Qianxun Xu is a Master’s student in Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. Prior to joining USC, she received a Master’s degree in Data Science from the School of Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Xu’s research interests lie in the intersection of technology—specifically artificial intelligence, machine learning, and generative AI—and the media landscape. Leveraging interdisciplinary methodologies, Xu explores the ethical, economic, and social ramifications of employing AI technologies in various aspects of media production, exhibition, distribution, and consumption. Her current research project examines computer programming languages’ ability to facilitate the development of multi-modal video games featuring non-binary characters and non-linear narratives.

Beyond her academic life, Xu is a video game streamer, adopting a virtual character graphic design and persona. Her comrade mini-schnauzer Conan, who has proven to be an angel in disguise, has helped her withstand countless instances of cosmic malevolence.

Sophia Stolkey is an MA student in the Cinema and Media Studies division. She recently received her bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis in Film Studies from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. Sophia’s research interests lie somewhere in the many intersections between memory, haptics, biocentrism, and representations of childhood in moving image media. Past research endeavors have attempted to chart unravelings of identity in intercultural cinema through attention to kinesthetic joys and textures of memory. Outside of film and academia, Sophia was (and is) a passionate advocate for youth, with experience in outdoor education and public service. Now at USC, she enjoys the overabundance of coffee shop options and observing all the new flora and fauna in LA.

Yiou (Max) Yang is a first-year MA student in the USC CaMS program. Max Yang’s research explores how China’s queer community navigates socio-political landscapes. The term Ku’er, a phonetic adaptation of “queer,” captures an evolving yet contested space for queer identities in China. Max’s work examines how “queerness” functions both as a critical lens and a site of resistance, challenging entrenched hetero-patriarchal ‘normativity’ within restrictive cultural frameworks. Max holds a BFA in Photography from ArtCenter College of Design and an MS in Arts Administration from USC. Max’s academic and professional experiences reflect a commitment to bridging gaps in queer studies, particularly regarding the younger generation’s evolving expressions and experiences in China. While some scholars have explored queerness within Chinese socio-political contexts, Max’s work aims to spotlight the emerging influence of queer cultural movements like Voguing Shanghai. These cultural expressions serve as acts of resistance within a censored and conservative environment, questioning the dominant cultural narrative upheld by existing power structures. With a focus on transnational and intersectional perspectives, Max’s work also seeks to document and preserve the lived experiences and evolving identities of China’s queer communities, to present expressions of diverse identities without resorting to stereotypical or clichéd portrayals.

Camden Rider is a first-year MA. They graduated from Yale in 2023 with a degree in English. Their research interests are broad, but primarily focus on film festivals, queer theory, and intimacy on-screen. Outside of the academic world, you can find Camden thinking of a podcast he’ll never make, at a dance class, or rewatching old episodes of Wipeout. Camden looks forward to working with amazing scholars at USC.

Maryam Sindi is a second-year M.A. student in Cinema and Media Studies at USC. A Saudi-American filmmaker and producer, her work explores cross-cultural collaboration and storytelling between Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, and the United States. She has produced short films and supported independent productions in a range of roles, from on-set crew to post-production. Her research and creative interests center on transnational cinema, media industries, and representations of identity in contemporary Arab and diasporic film.

Laura Gardner Longo is an Emmy nominated producer and manager with over fifteen years of experience in the industry. After starting her career at CAA, Laura worked for Oscar winner Steve Zaillian’s production company Film Rites. While there, she oversaw the company’s dynamic film and television slate and worked on many exciting projects including Emmy award winning HBO miniseries The Night Of. After leaving Film Rites, Laura took a position as a producer, manager, and partner at The Mission Entertainment. While there, Laura oversaw the production slate and helped guide her talented clients towards major Hollywood successes including film and television projects at Searchlight Pictures, Disney +, Netflix, HBO, AMC, and Showtime. Laura produced HBO documentary Being Mary Tyler Moore, an excavation of the life and career of one of Hollywood’s most influential women. The film premiered at SXSW and was nominated for an Emmy, Critics Choice Award, and a PGA award. Laura is a graduate of UCLA’s Theater Film and Television program and is currently getting her MA in Cinema and Media Arts at USC.

Jessica Lindall is a second-year M.A. student whose research focuses on Asian American media and representation. She earned her B.A. in Communication Arts (Radio, TV, Film) from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she completed a senior honors thesis on Asian American romantic comedies. Her project traced the history of representation in the genre and examined how contemporary works challenge and redefine the value of Asian American love. Currently, her research interests include exploring Asian American media through the lenses of identity politics, gender, sexuality, and audience studies. Most recently, Jessica interned at Screen Engine/ASI as a Film Analyst, contributing to theatrical audience research. Outside of her studies, she enjoys baking, thrifting, and discovering new music.

Currently doing research on the livestreaming industry in China and beyond, with particular attention to VTubing. Especially interested in policymaking and the power dynamics among governments, platforms, intermediaries (particularly livestreaming guilds), and streamers, and how these dynamics shape platform economies and labor conditions in the livestreaming industry.

