Duke Arts Studio offers creative and professional support for undergraduate student projects in the fields of arts, entertainment, and media. This year’s cohort includes ten students developing projects in sculpture, writing, documentary, fashion design, and art technology. Each student is paired with an arts industry professional who will mentor them for the academic year as they develop their project. Mentors are drawn from both Duke’s alumni community and from Durham’s vibrant creative ecosystem. Learn more about the students, their mentors, and the projects below.
Mentee:
Mentor:
Ruby Kosek is a Philosophy & Public Policy Major and Visual Arts Minor expected to graduate in May 2029.
A Climate Art Project
After the Fire: Form is a sculptural exploration of destruction and regeneration. The project was sparked by my experience of the CZU Lightning Complex Fire that engulfed my family farm and over 100,000 acres of nearby forest and farmland in Northern California. The sculptures will incorporate charred wood, ash, and soil as well as living seeds, which will grow and transform as they are watered (by me and by viewers), symbolizing resilience and the creative transformation of land and community – and becoming a homage to the many hands that work together to create positive social and environmental change.
About the Mentor: Meg Stein, MFA
Meg Stein, MFA (she/they) is an interdisciplinary visual artist, primarily working in sculpture and social practice. She has exhibited her work nationally at VICTORI + MO, Garis & Hahn, the Nasher Museum of Art, A.I.R. Gallery, Westbeth Gallery, VA MOCA, Vox Populi, and the Spartanburg Museum of Art, among others. She has been an artist-in-residence at Yaddo, Millay Arts, The Hambidge Center, among others, and was selected as the North Carolina Fellow for South Arts. Since 2016, Meg has founded and co-created social practice projects in both her solo work and as a member of Art Ain’t Innocent, a multi-racial, cross-class Southern arts visioning collective. In addition to her work as a visual artist, Meg is a facilitator and embodied mindfulness guide. She lives and works in Durham, NC, where she spends as much time as she can hiking, kayaking and being amongst the trees.
Mentee:
Mentor:
Kit Shauf (they/he) is a Biology and English Double Major expected to graduate in May 2027.
A Novel Project
A novel about a town full of people with odd magical abilities. The Riddlemaster is a mysterious figure who lives in a mansion in the center of this town, and while everyone is sure that he has an important job, no one knows what that job entails. The book follows four main characters as they participate in a competition hosted by the Riddlemaster, in which the victor will win the coveted title of the Riddlemaster’s apprentice.
About the Mentor: Emily Colin (she/her), Trinity ’97
Emily Colin is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author known for her romantic fiction with supernatural twists. Her debut, The Memory Thief, was a Target Emerging Authors Pick; her romantasy Fate and Fury earned a Foreword Silver INDIES Award; and her YA Seven Sins series has received Gold Moonbeam, Silver IPPY, and North Carolina Indie Author Project Awards. As an Author Accelerator-certified book coach and Authors Publish instructor, Emily helps authors build sustainable writing practices and bring the books of their dreams to life. A former Pitch Wars and Kiss Pitch mentor, she holds a BA from Duke University and an MS from Kansas State, and is a 2001-2003 William C. Friday Human Relations Fellow. She spent many years working in community arts engagement, and currently serves on the New Hanover County Library Advisory board and the organizing committee for the Cape Fear Book Festival. Emily lives in coastal North Carolina with her family and, when not writing, enjoys chasing her chaotic pets or sipping mochas by the sea.
Mentee:
Mentor:
Lucas Lin (he/him) is an Economics and Political Science Double Major with a Certificate in Documentary Studies expected to graduate in May 2027.
A Documentary Short Project
When those around Gladys Siegel reeled with the news that her son Keith had been taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, Gladys was spared the heartbreak. An Act of Kindness explores Gladys’ life as matriarch of Durham’s Beth El Synagogue, and the Jewish community’s fateful decision to hide Keith’s captivity from her. Gladys passed away never bidding farewell to Keith and Keith only learned of his mother’s death upon his release.
About the Mentor: Daniel Karslake (he/him/his), T’87
Daniel Karslake is an award-winning film, theater, and television writer/director/producer whose documentaries have premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival, and many others. His films have won numerous audience awards and jury prizes around the world, and two have been short-listed for the Academy Award. Karslake is a proud member of the Director’s Guild of America. He received his B.A. in public policy from Duke University and has taught documentary filmmaking both at Duke and at Stanford University. He has served as vice president of the Duke Alumni Association Board and is an active alumnus in Europe for Duke.
Mentee:
Mentor:
Trinity Quaye (she/her) is an English Major and Creative Writing Minor expected to graduate in May 2028
A Novel Project
An Author’s Archives is an adventure fantasy novel that analyzes the history of adventure literature and how it can be understood in a modern context. The story follows several characters in a classic adventure tale who are left to their own devices after the author writing their story suddenly passes away.
About the Mentor: Jefferson (JJD) Thomas, T’16
JJD Thomas is an author based in North Carolina. He graduated from Duke in 2016 with a BA in philosophy, then from American University in 2020 with an MFA in creative writing. He has published multiple short stories and his first novel, Against a Sea of Troubles, was published in 2024.
Mentee:
Mentor:
Michelle Wu is a Communication Studies and Computer Science Major expected to graduate in May 2028.
A Film & Installation Project
The Quiet Light traces the lineage of Dhammikarama Buddhist Temple from its 1803 founding in Penang, Malaysia, to its present-day branch in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Through film and installation, the project explores how a transnational temple network becomes a liminal heterotopia—where sacred history, landscape, and diaspora converge to sustain belonging across distance. Combining ethnographic observation and experimental media, it reveals how culture, memory, and ecology co-produce the sacred in diasporic life.
