Contributor Bios Contributor Bios

Maddie Coburn (she/her) is a junior from Tucson, Arizona studying biology. After graduation, she hopes to continue her studies in evolutionary and organismal biology. Outside of school, she enjoys reading, horseback riding, hiking, and spending time with her younger sisters.

Spenser Willden is a senior studying honors interdisciplinary liberal arts and English creative writing. Generally, he is a fool up to no good, and if I were you, I wouldn’t trust him an inch.

Thea Swift is currently pursuing her master’s in landscape architecture at UNM with the goal of exploring the intersection of art, social justice, and ecological wellbeing. She believes the health of both humans and nonhumans depends upon the reweaving of reciprocal relationships between people and the land.

Zane Shirley is a nonbinary philosophy student at UNM. A staunch “Transcendentalist Anarchist,” in their own words, this is the first paper they’ve had published that was not of a political or philosophical nature. The subject of this essay, however, is simple, silly, and close to Zane’s heart.

Sachi Barnaby (she/her) is a sophomore studying computer science and women, gender, and sexuality studies. She plans to pursue a career in robotics where she hopes to make the technology more feminist. Beyond the classroom, she enjoys listening to music and is always eager for recommendations.

Samuel Shorty is an Indigenous artist who is going to college for film and digital media.

Gillian Barkhurst is a first-year journalism student at UNM. Gillian has loved all things writing since she could hold a pen and has turned that passion toward her studies.

Izze Thomas is a freshman majoring in biology with minors in chemistry and Spanish. She is a volunteer at the Agora Crisis Center, plays flute, and hopes to attend medical school. Her essay was inspired by the frustration and confusion she felt growing up as a multiracial person.

Simon Ruybalid is a history and anthropology double-major intending to research the chisme surrounding and stories of “la llorona,” witches, etc., in how they influence colonist and colonized communities’ social forces- economics, gender, politics, etc.,- in the US-Mexico borderlands.

Sydney Drummond is an undergraduate at UNM pursuing a B.S. in biology.

Simone Sena is a senior majoring in biology at the University of New Mexico. She loves both the sciences and the arts. After finishing her undergraduate degree, Simone plans on attending medical school with the goal of providing compassionate and equitable healthcare in rural communities.

Camila Seluja is an English major who loves to read (no surprise there). She was born and raised in New Mexico and lives with her cat, Fish, and many plants.

Larry Rybarcyk is a retired scientist, part-time student, and senior from Los Alamos, New Mexico, majoring in economics and minoring in computer science. When not studying or mentoring a few of the young scientists who work in his former group, he enjoys daily walks and spending time with his family.