Madi Hannan, known sometimes by her nickname “Madicat,” is a Louisiana artist, illustrator, and full-time science teacher at Mount Carmel Academy in New Orleans. By day, she teaches biology and anatomy; by night (and weekends), she’s covered in paint, bringing her whimsical creations to life.
Mia Araujo is an Argentine-American artist and writer, born and raised in Los Angeles. She creates escapist fantasy worlds, focusing on the magical connection between humans and nature. She is currently writing and illustrating her passion project, an illustrated novel inspired by Alice in Wonderland, which she began in 2012. She also co-hosts and produces Painted in Color, a BIPOC art podcast on Youtube.
Karl Rove served as Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush from 2000–2007 and Deputy Chief of Staff from 2004–2007. At the White House, he oversaw the Offices of Strategic Initiatives, Political Affairs, Public Liaison, and Intergovernmental Affairs and was Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, coordinating the White House policy-makingprocess.
David Axelrod is a preeminent American political strategist and commentator and the former chief strategist and senior advisor to President Barack Obama. Axelrod was the founding director of the University of Chicago's non-partisan Institute of Politics. He currently serves as a Distinguished Fellow at the University of Chicago, Professor of Practice at Arizona State University, and as a senior political commentator for CNN. He is the host of The Axe Files, a top-rated podcast featuring in depth conversations with public figures across the political spectrum.
James Bennet is the Lexington columnist for The Economist. He was previously the editor of The Atlantic and the editorial page editor of The New York Times.
Kara Tucina Olidge is a scholar, arts and educational administrator and the executive director of the Amistad Research Center at Tulane University.
Chandra McCormick and Keith Calhoun will be in conversation with Dr. Kara Oldige about the making of their newest catalogue and the intersecting interests, challenges, and intricacies of capturing the experience of 20 years post Hurricane Katrina. Chandra McCormick and Keith Calhoun will discuss their newly released catalogue for the exhibition Memoirs of the Lower Ninth Ward and share best practices for artist driven publications.
Bob Thomas is a professor, holds the Loyola Endowed Chair in Environmental Communication, and serves as interim Director of the School of Communication & Design at Loyola University New Orleans. He also teaches in the Department of Biological Sciences and The Environment Program. His research specialties are in tropical ecology, herpetology, and environmental communication. He has been seriously engaged in coastal and natural history education and related endeavors in Louisiana dating back to the late 1950s.
Tracy K. Smith is a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, memoirist, editor, translator and librettist. She served as the 22nd Poet Laureate of the United States from 2017-19, during which time she spearheaded American Conversations: Celebrating Poetry in Rural Communities with the Library of Congress, created the American Public Media podcast The Slowdown, and edited the anthology American Journal: Fifty Poems for Our Time.
Arthel Neville is a distinguished journalist and accomplished television host with a career spanning over four decades. She is known for her warmth, intelligence, and engaging on-screen presence. A passionate advocate for responsible journalism with a commitment to truth and transparency in reporting, has made Arthel a respected colleague in the world of journalism. The theme of trailblazing has followed Arthel repeatedly in her unmatched career.
Lucy Bustamante is a New Orleans-born journalist who has built a successful career in broadcast news. Her passion for journalism began at Cabrini High School when she was selected to participate in Our Generation, a teen television program on WWL-TV. She later interned at WWL-TV and worked as a production assistant at WVUE before launching her reporting career in Biloxi.
