Author: Allison Dodson

Emma Miller

EMMA MILLER

Advance Team Member

Emma Miller is a current Events Team Intern for the Office of Admission at George Mason University. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and intends to earn her DNP in the nursing practice. Outside of her academics you’ll find her taking her dog on walks, doing pilates, or playing pickleball with friends.

EMMA MILLER

Advance Team Member

Nathan Crawford

NATHAN CRAWFORD

Executive Producer, 12 on Your Side, Alum 2015

Nathan Crawford is an Executive Producer at 12 On Your Side in Richmond, where he leads a team of producers and helps make newsroom editorial decisions. A WJMC alum and two-time staff member, Nathan is back at the Washington Journalism and Media Conference to share what he’s learned about building a career in journalism — and making smart, clear editorial calls under deadline. Before joining WWBT-TV, he worked at WAVY-TV 10 in Hampton Roads and interned at CNN, building experience across fast-paced newsrooms. He’s been recognized with an EMMY, a Virginia Association of Broadcasters (VAB) Award, and was named to the VAB Best of the Best Leadership cohort. Nathan also serves on the board of the Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters and stays active with George Mason University’s Department of Communication Insight Committee. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication with a concentration in Journalism from George Mason University and a master’s degree in Journalism and Media Studies from the University of Alabama.

NATHANIEL CRAWFORD

Executive Producer, 12 On Your Side, Alum 2015

Allison Orellana-Deras

ALLISON ORELLANA-DERAS

Advance Team

Allison Orellana-Deras is a member of the Advance Team for the WYSE and WJMC summer programs. She is currently an undergraduate student at Virginia Tech pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture. She is on the executive board for Latin Link, a Latin Organization at VT and also a member of Pi Beta Phi. Outside of her studies and work, Allison enjoys practicing yoga, blasting music in her car, and thrifting.

ALLISON ORELLANA-DERAS

Advance Team

Allie Medina

ALLIE MEDINA

Junior Faculty Advisor

Allie Medina is a Communications major with a concentration in Digital Media and a minor in Professional Writing at Longwood University. She is the founder and president of Longwood’s Her Campus Magazine chapter, where she leads content strategy, editorial direction, and a team of student writers. Allie’s interests include journalism focused on women’s issues, media ethics, and cultural and political storytelling through an intersectional lens. As a Washington Journalism and Media Conference alum, she is excited to return as a Junior Faculty Advisor and support students in developing their voices and confidence as communicators.

DAVID CAINE

Junior Faculty Advisor

John Boal

JOHN BOAL

Photographer and Videographer

John Boal is an independent photographer based in Virginia, between the capital cities of Richmond and Washington, D.C., specializing in portraits and creating unique storytelling images and videos that cut through the crowded media landscape. His work has been honored by The White House News Photographers Association, The National Press Photographers Association, and The Virginia Press Association. John Boal is a past president of the DC Chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMPDC) and also holds an active membership in the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA). Serving editorial, commercial, advertising, corporate and education clients.

JOHN BOAL

Photographer and Videographer

Kelly Cardew

KELLY CARDEW

Associate Director, Office of Admissions

Kelly A. Cardew is the Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions at George Mason University. Kelly received her B.A. in English from Newberry College in 2017, worked in the admissions office at Newberry upon graduation and began working at Mason In the summer of 2018. During her time at Mason, Kelly has recruited and worked with prospective students in various states, served as the liaison to the Mason Athletics program, and overseen application review processes. Currently, Kelly leads relationship management initiatives, supervises admissions staff, and contributes to the development of the Direct Admission program across Virginia.

KELLY CARDEW

Associate Director, Office of Admissions

Addison Everett

ADDISON EVERETT

Junior Faculty Advisor

Addison (Addi) Everett is a rising sophomore at Virginia Tech double majoring in Cinema and Multimedia Journalism with a minor in Popular Culture. She works as a Multimedia Intern for University Libraries and is a member of Omega Phi Alpha National Service Sorority. Originally from Fredericksburg, Virginia, she found a deep passion for media production and journalism in her high school TV/Media class. She attended WJMC in 2024 and is thrilled to be returning as a JFA!

ADDISON EVERETT

Junior Faculty Advisor

Sue Muraida

SUE MURAIDA

Assistant Director

Sue Muraida is a best-selling author with over 30 years of experience as a medical photographer, photojournalist, leadership trainer, writer, and teacher. She is the author of The Silent Sound of Darkness and her memoir Going Back For Me, and co-author of the anthology Deserts to Mountaintops: Our Collective Journey to (Re)Claiming Our Voice. She currently serves as Program Director for The Study, a humanities nonprofit bringing people together to have conversations that matter.

SUE MURAIDA

Assistant Director

Melissa Moore, MBA

MELISSA MOORE, MBA

Director of Logistics

Melissa is the Associate Director of Events for the Office of Admissions at George Mason University and the Director of Logistics for the Washington Scholars Program. Melissa attended WSP’s Washington Journalism and Media Conference as a high school student and worked as a staff member for the programs throughout her undergraduate tenure. She received a B.A. in Communication and MBA from Mason. She has worked in events for the Washington Capitals (and has a ring to prove it!) and a tech startup before returning to her alma mater. Melissa is dedicated to fostering meaningful experiences through impactful events!

MELISSA MOORE

Director of Logistics

Katie Russell

KATIE RUSSELL

Communication Specialist, Center for Climate Change Communication, George Mason University

Katie is the communication specialist at the George Mason Center for Climate Change Communication working primarily on website design and media outreach. She is an alumni of George Mason University with a B.S. in conservation biology and a focus on communicating science to inspire meaningful change. Katie is also an alumni of the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, VA where she worked with exotic endangered ungulates. She has conducted wet bulb temperature research to be used as a proxy to assess climate change hyperthermia risk in the Virgin Islands, as well as assisted on several ecological research surveys. Katie’s communication work has been featured by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and competed in national storytelling competitions. Hailing from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, she hopes to one day leverage her skills to protect the unique environments and improve quality of life in small island communities.