Faculty Who Inspire
As our students innovate, investigate, and inspire, our exceptional faculty are there to help them find their voice and hone their craft. Powered by an adaptive learning infrastructure and a globally conscious curriculum that emphasizes experiential learning, our faculty are the top educators, practitioners, and thought leaders who will ensure our students flourish. We continually seek to recruit and empower the best and brightest in their fields to shape our students’ success.
Jabari Asim, Professor, Writing, Literature and Publishing, and Graduate Program Director of Creative Writing MFA
Jabari Asim has written 17 books, including fiction, nonfiction, and children’s literature. Formerly an editor at the Washington Post and editor-in-chief of the NAACP’s The Crisis, he is also the first Elma Lewis Distinguished Fellow in the Social Justice Center and organizes Emerson’s annual Teach-In on Race, a daylong conference that brings together academics, activists, and students from within and outside the College. He is a 2009 Guggenheim fellowship recipient, appeared on The Colbert Report, and was appointed to the Boston Public Library Board of Trustees’ unofficial writer’s seat.
Joanne Lasker, Associate Professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders
Joanne Lasker’s teaching and research focus on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), specifically for adults living with acquired neurogenic disorders. In collaboration with Dr. Kathryn L. Garrett, Dr. Lasker created an online assessment tool called the Multimodal Communication Screening Test for People with Aphasia (MCST-A), designed for people with aphasia who may be suitable for AAC intervention.
The generosity of others makes the difference between a good and great institution. In my 18 years at Emerson, I have seen how gifts have raised the prestige of the College and have directly enhanced our learning community. Our alumni have given toward scholarships that have allowed the College to attract students with spectacular potential, regardless of need. The diversity of backgrounds and experiences has improved dramatically, and we are becoming a campus that reflects the future of our country. I am grateful to the many friends of the College who have helped provide the classrooms, teaching tools, and equipment that remove barriers to learning. I have seen how special speaker series have brought fresh perspectives and have inspired conversations on campus that have led to new courses and programs. Giving to Emerson demonstrates that you believe that the College’s best years are ahead.”
PAUL NIWA Associate Professor, Journalism, and Board member of the US-Japan Council, Pacific Citizen newspaper, and the AAJA New England Chapter
Cristina Kotz Cornejo, Professor, Visual and Media Arts, and Department Chair
Cristina Kotz Cornejo is an award-winning independent filmmaker whose feature film debut, 3 Américas, has screened worldwide, as have her many other works including short films Despertar, Hermanas, and Spotlight Award–winning Buena Fé. Her documentary short, Jewel and the Catch, about African American LGBTQ activist Jewel Thais-Williams, was selected to be part of the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project. Among many honors, Kotz Cornejo is a 2012 MacDowell Colony Fellow and a 2014 Cine Qua Non Lab Screenwriter Fellow.
Brad Lemack, Senior Affiliated Faculty, Emerson Los Angeles
Brad Lemack is an award-winning, Los Angeles–based talent manager and entertainment publicist, educator, author, content creator, business consultant, and coach. He has been a professor of performing arts, public relations, and communications at the Emerson College Los Angeles campus since 1995, creating numerous popular courses, including The Business of Acting, The Business of the Business, Improv Comedy UCB, and Entertainment PR.