Julia Mertes – Editor-in-chief

Julia Mertes is a sophomore double majoring in English and journalism. At an early age, she developed a passion for reading and writing that has carried into her college career. She is honored to serve as KLIO’s editor-in-chief and co-blog editor during the spring 2022 semester. Beyond her involvement with KLIO, Julia writes in-depth features and investigative articles for Penn State’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Collegian. She’s also an avid Relay For Life volunteer and actively advocates for blood donations. Julia dreams of writing and publishing her own novel one day to help others navigate life and the world around them.

Carmella Cocuzza – Managing Editor

Carmela Cocuzza is a senior at Penn State majoring in advertising and public relations while also pursuing a minor in entrepreneurship. She is a manager for KLIO and helps a lot in the art genre. She is an artist herself, with a passion for fiction books and listening to music. KLIO is an incredible platform to share work and express all different types of creativity, and she is happy to be a part of it.

Dana Lynch – Webmaster

Dana Lynch is a Computer Science and English double major at the Pennsylvania State University. She is currently the KLIO webmaster, president of the Google Developer Student Club on campus, and an avid writer. She hopes to someday escape the desk job lifestyle and write fiction for a living. For now, she can be found buried underneath coding projects and writing submissions at a State College local coffee shop near you.

Kate Irwin – Fiction Editor

Kate is a junior at Penn State majoring in public relations and minoring in English, history and digital media trends & analytics. She is serving as the fiction coordinator and blog editor at KLIO this semester. She also works as an account executive for Happy Valley Communications, serves as the director of programming for the Public Relations Student Society of America, writes for the Daily Collegian, and tutors students in writing. Kate enjoys exercising, reading, having spontaneous dance parties and is almost always listening to music.

Lauren Shovlin – Nonfiction Editor

Lauren Shovlin is a junior majoring in English and minoring in history. She is the nonfiction editor for KLIO, and she loves to read, write, play sports, drink coffee, and talk with friends! She loves writing nonfiction, particularly about her family and her Irish culture and enjoys reading others’ writings about their own lives. She is so excited to serve as the nonfiction editor for this semester and look forward to reading students’ personal stories!

Marissa Cruz – Sci-Fi Fantasy Co-Editor/University Park Outreach

Marissa Cruz is a junior majoring in English and Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies, with a minor in Jewish Studies. An avid reader and aspiring novelist, Marissa is the co-coordinator of KLIO’s new Sci-Fi/Fantasy initiative and the University Park liaison. Originally from State College, she also works as a Veterinary Technician at a local animal hospital. After graduating she hopes to move onto grad school and obtain a MFA in Creative Writing.

Olivia Moukas – Sci-Fi Fantasy Co-Editor/Commonwealth Campus Outreach

Olivia Moukas is a junior studying digital and print journalism with a minor in English. Olivia, or Liv as she likes to be called, has always had a passion for reading. Since she could remember she had a book in her hands, and It wasn’t until recently she dipped her toes into writing. In her free time, she likes to read (obviously), bake, and box. Once she graduates college, Liv intends on traveling before eventually settling down to work at a publishing firm as a book editor or maybe even as a writer for Vogue— you never know where life may take you!

Brittany Fisher – Poetry Editor

Brittany Fisher is a sophomore studying supply chain and management, French, and sociology at Penn State’s University Park campus. In addition to being the poetry coordinator for KLIO 2022, Brittany is also a veteran facilitator at Penn State’s own World In Conversation where she supports intensive dialogues regarding social issues across our local and international community. Brittany runs her own poetry account on Instagram where she writes and illustrates her own work. Her biggest inspiration is Shel Silverstein, and she hopes to one day publish a similar book of her works that can inspire others too.

Charani Gauravaram – Art Editor

Charani is a freshman majoring in advertising and public relations. She is from Mumbai, India and is KLIO’s art director. She has always had a love for art, and over quarantine, she started to pursue the world of digital art. Charani is a marketing and communications intern at Invent Penn State and a member of Valley Magazine’s PR team.

Maggie Dickinson – Music Editor/Kalliope Liaison

Maggie Dickinson-Sherry is a third-year student studying English with a minor in women’s and gender studies. Besides her positions at KLIO, she works as arts coordinator for Kalliope, KLIO’s sister magazine. She is also a member of Trilogy, a THON organization here at Penn State. In her free time, Maggie enjoys hiking, curating playlists, writing, and collecting used books. After she graduates, she sees herself perhaps pursuing an MFA,  and then subsequently retiring to go write stories on a typewriter in a small log cabin somewhere in Wyoming.

Byan Althowaini – Film Editor

John Strauss – Movie Reviewer/Ambassador

John Strauss is majoring in electrical engineering. He is a sophomore. His interests include movies from the 80s and (previously) hiking. He also likes to go camping in places like the national parks.

Bernarda Castillo-Matute – PR/Marketing Coordinator

Bernarda Castillo-Matute, or Berny, is sophomore criminology major and English minor.  Bernarda got a taste of working with PR and Social Media when she interned with Top Pop Soda. While she plans to attend law school after graduating from Penn State, Berny dreams of writing a biography about Peter Schub. Her favorite genre is anything to do with crime or horror. However, she occasionally enjoys some romance (as long as it isn’t too cheesy). Currently Sunday is her favorite day of the week — simply because she gets to relax with her friends and watch “Attack On Titan” and “Euphoria.”

Louie Mitchell – Social Media Co-Coordinator

Residing from Harrisburg Pennsylvania, Louie didn’t move too far to attend Penn State. Originally intending to become a nuclear physicist, Louie quickly changed his mind and began to pursue a path in English. His dream job is to be a graphic novelist who creates their own Shonen manga. In his free time, he enjoys getting out to play volleyball, reading a girthy web novel, and illustrating.

Alyssa Williamson – Social Media Co-Coordinator

Alison Jaenicke – Faculty Advisor 

Alison Condie Jaenicke is faculty advisor for Kalliope, Penn State’s print undergraduate literary magazine, and teaches ENGL 209, Literary Journal Practicum, the class that creates a new edition of KLIO once a year (currently spring semester) at Penn State University Park. Alison is an Assistant Teaching Professor and the Assistant Director of the Creative Writing Program in the English Department. Alison has published stories, essays, and poems in various literary magazines. To learn more, visit: https://alisoncjaenicke.weebly.com/.