¹ú²úÂ×Àí

Class of 2027

Justin Boon is a lifelong resident of Hampton Roads, and he has served in the United States Marine Corps. After his military experience, Justin chose to look at some of the deeper questions in life by pursuing an undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Political Science. Along the way he also entered the world of real estate and grew a successful business before returning to ¹ú²úÂ×Àí to pursue Religious Studies as part of the Humanities. Justin’s hope is that through the degree path at ¹ú²úÂ×Àí, he will be able to both help others develop professionally as well as share what he has learned along the academic path with others endeavoring to understand their unique role in the world better. 

Class of 2027

Aeve Boucher is a master’s student in the Humanities program at ¹ú²úÂ×Àí. Aeve graduated from ¹ú²úÂ×Àí with a B.A. in philosophy and a minor in Women and Gender Studies in spring 2025. His philosophical areas of interest include epistemology, feminist and queer theory, and emotivism. Beyond the M.A. in Humanities, Aeve plans on going on to a PhD program to teach philosophy at the college level. He is a huge nerd about philosophy, but he also enjoys playing games with friends and family, as well as camping and hiking out in nature. 

 Class of 2026

Danielle Brown is a second-year student in the Master of Arts Humanities program with a concentration in Art History. Her research is dedicated to identifying cultural, political, economic, and religious aspects of humanity by analyzing depictions of dress and costume in works of art and material culture. Danielle holds an Interdisciplinary Individualized Studies Bachelor's degree in Fashion History and Culture. Her professional goals include museum curation, scholarly publishing, and developing original curriculum. Danielle loves to travel, collect books, and is allergic to strawberries. 

Class of 2027

Gabrielle Dempsey received her B.A. in Cinema and TV production with a minor in psychology from ¹ú²úÂ×Àí in 2024. She has always had an affinity towards the arts, including film, music, theatre, poetry, painting, and photography. Her family and friends inspire her to create films that represent her people and speak to areas that change and highlight views on the abundant ways a person can represent their culture. While pursuing her Master's in humanities, her research focuses on the ways in which film and psychology intersect. Gabrielle entered the Humanities program because of the ways in which it allows so many fields to work collaboratively and create conversations which improve upon one another.

Class of 2027

Catherine Earp has been teaching Pilates since 2000, working with clients ranging from those managing chronic pain to elite athletes. A Level 4 teacher-trainer and certified personal trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine, she has owned a successful studio and mentored many instructors. Her research in ¹ú²úÂ×Àí’s Humanities MA program focuses on translating the logic of Pilates into tools that can be applied in coaching and rehabilitative fields. Through interdisciplinary study, she seeks to blend the art and science of movement education to reach broader and underserved populations with the empowering philosophy of Pilates.

Class of 2027

Tuff Eaton is an artist based out of Norfolk, Virginia. They have been making art since a young age, primarily working in painting and printmaking. Tuff has recently been an artist-in-residence at Chateau Orquevaux (2024) and 757 Creative ReUse Center (2025). They graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Communications at ¹ú²úÂ×Àí in 2021 and are currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Humanities. Their research interests are primarily in how art can be used to build community. Tuff is also interested in outsider art, clowns, and high strange phenomena. Tuff is in the M.A. Humanities program to further their own artistic practice, gain leadership skills, and maybe shine a light on the weirder side of the humanities. 

Class of 2027

Araceli Gordus Huizar is a Humanities graduate student with a research focus in philosophy. As a fellow of the ¹ú²úÂ×Àí Sky Happiness Retreat, she studied breathwork and meditation practices, which sparked deeper academic inquiry into mindfulness. Her current research explores how mindfulness programs and contemplative practices benefit clinical patients and enhance educational environments. She recently attended the UVA Contemplative Science Sensemaking Symposium, where she engaged with emerging research in the growing field of mindfulness studies. In addition to her academic work, Araceli serves as the Marketing & PR Intern at the Virginia Arts Festival. She also leverages her social media presence—over 101,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok, where she creates sustainable fashion styling content—to support marketing campaigns. Her collaborations span non-profit initiatives focused on social justice, as well as major lifestyle and fashion brands, such as Adidas and Urban Outfitters. Araceli is also the Graduate Assistant at the Strome Entrepreneurial Center, where she helps students access resources to launch start-up ventures. She chose the Humanities program for its interdisciplinary structure, which allows her to explore a range of interests and career paths—including academia, marketing, and research.

