HEAR US 2021 Panelists & Mentors

Meet the HEAR US 2021 mentor/panelists, without whom HEAR US would not be possible. These are the brilliant professional artists, scholars and hybrid practitioners - the field leaders and innovators - who fully and generously bring themselves to the rigorous HEAR US application review process, and then serve as project mentors to the HEAR US awardees. Their commitment to HEAR US is demonstrated in their participation but also in their questions, and their provocations to do better. We are grateful to each and every one!

  • Alrick Brown

    Alrick Brown

    Filmmaker; Assistant Professor, Graduate Film

    2021 Mentor

  • Ari Melenciano

    Ari Melenciano

    Future Imagination Collaboratory Fellow

    2021 Mentor

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    Charles Damga

    Adjunct Instructor, Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music

    2021 Panelist & Mentor

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    Chitra Aiyar

    Attorney, Educator, Community-Builder

    2021 Panelist

  • Deborah Willis

    Deborah Willis

    Academic Director, Professor & Chair, Photography & Imaging

    2021 Panelist

  • Jamaica Gilmer (Photo Credit: Chris Charles)

    Jamaica Gilmer

    Founder & Executive Director, The Beautiful Project

    2021 Panelist & Mentor

  • Jess Engel

    Jess Engel

    Executive Producer, Crimes of Curiosity

    2021 Mentor

  • Jonathan Hart Makwaia

    Jonathan Hart Makwaia

    Associate Arts Professor, Drama

    2021 Panelist & Mentor

  • Karen Shimakawa

    Karen Shimakawa

    Associate Professor, Performance Studies

    2021 Panelist & Mentor

  • Kevin Cunningham

    Kevin Cunningham

    Future Imagination Collaboratory Fellow

    2021 Panelist & Mentor

  • Kristoffer Diaz

    Kristoffer Diaz

    Clinical Associate Professor, Gallatin; Associate Arts Professor, Dramatic Writing

    2021 Panelist

  • Lorie Novak

    Lorie Novak

    Professor of Photography & Imaging

    2021 Panelist & Mentor

  • Mo Ogrodnik

    Mo Ogrodnik

    Associate Professor, UGFTV

    2021 Mentor

  • Mona Sloane

    Mona Sloane

    Future Imagination Collaboratory Fellow

    2021 Panelist & Mentor

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    Obden Mondésir

    Oral History Project Manager, Weeksville Heritage Center

    2021 Panelist & Mentor

  • Pato Hebert

    Pato Hebert

    Chair, Art & Public Policy

    2021 Panelist & Mentor

  • Philip Courtney

    Philip Courtney

    Chief Executive Officer, Urban Arts Partnership

    2021 Panelist & Mentor

  • Shanelle Gabriel

    Shanelle Gabriel

    Interim Executive Director, Urban Word NYC; Poet/Singer

    2021 Panelist & Mentor

  • Shanga Parker

    Shanga Parker

    Associate Arts Professor, Drama

    2021 Panelist & Mentor

  • Shruti Kumar

    Shruti Kumar

    Adjunct Instructor, Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music

    2021 Panelist & Mentor

  • Tony Patrick

    Tony Patrick

    Future Imagination Collaboratory Fellow

    2021 Mentor

  • Yeseul Song

    Yeseul Song

    Future Imagination Collaboratory Fellow

    2021 Panelist & Mentor