With more than 70 departments and programs, the College of Arts and Sciences can feel like a pretty big place.
But make no mistake: Our graduates have a lot in common. They're students of creative thinking — of breaking outside the straight and narrow. They're entrepreneurs. Innovators. Game changers. And we're pretty proud of them.
The College of Arts and Sciences is honored to present our second-annual list of amazing young alumni.
Playwright
Nathan Alan Davis’ (M.F.A ’14, Theatre) plays include Nat Turner in Jerusalem, which premiered at the New York Theatre Workshop and was a New York Magazine Critic’s Pick, and Dontrell Who Kissed the Sea, which received a National New Play Network rolling world premiere, a Steinberg New Play Citation, and was a Los Angeles Times Critic’s Choice. His most recent play, The Wind and the Breeze, premiered at the Cygnet Theatre and received the Blue Ink Award and the Lorraine Hansberry Award. The recipient of a 2018 Whiting Award in drama, Davis is a lecturer in theater at Princeton University.
Read more about Davis
President and CEO
Elyssa Campodonico-Barr (B.A. ’09, Political Science/Philosophy, Spanish) is the president and CEO of Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis, a nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Girls Inc. serves over 4,300 girls in the Indianapolis area each year, ensuring girls have the tools to be healthy, educated, and independent. Prior to her CEO role, Campodonico-Barr was the chief of staff for the Indiana BMV, responsible for the development and execution of the agency’s three-year strategic plan, major projects, and policy initiatives. Campodonico-Barr also holds a J.D. and an M.P.A. from IU, and appeared on the Indianapolis Business Journal’s 2019 “Forty Under 40” list.
Read more about Girls Inc.
Designer, woodworker, and photographer
Audim Culver (M.F.A. ’12, Photography) is the co-owner of Siosi Design and Build, a Bloomington-based studio that designs and builds fine furniture from sustainably sourced domestic lumber. Inspired by Danish design, Culver and her partner craft custom furniture and highly detailed wood slab pieces. She is committed to combining work and life, collaboration, creating heirloom quality pieces, and documenting everything. She and her partner, Ivy, have recently taught a woodworking course at Haystack Mountain School of craft and written an article for Fine Woodworking Magazine, and their work can be seen in homes and businesses from east to west coast.
Watch a short film about Siosi Design
Political correspondent
Asma Khalid (B.A. ’06, Journalism, Political Science) is a political correspondent for National Public Radio, where she co-hosts the NPR Politics Podcast and reports on politics, demographics, and economics. She’s reported on a range of stories over the years, including the 2016 presidential campaign, the Boston Marathon bombings, and the trial of James “Whitey” Bulger. Khalid got her start in journalism in her home state of Indiana while working on the Indiana Daily Student. She always thought she would work in newspapers, but she stumbled into radio through an internship at the BBC in London during graduate school.
Read more about Khalid
Journalist
Larry Buchanan (B.A. ’11, Journalism) is a journalist at The New York Times. He’s skiied with Mikaela Shiffrin (he fell), been on a balance beam with Simone Biles (he almost fell), diagrammed Donald Trump’s conflicts of interest, and flown a drone over the Panama Canal. As a part of the graphics desk at the Times, Buchanan has published more than 100 pieces of journalism in many different forms. He also serves as an adjunct at the School of Visual Arts, where he teaches a course on information graphics. He lives with his wife, Erin, also an IU graduate, in Brooklyn.
See samples of Buchanan's work
Executive vice president, production
Dave Neustadter (B.A. ’01, Theatre) is executive vice president of production at New Line Cinema. Most recently, he executive produced The Nun, as well as the other four titles in The Conjuring universe. Other recent releases include We’re the Millers, Tag, Game Night, The Disaster Artist, and the global phenomenon It. Neustadter is currently working on the follow-up It: Chapter Two and the DC superhero action adventure film Shazam! He began his career at New Line as an intern in 2003. He was also the employee of the month at Scotty’s Brewhouse in Bloomington in April 2002.