Class of 2028

Sydney Han is an art history major and a religious studies minor who is also a part of the Linked program for the humanities with a focus on art history. Sydney’s research interests include religious imagery in global art, particularly Christian imagery in the Italian Renaissance. She joined the Linked Art History-M.A. Humanities program to gain a head start on her graduate plans and broaden her opportunities postgraduation. Sydney also enjoys working as an Office Assistant for the Art Department with ¹ú²úÂ×Àí and partakes in numerous hobbies, including sewing, cooking, and reading.

Class of 2027

Ashlee Harville (she/her) is a Navy veteran, multimedia artist, and UX developer based in Norfolk, Virginia, whose work combines printmaking, photography, painting, and UX thinking. She earned a BFA in Photography & Print Media with a minor in Art History from ¹ú²úÂ×Àí (’22) and an MPS in UX Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA, ’24). She is pursuing an M.A. in Humanities to ground her studio practice in research, connecting art history and media studies to contemporary image-making, and to prepare her for a Ph.D. in Visual Studies and a future career in teaching. Ashlee explores how images of the past, contemporary media, and everyday technologies teach us how to be—and how those scripts endure. She employs a broad symbolic vocabulary, blending mythic and monstrous figures with contemporary icons and signals, to construct staged visual narratives that explore desire, agency, and value. Her research and studio projects surface and challenge the lessons we internalize about beauty, behavior, and worth. Ashlee is a Graduate Assistant at ¹ú²úÂ×Àí’s Gordon Galleries

Class of 2027

 Anne Jackson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and Art History from the University of Mary Washington in 2024. During her undergraduate studies, she explored a wide range of mediums from oil painting and photography to printmaking and ceramics. Her versatile and experimental approach to her creative practice is heavily influenced by the Fauvist art movement known for its bold colors, simplified forms and lively brushwork. During her time at ¹ú²úÂ×Àí, Anne plans to develop her body of work with current projects focusing on themes of authenticity and consumerism in relation to travel as well as how humans collect and consume. The M.A. in Humanities program will allow Anne to deepen her understanding of art and culture while developing the analytic skills necessary for a career in gallery curation. Through this program, she hopes to grow her studio practice through the diverse range of mediums the University has to offer.

Class of 2028

Lisa LaCerra was raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia and has been creating some form of art since she was a small child. After receiving a B.A. at ¹ú²úÂ×Àí in 2005 in Studio Art, she had a successful career in television production for 20 years as a producer and writer. In 2024 she decided to change directions and get back to her true passion. She returned to ¹ú²úÂ×Àí to receive her M.A. in Humanities focusing on Studio Art. Lisa has two main goals: to grow and expand her skills as an artist, and to teach others to do the same. 

Class of 2027

Kat Little (She/They) has a degree in Game Studies and minors in Women Studies and Queer Studies. Kat is now studying Humanities with a Women's Studies Graduate Certificate, and is currently the Women’s and Gender Studies Graduate Assistant. Their research primarily focuses on Queer Game Studies, an interdisciplinary field that discusses representation in video games, the relationship between the digital world and identities, and the idea of "queering games." By studying Humanities with a digital focus they hope to one day become a scholar and professor in Queer Game Studies and/or Feminist Technologies.