About the Mentor: Justin Cook
Justin Cook is a journalist, photographer and artist based in Durham, North Carolina. He tells stories about ordinary people who are being impacted by climate change and connects climate change to things that they are passionate about: their homes, sacred places and history. He believes storytelling that not only shines light on these issues, but also investigates solutions is crucial in order for humans to live in a better relationship with the planet. Justin is a licensed drone pilot. He is a multiple Pulitzer Center grantee, and his work has been funded by The Solutions Journalism Network, The North Carolina Arts Council, The Puffin Foundation; and honored by The Magenta Foundation, Pictures of The Year International, The Society of Environmental Journalists, The Society of Professional Journalists, and American Photography. When he is not making photographs, you can find him hunting for fossilized shark teeth in eastern North Carolina.
Mentee:
Mentor:
Camden Chin (he/him) is a Computer Science Major and Visual Media Studies Minor expected to graduate in 2026.
A Screen-Writing Project
After RYAN LEE’S Hollywood agent father brings home REGAN DAWLEY, an up-and-coming conservative comic groomed as the right-wing Colbert, a slighted Ryan is determined to take down the threat to his career and legacy…until the boys’ rivalry flips into a risky romance that could blow up the family and the firm.
About the Mentor: Chaz Hawkins, T ’17
Chaz escaped horror by writing horror. The Emmy nominated scribe grew up in Tennessee, where monuments to atrocities tuck themselves beneath the growing skyline and opioid addiction runs rampant. Took his dad from dealer to daisies in record time. After running Track and Field around the world, Chaz pivoted to the pen. With stories to tell, he found a home in genre writing, and hasn’t looked back.
Mentee:
Mentor:
Chidalu Emy-Munonye (they/she) is a Computer Science Major and Public Policy Minor expected to graduate in May 2027.
A Fashion Design Project
The Collective: Born Again on the Runway is an immersive fashion experience that reimagines what fashion at Duke can look like. The show unfolds in two parts; first, a showcase of student and local designers’ original collections, and second, a darker, movement-focused section highlighting student-curated looks that explore individuality and identity.
About the Mentor: Milagros de Souza (she/her) T’ 21
Milagros (“Mila”) de Souza is the founder of The Clothing Library, a circular fashion startup reimagining how communities access style through peer-to-peer clothing swaps. A Duke graduate with a Program II degree in Intersectional Sustainability in the Fashion Industrial Complex, she blends her love of fashion with a commitment to circular design and environmental justice. Mila is also part of Remake’s Changemaker community and previously worked with Endeavor, where she saw the power of founder ecosystems firsthand. She’s passionate about building an inclusive, sustainable future for fashion—and helping emerging creators do the same
Mentee:
Mentor:
Alex Wu (he/him) is a Biomedical Engineering Major BME Major, ECE and Creative Writing Minor expected to graduate in May 2027.
A Novel Project
Mecha Realm follows a young pilot who is murdered and wakes up in his mech’s body. He must investigate the circumstances surrounding his death while grappling with his receding humanity.
About the Mentor: Alina Walling (she/her), T’ 20
Alina Walling is a software engineer and creative technologist based in San Francisco. She graduated from Duke University with a self-designed Program II major in Human Computer Interaction Design, centering her study on how technology can be used to convey the human experience and drive storytelling. Alina currently develops novel VR experiences on the Mixed Reality team at Microsoft, building on her previous work at Disney Television Animation and on the Live Entertainment team at Unity Technologies on projects that merge narrative with emerging technology. Outside of her professional roles, her primary creative pursuit is bird and wildlife photography.
Mentee:
Mentor:
Leo Sanabria is a Biology major expected to graduate in 2026.
A Photo Documentary Project
This project honors the history of labor and aspiration carried by first-generation college students and their families. Through portraits inspired by Latino immigrant workers photographed beneath Duke Chapel’s arches, it reframes traditional working-class roles as sources of dignity, pride, and belonging within the university community and beyond.
About the Mentor: Victoria Bouloubasis
Victoria Bouloubasis is a freelance journalist, food writer and filmmaker. Her work aims to dispel myths about the Global South—its people and places—against the backdrop of complex social, political and personal histories. She often tells stories at the intersection of food, labor and im/migration. Her solo and collaborative work has won several awards, including a Murrow Award, the POY, the Premio Gabo and several Webbys; it has also been nominated for two Emmys and a James Beard Award. A working journalist since 2008, Victoria has reported from the rural U.S. South and Midwest, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Greece. She is based in Durham, N.C.
Mentee:
Mentor:
Day Kim is a Program II major in Pediatric Art Therapy: Bridging Brain, Art, and Contemporary Education expected to graduate in May 2028.
A Wearable Technology Project
Beyond Aethetic: The Art of Wearable Technology explores the intersection of design, fashion, and digital innovation, reimagining how technology can be seamlessly integrated into personal style. This project investigates NFC-enabled accessories, such as bracelets and necklaces, that merge functionality and aesthetics into versatile fashion items. By transforming everyday wearables into interactive objects capable of storing and sharing digital information, the project challenges conventional notions of wearable devices and examines how design can enhance convenience and connectivity in daily life. Through prototype development and brand storytelling, this work aspires to redefine what it means to “wear” technology in contrast to simply “bearing.”
About the Mentor: Mingyoung Suh
Dr. Minyoung Suh is currently an associate professor in Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University. She has extensive research and education experiences related to functional clothing and its production. With an emphasis on technical aspects of clothing, she has developed the multidisciplinary research program throughout her career path. The primary research stream deals with functional clothing, including but not limited to smart clothing, sportswear, foundation garment and intimate apparel. Utilizing advanced technologies such as the 3D body scanning, motion sensing, pressure sensing, 3D printing, and conductive printing, her research aims at innovative textile product development that can promote well-being and increase the quality of life.