Marketer
Daniel Mundell (B.A. ’10, International Studies, Spanish) is a marketer at YouTube, Google’s video streaming product with 1.5 billion monthly users. He drives media strategy to scale adoption of YouTube's suite of apps and services, and develops campaigns that celebrate the brand's values — the freedoms of expression, information and opportunity, and the freedom to belong. Through programs like YouTube Creators for Change, Mundell heroes the inspiring voices of content creators addressing hate speech, xenophobia, and intolerance around the world. His earlier work at Google included media partnerships with apparel heavyweights Nike, Jordan Brand, Converse, and Under Armour.
Learn more about Creators for Change
Illustrator
Cristina Vanko (B.F.A./B.A. '11, Graphic Design, Spanish) is an author, freelance art director, and illustrator. Her books Adult-ish (2017) and Hand-Lettering for Everyone (2015) were published by Penguin Random House, and her professional advertising work includes national campaigns for Babybel Cheese, Butterball, and Kmart. In addition to advertising, Vanko’s freelance illustration clients include Nike, Instagram, and McDonald’s. Her work has been featured in The Huffington Post, Fast Company, The Atlantic, and The Chicago Tribune. She was nominated for “Tumblr of the Year” at The Shorty Awards and has received awards for her lettering in Communication Arts Advertising and Typography Annuals.
Visit Vanko's website
NBA producer
DeAntae Prince (B.A. ’10, Journalism) is an NBA producer for SportsIllustrated.com’s The Crossover, where he schedules, assigns, writes, and edits news stories. Armed with a wealth of knowledge from his time at the School of Journalism, Prince forged lifelong friendships and connections at the Indiana Daily Student that helped blaze his path to career success. Prior to joining SI.com, he made a stop at Sporting News and interned at the South Florida Sun Sentinel, The Los Angeles Times, The Indianapolis Star, and others. Prince currently lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Read an article about Prince
Director of brand content and partnerships
Stephanie Walters Kim (B.A. ’08, Studio Art, Art History) joined the production team at The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2012 and was brought on to the brand content and partnerships team in 2014. Currently, she serves as director of brand content and partnerships, leading on-air partnership development and working with clients such as General Mills, Visa, and General Motors. Her most notable project was building a partnership with Cheerios, which secured the opportunity for Ellen DeGeneres to surprise her in-studio audience with $1 million, the show’s biggest giveaway ever. Walters Kim resides in Santa Clarita, Calif., with her husband, Ryan.
Read more about Walters Kim
Congressman
Indiana Congressman Jim Banks (B.A. ’04, Political Science) has served his state and country in a variety of roles. After earning his undergraduate degree from IU and an M.B.A. from Grace College, he served in the Indiana State Senate from 2010 to 2016. Banks took a leave of absence in 2014 and 2015 to deploy to Afghanistan as a U.S. Navy Reserve supply corps officer. In January 2017, he began representing Indiana’s third district in the U.S. House of Representatives. Banks serves on the House Armed Services, Veterans Affairs, and Education and the Workforce Committees.
Venture partner
Brian Schwartz (B.A. ’06, Political Science, Economics, LAMP) is a partner and co-founder of Size, an early stage consumer venture capital fund that invests in disruptive food, beverage, retail, and e-commerce companies. Schwartz is also the co-founder of sister company Sizemic, a consultancy that accelerates scale in growth-stage brands with seasoned executive resources working in unison. Schwartz sits on three boards, is an advisor to nine companies, and holds a master’s degree in finance from the London School of Economics.
Chemist
Renã A.S. Robinson (Ph.D. '07, Chemistry) serves as an associate professor of chemistry and the Dorothy J. Wingfield Phillips Chancellor’s Faculty Fellow at Vanderbilt University. She has a nationally and internationally recognized research program focused on proteomics, aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and health disparities. Chemical and Engineering News awarded her with the 2016 Talented Twelve Award, distinguishing her as one of the world’s brightest young minds in the field of chemistry. In addition to her Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from IU (advisor: David E. Clemmer), she holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Louisville.
