Esha Akhtar received her B.A. in American Studies with advanced certificates in Spanish and Human Rights from Yale University. She was born and raised in Rogers Park, Chicago by parents who immigrated to the United States from Rajshahi, Bangladesh. This upbringing informs her research interests in the mutual relay of 20th and 21st century feminist art/cultural production as forms of political resistance between the U.S. and the Global South.

At Brown, she looks forward to investigating how modern and contemporary art by women of color can be more intentionally curated within public humanities institutions. She is especially interested in how such curatorial work can transmit the grief, wisdom, and visions of the future that our creative practices bear to the world. Outside of academics, Esha enjoys ceramics, experimental filmmaking, and writing on her Substack.

Liliana Guimarães (she/her) was born and raised in Brazil. She holds Bachelor's degrees in Law and Public Administration from Fundação Getulio Vargas, in São Paulo, and attended Sciences Po Paris as an exchange student, learning Theories of the Photographic Image, Art History, and French. During her undergraduate studies, she wrote theses about the policing of street protests and the public incentives for culture in the state of São Paulo. 

Liliana's academic interests include linguistics, museology, design, and their intersections with democracy. Her goal is to support artists, cultural institutions, and the broader community in the development of more inquisitive, innovative, and welcoming creative spaces.

Tyler Lewis is from Richmond, Virginia, and recently graduated from the College of William and Mary as a double major in history and anthropology. He primarily focused on analyzing the sociocultural and historical roles of Black spaces across Virginia. Some of these Black spaces included enslaved individuals at the Wickham House in Richmond and the Williamsburg Bray School. This interdisciplinary research used public history, material culture, public memory, and genealogy to craft communal narratives of resilience and belonging. At Brown, he would like to continue to help create more inclusive historical narratives for marginalized communities across public institutions.

Isaiah Martin was born and raised in Indianapolis, IN, and graduated from Ball State in Muncie. He had the pleasure of working with the National Park Service between undergrad and now. His past work focused on Black history, specifically research on slavery in the West, where he created and supported exhibitions with the Santa Monica National Parks and local museums in Southern California. 

By attending Brown, he wishes to achieve his goal of running a museum and creating spaces that can be used to empower local communities through history.

Anaís holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Chicanx Latinx Studies from Scripps College. During her time at Scripps, her work as a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, thesis research, and interdisciplinary coursework examined how cooking, music, ofrenda-making, and rasquachismo function within her family as forms of knowledge production, memory-making, and identity affirmation.

After graduating, Anaís worked as a Getty Marrow Curatorial Intern at the Vincent Price Art Museum, followed by work in archival and collections practices. These experiences deepened her commitment to sustaining intimacy, cultural memory, and community connection through diverse artistic and archival mediums.

Emily was born and raised in Florida and earned a B.A in Computer Science from Cornell University. She recently worked as a Library Media Specialist at Norfolk State University and is interested in expanding her interests in digital humanities. Emily’s interest in public humanities stems from her experiences working with Cornell’s Asian American Studies Program Oral History project and exhibition.

Audrey was born in Indonesia, and received their B.A. in History from Brown University. In their undergraduate years, Audrey grappled with memory and representation in the archives, with a focus on Southeast Asian and Southeast Asian American advocacy. They are interested in the systems of power undergirding cultural institutions and memorial culture, and how these continue to shape narratives around nation and belonging.