Current Graduate Students

Khalid Abdulqaadir

Ph.D. student
Khalid.abdulqaadir@slu.edu

I am a veteran and former intelligence officer with the Defense Intelligence Agency. I hold a Bachelor of Science in business administration, a Master of Business Administration, and a master’s degree in international relations. I have also completed advanced Russian language studies and earned a professional screenwriting certificate from UCLA. I am a certified screenplay analyst for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and an essayist published in the Boston Globe and The New York Times. My research interests in American studies focus on African American film and literature.

Forrest Ashworth

Ph.D. student
forrest.ashworth@slu.edu

I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in art history, with concentrations in modern and contemporary periods. I earned a Master of Arts in African American studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2025. My thesis examined the work of Sable Elyse Smith and Cameron Rowland, contemporary Black artists whose work addresses policing and incarceration.

My research focuses on 21st-century American artistic production related to carcerality, particularly art that explores its connections to the history of racism in the United States. Formally, I am especially interested in sculpture influenced by the Minimalist concept of art as object, including works that use industrially produced common materials.

William Bonfiglio

Ph.D. student
william.bonfiglio@slu.edu

With a background in theater and performance studies, I focus on the connections between performance and politics. My research often involves community storytelling and explores questions of identity, borders and collective memory. In addition to teaching courses in American culture studies and theater at universities in the St. Louis area, I have served as a teaching artist with various arts organizations. When time allows, I continue my theatrical work, which has been presented on stages across the country.

Khaliah Booker

M.A. student 
khaliah.booker@slu.edu

I am a proud advocate for St. Louis, the greatest city in the Midwest. I grew up in North County and attended Fontbonne University in Clayton, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in communication, culture and change, with minors in women’s and gender studies and African American studies.

After graduating, I moved to Minneapolis to serve as an AmeriCorps member. Over two years, I supported more than 250 staff members by conducting trainings, workshops and other learning opportunities focused on racial equity.

I am passionate about civil rights, building resilient communities, promoting adult education and studying cultures.

Fun facts: I’m the middle child, I love to travel, I’m currently learning two languages, and I’m a published fiction author.

Michael Brickey

Ph.D. candidate (he/him)
michael.brickey@slu.edu

Dissertation working title: “Extracting Narratives, Refining Memories, and Marketing Heritage: Petroleum Cultures in the U.S. Midwest since 1945”

I earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Missouri and master’s degrees in history and American studies from San Diego State University and Saint Louis University, respectively. I study 20th-century U.S. history, with particular interests in urban history, environmental studies, political economy, and the cultural politics of place, memory and identity.

My dissertation explores cultural representations of historical, technological and economic change in the oil industry in the American Midwest after 1945. I use traditional historical methods alongside approaches from cultural memory studies, critical heritage studies, cultural geography and the energy humanities.

When I’m not writing, I’m likely riding my bike around St. Louis, giving tours at the Carondelet History Museum or helping my daughter with her homework.

Gregory Carr

Ph.D. student
gregory.s.carr@slu.edu

I am a local St. Louis historian and a Ph.D. student in American studies. My research interests include urban history and Black political activism. Since entering graduate school, I have focused on the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr., with a particular interest in his influence on the ecumenical community in St. Louis.

King spoke at several St. Louis institutions, including Temple Israel (now part of the Missouri History Museum Archives), Christ Church Cathedral, Washington Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church and Saint Louis University. His visits to the city ranged from a casual breakfast with a former Morehouse classmate to addressing an interracial audience one day before receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.

Zackary Davis

Ph.D. candidate
zackary.davis@slu.edu

Dissertation working title: “Epistemologies at Play: Access, Equity, and Representation in US Cultures of Chess”

I received my B.A. in American studies, history and English from the University of Texas at Austin in 2021, and later earned an M.A. in American studies from Saint Louis University. My research interests include histories of leisure, U.S. empire and postwar urban history.

My dissertation, Epistemologies at Play: Access, Equity, and Representation in U.S. Cultures of Chess, examines how identity is constructed through and within local community formations, with a focus on the chess scene in St. Louis.

When I’m not working on my dissertation or teaching, I’m usually playing chess, painting miniatures or supporting the Graduate Workers of SLU Union – UAW.

Tim Deposki

Ph.D. student
tim.deposki@slu.edu

I am currently a high school American and world history teacher in the St. Louis area and serve as the sponsor for my school’s Youth and Government program, mock trial teams, Travel and Cultures Society club, Foundation Junior Board club, and as announcer and scoreboard operator for multiple sports.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in education from the University of Missouri–St. Louis. My undergraduate research focused on suburban displacement in St. Louis, while my graduate work explored shifting from lecture-based instruction to primary source analysis to enhance historical inquiry and connect with contemporary issues.