Class of 2027

Teresa Mitchell graduated from ¹ú²úÂ×Àí in spring 2025 with a Bachelor of Fine arts in 3D Media & Material Studies. Her love of learning, making objects, creating art and interacting with others has brought me back to Old Dominion to continue adding to her realm of knowledge. The programs, activities and opportunities at ¹ú²úÂ×Àí are stimulating, intriguing and she appreciates all of them. Teresa just wishes she had more hours in the day. Her focus is on studio arts, particularly in glass. Her goal is to encourage people of all ages to get involved in higher education. This is her 6^th degree since starting college classes in 2020.

Class of 2027

Heather Nygaard is a Scottish-American artist, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from ¹ú²úÂ×Àí. She is late diagnosed Autistic & ADHD and is passionate about advocating for other neurodivergent people. Her interests span across many disciplines, with a primary focus in the arts, but also a love for science, history, folklore, and social justice. The multi-disciplinary opportunities that the MA Humanities program provides is perfect for her creative and curious mind, and though she doesn't have a definitive plan yet, she's excited to see where her research takes her. 

If you would like to see her work as a practicing artist, you can visit her website at  

Class of 2027

Izzy Ozeki earned their Bachelor of Science in Sociology from ¹ú²úÂ×Àí in 2025. Their research utilizes oral histories and archival research to investigate LGBTQ+ history and culture, with a specific focus on lesbian bars and social groups. Izzy is the Graduate Assistant for Gay Cultural Studies. 

Class of 2026

Suzanne Peterson is a visual and performance artist, educator, and community arts advocate based in Norfolk, Virginia. She currently serves as the Manager of Education and Engagement at the Barry Art Museum at ¹ú²úÂ×Àí. Prior to this role, she spent eight years as an artist-instructor at the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio. Suzanne holds a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Wisconsin, home to the nation's first university-based studio glass program. Her creative work has been exhibited in galleries and museums across the United States. In 2020, she founded Lil Truck of Tools, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit mobile maker-studio that brings hands-on, artist-led workshops to communities throughout coastal Virginia. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the Institute for the Humanities at ¹ú²úÂ×Àí, where her research explores the intersection of studio practice, arts outreach, and the evolving role of social media in community engagement.

"I am pursuing a Master’s degree in Humanities as part of an ongoing commitment to merge my creative practice with critical inquiry. My work as an artist and educator is grounded in community engagement, and I see the Humanities as a space where theory and lived experience come together to inform more thoughtful and inclusive approaches to art-making and education. This degree supports my exploration of feminist and queer theory, art history, and storytelling, all of which shape how I understand the role of the artist within society. I am particularly interested in how these disciplines challenge dominant narratives and offer new ways of thinking about identity, power, and representation. These questions are central to both my studio practice and the participatory experiences I facilitate in public spaces. Through this program, I am developing a deeper framework for connecting theory to practice. This framework not only enhances my creative and educational work, but also informs how I build relationships, foster dialogue, and imagine new possibilities for community-based arts. The Humanities provide the tools to engage with complexity, ask better questions, and contribute meaningfully to cultural conversations. These values are at the heart of everything I do." -Suzanne Peterson 

 Class of 2027

Lainey Lee Sharratt is a first-year student in the Master of Arts in Humanities. She received her undergraduate degree in Art History at ¹ú²úÂ×Àí working with the wonderful mentors and faculty that are now helping her through her graduate degree. Lainey is a budding glass artist and that is what inspires her research. Lainey currently works in the museum field and aspires to keep this work after completing her graduate degree. She also developed an understanding of non-profit organizations. The MA in Humanities will help Lainey achieve her career goals. 

Class of 2028

C. J. Steines joined the Master of Arts in Humanities program to embrace a more holistic, interdisciplinary approach to learning—one that supports deep exploration of languages, linguistics, and the arts in their cultural and ethical contexts. Her academic focus centers on humanitarian applications, especially linguistic justice and the revitalization and preservation of marginalized and endangered languages. The Humanities offers C.J. the flexibility to connect theory with practice, and to contribute meaningfully to global conversations around equity, identity, and cultural continuity through language.