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Meet the ZBoard!

Our Z-Board is a vibrant mix of faculty, staff, and students who are passionate about fostering creativity, collaboration, and unique perspectives through the zine. Each member brings their own expertise and enthusiasm, contributing to a diverse and inclusive publication process. Get to know the amazing people behind the scenes!

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Autumm Caines
Staff Co-Editor in Chief

Hi there! I’m Autumm Caines, an Instructional Designer at the Hub for Teaching and Learning Resources here at the University of Michigan-Dearborn where I also teach occasionally. I’m super excited to have taken on the role of Staff Co-Editor in Chief for the Zine!! If you would like to check out my work, I try to curate and communicate the highlights at autummcaines.com.

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Shelly Jarenski
Foundations Representative

Hello! My name is Shelly Jarenski and I am an Associate Professor of Literature and I am the chair of the steering committee for the Foundations program. Foundations is a first year experience program in the College of Arts, Science, and Letters and it is designed to teach students general study skills and specific skills for navigating UM-Dearborn, while they learn from experts about topics that they care about. The Foundations course that I teach is American Horror Stories (FNDS 1304). Foundations also builds partnerships between students and one another and students and faculty. Foundations is working with Wolverzine to create some upcoming special issues, so I am currently serving as the Foundations representative on the Zine editorial board. I am excited for these issues to come out so we can share stories about Foundations and the work that we do! 

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Dr. Maya Barak
Faculty zBoard Member

Hey! I’m an Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice and affiliate of Women’s and Gender Studies and Arab American Studies at UM-Dearborn. When not teaching or writing about matters of crime and justice through a critical lens, I love finding connections between crime, law, and pop culture. My vision of students, faculty, and staff as partners is aimed at fostering agency, collaboration, and empowerment. You can learn more about me here!

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Troy Murphy

Faculty zBoard Member

Hi! I’m an Associate Professor of Public Communication and Culture Studies, where I teach courses on 20th Century Public Argument, Persuasion and Social Movements, and Public Argument and Advocacy.  I also teach a course called “Democratizing Democracy” for the Foundations Program.  I am a First-Generation college student and came to the zine after partnering with a former student, Anna Lariviere, on a special edition of the zine focusing on First Gen stories.  Check it out here!

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Nora Charon

Student zBoard Member

Hey! My name is Nora Charon, and I am an undergraduate student pursuing a major in Psychology, and a minor in Criminal Justice and Fine Arts. I’ve always been interested in the field of arts, especially since I’ve been a kid. I’m so excited to share this opportunity to work on the Zine!

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Fatima Elfaikh     

Student zBoard Member

Hello everyone! I’m Fatima, an undergraduate student pursuing a BS in Biological Sciences. In addition to my insatiable love of the natural world, I’m deeply passionate about the social sciences (particularly anthropology), the arts, and creation—striving to contribute to the Zine as an assemblage of all these marvels, then, was an absolute no-brainer! I’m infinitely excited to help give rise to this project, and hope that I can help authentically bring its vision to life.

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Rachna Sharma

Student zBoard Member

Hey! My name is Rachna, I’m an undergraduate student studying Digital Marketing. I’ve been passionate about the creative field since I was young and have completed many projects that strengthened my creativity as I grew up. I’m eager to help this project grow and bring it to life! Feel free to check out my portfolio here!

Former Members

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Mike MacDonald
A man with a mustache and beard, wearing a cap and blue shirt. He is holding up a book.
Christopher Thomas
A man in a dark blue shirt, inside of a robotic car
Samuel Bellaire
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Isaac Coenca
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Heba Sayed
A girl with long black hair, wearing a white and black leopard print shirt
Harleen Gill
A man with long brown hair, wearing glasses and a teal shirt
Zenon Sommers
A woman with brown and black hair, wearing glasses and a pink shirt
Vishali Prayag
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