Michaela is a third-year PhD student who examines the media ecology of fandom infrastructure. Her dissertation work examines elemental envelopment in fan environments ranging from water parks to K-pop concerts. Recently, she has written about the corporate ecology of tropical-themed tourism and the cultural techniques of religious theme parks.
Outside the SOJC, she is pursuing the advanced graduate teaching certificate, folklore & public culture specialization, and new media & culture certificate.
Michaela grew up on the Connecticut shoreline. She graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2022 with BAs in English and political science and a minor in film studies. She then graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2023 with an MSc in intermediality: literature, film, and the arts in dialogue.
Post-graduation, Michaela is excited to pursue a career in academia as a professor. Prior to enrolling at the University of Oregon, she was an English adjunct instructor at the University of Saint Joseph. She spends her summers teaching creative writing at the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth.
In her free time, Michaela loves watching films and logging said films on Letterboxd.