Read an article about Robinson
Facial plastic surgeon
Kian Karimi (B.A. ’01, Spanish, Chemistry and Biochemistry) is a double-board certified facial plastic surgeon and head and neck surgeon. He received his medical degree from the IU School of Medicine and graduated at the top of his class, earning him membership into the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. In addition to maintaining his practice, Karimi is the team plastic surgeon for the Los Angeles Kings Hockey organization. A nationally recognized educator, he’s been featured on shows such as EXTRA! and is a recurring guest on CBS’ The Doctors for his cutting-edge, minimally invasive aesthetic techniques and reconstructive surgeries.
Read more about Karimi
Senior counsel, U.S. Department of Justice
Christen Gallagher (B.A. ’10 International Studies, LAMP) is an attorney at the United States Department of Justice. She joined the Department’s Office of International Affairs as an honors program hire following a clerkship at the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. As senior counsel to the assistant attorney general of the Criminal Division, Gallagher works on international law enforcement policy matters. She holds a J.D. from The George Washington University Law School. Passionate about community service, she also serves as the president of the D.C. IUAA Chapter and volunteers at the D.C. Bar’s Pro Bono Advice and Referral Clinic.
Read more about Gallagher
Diversity scientist
Evelyn Carter (Ph.D. ’15, Psychology) is a social psychologist who is passionate about using social science to inform how we detect, discuss, and confront racism. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and funded by the National Science Foundation; she’s published commentaries in popular press outlets; and she’s a highly sought-after speaker. Prioritizing an evidence-based approach to her work, Carter leverages her background in higher education and independent consulting in her role as senior consultant at Paradigm. Having benefited from strong mentorship herself, she’s deeply committed to mentoring others and increasing the representation of Black social psychologists.
Visit Carter's website
Marine biologist
Joshua Stewart (B.A. ’10, Individualized Major Program) recently completed his Ph.D. at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and is an associate director of The Manta Trust. After completing his degree in marine biology at IU, Stewart was awarded a Rolex Scholarship and began studying oceanic manta rays. His research has helped reveal the ecology and migratory behavior of these poorly studied and highly threatened ocean giants, contributing to improved protection of manta rays and their close relatives through international, national, and local legislation and conservation action. Stewart lives in La Jolla, Calif., with his wife Madeline, who’s also an IU alumna.
Read more about Stewart
Doctor of audiology
Natasha Trozzolo (B.A. ’11, Speech and Hearing Sciences) is a board certified doctor of audiology and is a current active duty Air Force officer. She earned her doctor of audiology (Au.D.) from the University of Louisville in 2015. Immediately after graduating with her Au.D., she commissioned as a captain into the United States Air Force. At her first assignment, the United States Air Force Academy, Trozzolo was the sole audiologist for 171,000 beneficiaries across five military installations. She is currently stationed overseas and lives with her husband, whom she met at IU, and their two dogs.
Read an interview with Trozzolo
Public health ethics scholar
Summer McGee (B.A. ’03, Philosophy, Individualized Major Program) is an internationally recognized public health ethics scholar and award-winning professor. At the University of New Haven, she’s the founding dean of the School of Health Sciences, an academic unit of over 450 students and 55 faculty members. McGee received the 2014 American College of Healthcare Executives Distinguished Faculty Regents Award and in 2015 was named one of the top 50 healthcare management professors in the U.S. The author of more than 25 articles and book chapters, she completed her Ph.D. at The Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Co-founder and CEO
Ilya Rekhter (B.A. ’10, Economics, Political Science) is the co-founder and CEO of DoubleMap, an Indianapolis-based company that provides GPS bus tracking to transit systems across the world. With clients that include the University of Michigan, Indiana University, Orlando’s Lynx system, and downtown Dallas’ DART system, DoubleMap serves hundreds of thousands of riders every day. Since its founding in 2009, Rekhter has helped grow DoubleMap into one of the 100-fastest growing companies in America. He’s been featured in the Indianapolis Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” and received the 2015 Tech Rising Star Award from Indianapolis’ Mira Awards.
