Wondering what our Film and Media Studies alumnae have been up? Look no further! Thanks to all who contributed. If you are an FMS alum and would like to send us an update about what's happening with you, please email Gina.O_Connor@tufts.edu
Sheila Laffey, Ph.D (A71) previously earned an M.A. and Ph.D. from NYU in Cinema Studies and has taught at a number of colleges, including Harvard, Ithaca College, Hofstra University and University of Hawaii... and for the last 20 years at Santa Monica College. She is a filmmaker of documentaries, dramatic shorts, and PSAs. Her latest film, Love Thy Nature, was narrated by Liam Neeson She is also Associate Producer of Revolution Generation, a very exciting doc on Millennials by Josh Tickell. You can find her on IMDB and on the Santa Monica College website.
Of her time at Tufts, Laffey says, “It’s been a long time since I attended Tufts but loved my time there — ironically there were no Film or Film Studies or Media programs there at that time but kismet led me to these two careers that I’ve love. My passion has been to make films to help save threatened areas and to screen eco films”.
Jimmy Young (A79) has over 40 years in commercial media experience and has found success in front of the camera as a sportscaster for 35 years, a producer in TV, radio and digital media as well as in media sales. He is part of a three generation Tufts family. During his time at Tufts, he was part of the initial founding team of TUTV as the voice of the Jumbos in 1977-79. He was producing sports at age 20 as an "intern" at WBZ TV4, which launched his career path.
He now represents three different media companies in an exciting emerging industry. Since 2009, he has taught a sportscasters course at Curry, Dean College and teaches curriculum and workshops for "Generation Text to Talk Using TV Broadcast Skills". Learn more by visiting his website.
Andrew Glazer (A96) is now the CEO and founder of Mission Critical Productions, a full-service Brooklyn-based production company focused on developing and creating documentaries, docu-series and long-form news pieces for television, streaming and other platforms. The company follows Glazer's two decades of journalism and production for The Associated Press, The New York Times, as a senior member of the VICE News founding team, and as a producer for Dan Rather. Mission Critical is always looking to collaborate. Discover more about Andrew on his website.
Jaffar Mamood (A00) has spent the past year as producing director of the CBS comedy Young Sheldon.
Bianca Turetsky (A01) has created a new series of children’s books, Magic On the Map, co-written by Courtney Sheinmel. The book will be published in May, 2019, by Random House Kids. This is a follow-up to Turetsky’s last children’s series, The Time-Traveling Fashionista.
Mona Damluji (A03) is the Assistant Professor of Film and Media Studies at University of California, Santa Barbara since 2016. Her work focuses on Middle Eastern diasporas and she is currently working on on a project concerning the visual depiction of petroleum companies in the Middle East. Damluji is also co-curating the exhibit, Arab Comics: 90 Years of Popular Visual Culture and Multitudes: An Art Exhibit after #muslimban and she is a co-convener/co-PI of the UCSB Mellon Sawyer Seminar on Energy Justice in Global Perspectives for AY 2018-2019. More on Damluji’s work can be found here.
Julie Rapaport (A06), after working at Amazon Studios since 2015, has been recently promoted to co-head of their film division along with peers Ted Hope and Matt Newman. This team will be tasked with engaging, higher-budget, finer-tuned projects. One of these projects includes Lucy and Desi, a film detailing Lucille Ball’s tumultuous relationship with Desi Arnaz, written by Aaron Sorkin. An article on Amazon and Rapaport’s new projects can be found at here.
Jill Russo (A08) is the Communities Editor at Climate Home News in London, managing social and web strategy, video production, and outreach. The site won a Drum Online Media Award for best specialist news site this past spring.
Ian M. McClellan (A08) recently completed a masters degree at USC's School of Cinematic Arts, works as a production assistant on major film and television shows, and has just started his own production company.
Christopher Hazenbush (A09) assumed a new job as the Development Coordinator with 101st Street Entertainment, a production company focusing on broadcast and streaming services. 101st Street Entertainment is Peter Lenkov’s passion project after his successful career as a CBS writer-producer. More on this new company can be found here.
M. Willis (A09) recently collaborated with an all-female writing team (Katherine Nolfi, Noelle Stevenson, Laura Sreebny, Josie Campbell and Shane Lynch) to co-create a DreamWorks and Netflix animation series, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. The original “She-Ra” of 1985 was dominated primarily by men, so this is an exciting shift in the gender dynamics of television. The show focuses on the stories of women, crafting a story that contains more female characters than male. More can be found here.
Crystal Bui (A12) moved to New York City to work as a general assignment TV news reporter for CBS News!
Elliot Davis (A13) has recently pursued his “true passion” of journalism, writing, interviewing, and researching after a five-year job in marketing and public relations. In December, 2019, Davis will graduate from a master’s program at the University of Maryland’s Merrill College of Journalism and begin a career as a reporter.
Imogen Browder (A16) recently left CBS this past May in order to take a job as Showrunner’s Assistant to Shawn Ryan, the executive producer of the television show S.W.A.T., which centers on Los Angeles law enforcement. Browder aspires to eventually work in the writer’s room.
Cinthia Chen (A17) has recently developed her Tufts' senior thesis, Anna May Wong, The Actress Who Died a Thousand Deaths, into a live cinema theater production in New York City. This play will be staged at Mabou Mines Theater as part of their SUITE/Space artist program. The SUITE/Space artist program provides creatives with mentorship and resources necessary for their work to grow. Ben Haven Taylor, also a Tufts alum, will be assisting Chen as Director of Photography. More on the artist program and project can be found here.
Compiled by Kayleigh Ford, Tufts Student