Presenting wide-ranging media research and creative projects, TC students from the Media and Social Change Lab (MASCLab) illustrated how multimodal scholarship can unlock creative possibilities at the College’s annual Mediafest. Focused on exploring media that uplifts and nourishes, the hands-on expo featured student projects from across academic programs for an engaging evening in May.

“Mediafest creates this wonderful space where scholarship breaks free from conventional academic constraints, allowing students to explore complex ideas through creative media forms that really connect with today's digital world,” explains Ioana Literat, Associate Professor of Communication, Media & Learning Technologies Design, and co-director of the MASCLab.

“What makes this event so special is how it transforms our understanding of what academic work can be — it's not just about studying media, but using media as both method and message,” says Literat. “We're seeing students build a community where they can experiment, take risks, and develop their authentic voices as scholars and creators tackling important social issues.”

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Doctoral students Abu Abdelbagi and Shell Avenant, who illustrated “Digital Ecologies of Hope: A Natural History of Emerging Media Futures,” an activation also featuring the work of Sonia Kim, Andrea Kim, Chenxi Sun, Madison Smith, Carolina Soterio, Siyao Lyu, Inara Bezerra Ferreira De Sousa, Meier Clark, Rhea Jaffer, and others. (Photo: Carolina Soterio) 

Inspired by natural history exhibits, “Digital Ecologies of Hope” included an interactive field station where attendees contributed their own specimens and annotations. (Photo: Carolina Soterio) 

In Mediafest’s core exhibit, “Digital Ecologies of Hope: A Natural History of Emerging Media Futures” — ideated by Literat, illustrated by CMLTD doctoral students Abu Abdelbagi and Shell Avenant, and featuring the research of 14 MASCLab members— students offered socio-cultural commentary on emerging media practices through an approach inspired by naturalist field journals. For Meier Clark (M.A. ’25), the experience offered a creative lens to consider media trends that are not just entertaining, but also provide deeper benefits to viewers.

“We wanted to talk a lot about hope and sustenance at this moment,” explains Clark, who examined a social media trend among transgender youth in their field of study, and plans to continue their work in multimodal scholarship following graduation. “We wanted to consider: what is the more difficult and less glamorous work [in media] that leads to solidarity?”

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Guests learn about work from the Snow Day Learning Lab centered on project-based learning. (Photo: Carolina Soterio) 

Julio Intriago Izquierdo (M.A. ’25, Instructional Technology and Design) presents “Mapping and Revealing the Sexual City,” an examination of technology's racial and economic implications for the LGBTQ+ hook-up culture in New York City.  (Photo: Carolina Soterio) 

 

A podcast listening station  showcased stories of youth activism and resilience, featuring work from Andrea Kim, Julio Intriago Izquierdo, Zankel Fellows and community collaborators. (Photo: Carolina Soterio) 

A photography exhibit by Carolina Soterio uses colored gels to invite viewers to notice what’s often overlooked. (Photo: Carolina Soterio) 

Created by Sonia Kim and Meier Clark, “Your Future Self” invited visitors to record a short affirmation or message, which were symbolically “planted” on an wood tree in Smith Learning Theater. (Photo: Carolina Soterio) 

Emmy Semprun and Oreoluwa Badaki shared dance performances centered on collective movement and transformation. (Photo: Carolina Soterio) 

Other activations included a podcast listening station, photography exhibit, research posters, dance performances and more. For participating student Inara Bezerra (M.Ed. ’25), Mediafest’s interdisciplinary approach allows for inherently personal scholarship — offering a new way to engage more deeply with her peers.

“I love when we come together as a community and give voice to our research through multimodal language,” says Bezerra, who will continue her work in culturally inclusive, multimodal scholarship as a TC doctoral student working with Bettina Love. “Multimedia is a uniting language, and traditional methods are not enough for assessing the way we see the world in all of the different forms of expression we have.”