties and his work has been performed by bell towers, rock bands, orchestras, arcade machines, and people dressed in squirrel costumes, among others.

Camille Charara is an award winning Costume Designer and Artist based in NYC and Detroit. She holds a MFA in costume design from NYU Tisch’s Department of Design for Stage & Film, a BFA in theatre design & production and a BA in art & design, both from the University of Michigan. Her creative work is focused around three things. Art, People, and Stories. To her, costume design perfectly encapsulates these three things. As an artist, she builds worlds, and as a person, she builds communities. Camille believes that stories are what make us human. She strives to tell socially relevant stories, amplify women’s voices, and the voices of those with disabilities, like herself. As a first-generation American, she uplifts those who have not traditionally received the same amount of representation. Camille honors people’s histories and individuality while creating characters and meticulously looks at character’s motivations and relationships to uncover truths in the stories being told. Her background in fine art is in service of this, helping her solidify clear visuals and artistic execution. She is deeply invested in her community and is an educator, teaching at the undergraduate level, as well as 3rd-12th grade students. She designs plays, musicals, operas, and films, but particularly loves designing pieces connected to music.

She was recently awarded the VisionIntoArt: Impact Lab Fellowship ’24-’25 where she will be on the design team for a new opera commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Primero Sueño.

Upcoming: Twelfth Night: The Musical, University of Michigan. Peter & the Starcatcher, New Jersey Institute of Technology. The Importance of Being Earnest, The Encore. Baba, Williamston Theater.

Website: camillecharara.com

Instagram: @camille.charara

Elijah is a first year PhD student studying stormwater management using intelligent systems. He studied civil and environmental engineering for his undergrad, with a minor in Spanish. He enjoys creative writing, playing the piano, and finding ways to stay active and go outside!

Hello, my name is Clayton Zimmerman and I’m back at UM in my first year of a Masters, studying Librarianship and Archives!

I’m a jack of many trades. My undergrad was in Computer Science (focused on Computer Security), with a large dose of electives in social sciences, history, and gender studies. Upon graduating, I volunteered with 4th graders for a while because I love teaching, but my work/life balance got out of whack and I had to step back. I did some soul-searching and worked in a library. I loved it, and decided to come back to school for library studies.

My hobbies mostly include long conversations with friends, going out to eat, playing video games, and watching YouTube videos. With student life, it’s mostly just been the video games.

I have the most experience with teaching, tutoring, public speaking, improvisation, computer programming, game development, and video editing. I’ve also definitely improved my time management skills since undergrad and would be happy to talk if that’s a growth area for you!

Hello! My name is John Roselli, and I graduated last April from Michigan with degrees in Trombone Performance and User Experience. I was a mentee, mentor, peer mentor coordinator for two years, and then a programming board member for LAE over the collective course of 2018 – 2023. I’ve been working as a User Experience Designer for a little over a year now, and, while I’m kind of interested in that, I spend my free time practicing baritone ukelele, cooking meals for myself and my friends, working on my collection of short essays, going to fun events with friends around town, and chatting a lot with folks about whatever’s on our minds (what’s going on in our lives, the world, our work, in our brains, meta talk about talk itself, whatever!). Big interests include Cooperative Economics, Public Transport + Urbanism, Languages, The World and its Peoples Places Ideas and Cultures, The Outdoors, Music and Music Theory, Cooking/Food, Philosophy, Travel, Hiking, Biking, Talking in French, Spending Quality Time with My Folks, etc. Maybe my biggest memorable contribution to LAE over the years was launching a Saturday evening discussion salon with tea known as Tea Time. I’ve got experience in Python programming, music and music theory, funky ideas, group dynamics and team facilitation, the works!

Katie Hacala produced the recent hit docuseries “American Murder: Laci Peterson” which stayed on the Netflix Top 10-watched-TV shows list for 4 weeks. She also produced “Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty” (HBOMax) and an upcoming Netflix documentary from director Skye Borgman. As a creative executive at Campfire Studios and Delirio Films, she developed “Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer” (Hulu), “They Call Me Magic” (Apple TV+), “Reggie” (Amazon Prime), and many other nonfiction projects for the small screen. Prior to producing, Katie spent 6 years as a Content Acquisition executive at Showtime Networks, during which time she helped build the Showtime Documentary Films label.

Expertise: Hollywood, filmmaking, film industry, documentaries, Los Angeles

My name is Ries Plescher, and I am currently a graduate student at the University of Oregon studying earth science, specifically natural hazards such as landslides and flooding. I graduated from UofM in 2023 with a BSE in civil engineering, and minors in geology and sustainability. I was also involved with a lot of sustainability orgs on campus. I took a gap year between my undergrad and grad to travel, which was a great choice for me.

Areas of experience: engineering, natural science, gaining research experience, cross-discipline work, gap year, changing disciplines

I’m a class of 2019 graduate with a degree in Computer Science in Engineering.  Directly after college I started working for Dow as part of their Information Systems Rotational Program.  While part of that program, I was able to gain experience working in information security (primarily supporting users and security applications), data and analytics (supporting an internal analytics website and creating custom dashboards for users), and finally as a full stack developer creating proof of concept applications.  This year I left Dow to work for Associated Bank as a Full-Stack Developer.  Over the course of the last few years I’ve had the opportunity to move a few times (Ann Arbor -> Midland, MI -> Seattle, WA -> Grand Rapids, MI) and I’ve started to narrow down my goals career-wise.  In my free time I enjoy role playing games, reading fantasy books, playing video games, and trying new hobbies (I just started learning embroidery).

I have a love for vibrant visuals and a knack for blending art and technology, I’ve spent the past several years turning big ideas into dynamic designs that captivate audiences. From rebranding strategies that boosted customer loyalty by 40% to crafting playful packaging for toys at Mattel, my work breathes life into brands and products. I thrive in collaborative environments where creativity flows freely, whether it’s leading a team to develop a killer concept or diving into 3D renderings to make a vision come alive. My journey has taken me through everything from toy design to AI-driven projects, and I’m always looking for new ways to push the boundaries of design and storytelling!

Portfolio: https://www.colourmechoco.com

Abigail Clemens (she/her/hers) is an interdisciplinary artist and researcher based in London and the San Francisco Bay Area. Interested in examining the relationships between materials and empire, as well as sound and hospitality, her most recent installations provoke intimacy through directional sound and handmade paper screens. While her scholarship and artwork center care, migratory aesthetics, and in-between spaces, she is also a massive comic nerd and loves all things rooted in sequence and narrative. She often works across drawing, oil painting, and traditional animation in addition to sound. 

Clemens is currently a PhD student affiliated with the Creative Research into Sound Arts Practice (CRiSAP) department at the University of the Arts London: London College of Communication. She received her BFA at the University of Michigan (2017) and her MFA at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University (2023). 

Website: https://www.abbclem-art.com/

Instagram: @just.a.clementine