Maya is a first year Master’s student in the division of Cinema and Media Studies at University of Southern California. Originally from Pasadena, California, she received her Bachelor’s in Film and Media Studies from Amherst College in 2022. Her research interests lie in the intersection of fan studies, internet culture, and queer cinema. She is currently exploring the role interactive media plays in identity formation through an analysis of contemporary fandom culture. She is also interested in depictions of adolescence and explorations of gender and sexuality in film and television.

Marisa Kennedy is a graduate student in Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Southern California. Prior to joining USC, Marisa received an MA in Social Justice & Community Organizing from Prescott College. Their past research explored the mechanisms behind media’s delegitimization of Black women and femme activists fighting for social justice, and she continues to deepen her investigations of media as a culturally producing institution. Marisa is interested in Black people’s changing desires regarding visibility and is currently researching how these political investments in representation show up in scripted television. She is also interested in cultural legacies of and Black resistance to surveillance which dovetails with her visibility research. In addition to her academic pursuits, Marisa has a background in acting (Broadway and TV) and works as a writer and consultant for the television industry. More about that work can be found on their website www.marisakennedy.com

Lissa Heineman is from Queens, NY and completed her BA in Film Studies and English at Muhlenberg College. Her background is in administration, academic publishing, and writing. In undergrad, Lissa focused on screenwriting and transnational remix and transmedia studies through a variety of pop culture and cult properties. Currently she is fascinated by depictions and suspensions of reality, particularly in animation and streaming media. Her work encompasses Marxist theory, industry studies, affect, fan studies, participatory culture, and spectatorship — research that is informed by her background as a fangirl and drama student. In her spare time, Lissa plays Dungeons and Dragons, pets every animal that won’t put her in a hearse, watches video essays, going on adventures in the wrong shoes, and continues to dabble in writing and yoga.

Miao Hao is an M.A. student in the Division of Cinema and Media Studies at USC. She graduated from the School of Visual Arts with a BFA in Film Directing. Her work bridges research and creative practice, with broad interests in experimental cinema, gender politics, and documentary filmmaking about memory and belonging. She is currently developing a documentary that explores the transformation and disappearance of Chinese-language movie theaters in Los Angeles.

Adia Weaver is a first-year CAMS MA. She is a graduate of Princeton University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociocultural Anthropology and a certificate in Visual Arts. While at Princeton, she was awarded the Alex Adam ‘07 Award, Princeton Mellon Initiative for Summer Digital Research Grant and the Bogle Fellowship for Civic Service. Prior to joining USC’s CAMS department, she was an Apprentice at Disney General Entertainment, where she completed rotations with network executives at National Geographic Unscripted Production and Development, ABC Entertainment Casting, and 20th Century Fox Television Music. Her global research experiences and residencies at institutions such as Oxford University, Kyoto University, the British Academy of Dramatic Arts, and the Accademia dell’Arte have shaped her research interests, which include the body, technology, and performance, digital identity, and hybrid and non-linear storytelling.

James DeLisio is an MA student in the Cinema & Media Studies division at the University of Southern California. He was born and raised in Monrovia, California, and received his B.S. in Cognitive Science from the University of California, San Diego in 2025. His research interests pertain to the intersections of documentary studies, and environmental media. In particular, he is passionate about interrogating alternative representations of landscape, animal life, and nuclear energy in film & media. He also keeps up a personal filmmaking practice which explores the histories and ecologies of Southern California, his latest work being an experimental observation of the California Spiny Lobster. Outside of school, he enjoys working in live sports broadcast production, cooking, and birdwatching.

Pau Brunet Fuertes is a film analyst and scholar who has worked in the field since 2006, when they launched Boxoffice.es. Over the years, they have contributed to various media outlets and have produced films recognized at SXSW, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the San Sebastian Film Festival, such as “10,000 Km” (2014), “Anchor & Hope” (2016), and “The Chambermaid” (2019) as well as short films, “Farrucas” (2021) and documentaries, “Hermanas” (2022). Thanks to their extensive knowledge and experience in distribution and sales, Pau advises several Hispanic production companies and is part of the Spanish National Film Board Committee. In 2025, after graduating with an Obama Foundation scholarship, Pau began postgraduate studies in Film and Industry Studies at USC. Their research focuses on emerging market models, media policies, and the impact of public funding on the film industries in Europe and LATAM. Pau is also a member of the Spanish Film Academy and has been nominated for their awards. In 2025, they received the Sant Jordi Award from Spain’s National Corporation of Radio and Television for their contribution to the Spanish film industry through their work depicting the film and media industry.

Donny Assefa is a first-year Master’s student in the Division of Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Southern California. He recently earned his bachelor’s degree in Cinema and Media Studies and Public Relations from USC. Donny’s research interests include international cinema, race/nationalism studies, transnational feminism, and Black diasporic studies. Donny is interested in examining the consolidation after 9/11 in tandem with the racialized, sexual, and gendered securitization logic of the War on Terror and US nationalism. During his previous e-board position in the USC East African Student Association, Donny organized screenings and discussions of Ethiopian media as a means to explore history and culture through diasporic dialogue. Outside of academia, he enjoys designing graphics, photography, and R&B music.