Outside the classroom, I’m a lifelong history enthusiast, a dedicated St. Louis sports fan, and a video game fan—especially of the Nintendo 64 and GameCube. I also enjoy spending time with family, friends and my pets.

Jason Gallagher

Ph.D. student
jason.gallagher@slu.edu

I am a poet and educator with 14 years of experience in higher education. I have taught composition and creative writing throughout the Midwest and Northeast. I was a contributing editor at Evergreen Review and am a member of the poetry collective The Unbearables. My work has appeared in The Otter, Kind of a Hurricane Press anthologies The Seasons and Storm Cycle, the first two issues of Post[blank], The Pangolin Review, A Gathering of the Tribes, The Santa Clara Review and South Florida Poetry Journal.

I have also published book reviews in Sensitive Skin, Gainsayer and The Otter. My review of the Grateful Dead’s St. Louis box set appears in the latest issue of Grateful Dead Studies.

Originally from the St. Louis area, I have a strong interest in the built environment of the Washington Avenue corridor during the late 19th century. I currently serve as an interpretation ranger at Gateway Arch National Park.

Kristine Haglund

Ph.D. student
kristine.haglund@slu.edu

My academic background is in German literature, but much of my work has focused on religious studies and U.S. business history. My research interests include the history of women and children in American religions, the intersections of religion and capitalism, and the intellectual history of 19th-century America.

I have published work on children’s religious songbooks and Mormon mommy blogs from the early 2000s, as well as the inaugural volume in the University of Illinois Press’s series of short introductions to Mormon thinkers.

Outside of academia, I have a passion for wallpaper from the British Arts & Crafts movement and classical music. I like to think I would have been great at Trivia Night circa 1910!

Grace Teofilo Hilker

M.A. student
grace.teofilo.1@slu.edu

Originally from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a bachelor’s degree in history and political science, earning certificates in leadership and gender and women’s studies.

As volunteer manager at Gateway Arch Park Foundation, I co-lead the Gateway Arch volunteer program in partnership with the National Park Service. My research explores experiential educational strategies at American tourist sites and how food can serve as an interpretive tool in national park lodges.

I am a founding member of the National Association for Interpretation’s Young Professionals Council and a certified interpretive guide. Previously, I worked as an interpretive park ranger at Gateway Arch National Park and taught with Disney English in Shanghai, China.

Cicely B. Hunter

Ph.D. candidate
cicely.hunter@slu.edu

Dissertation working title: “Blaring Silence: The Silent Protest of 1917 and Its Historical Influence on Activism”

I am a doctoral student originally from Kenosha, Wisconsin, who joined the Saint Louis University American Studies Department in fall 2014. I earned a bachelor’s degree from Marquette University in spring 2014, double majoring in history and political science. My current research focuses on early 20th-century Black women’s history, with an emphasis on memory and feminism.

Nathan Johnston

Ph.D. student
nathan.johnston@slu.edu

I joined the American Studies program in spring 2021 after many years teaching American and world history to local high school students. I hold a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Missouri, as well as a master’s degree in American culture studies from Washington University in St. Louis.

My research focuses on the Hudson’s building in downtown Detroit, exploring its role in defining the community, its sense of place and space, and its impact on the community’s public memory.

Jesika Kasch

Ph.D. student
jesika.kasch@slu.edu

I hold a bachelor’s degree in history and secondary education from Fontbonne University and have completed graduate coursework in history, with a certification in museum studies and public history, at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. My research interests include cultural and social history, American political dynasties, and underrecognized historical figures whose stories challenge dominant national narratives.

I am currently researching Charlton Tandy, a 19th-century African American civil rights activist in St. Louis, focusing on his role in political realignment and public memory.

Nathan Martel

Ph.D. candidate
nathan.martel@slu.edu

Dissertation working title: “RPM-Recovering Past Music: How Reissuing Music Returns Lost Meaning”

I’m a doctoral candidate from Los Angeles with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in sociology. Drawing on a range of experiences, I bring a unique perspective to graduate studies, focusing on lived experience within the American experiment.

My research centers on cultural memory as expressed through cultural production. I incorporate cultural studies, race theory and music scene analysis to better understand how individuals contribute to and shape culture. Pursuing the link between theory and practice, my work explores alternative forms of knowledge production found in fringe spaces.

When I’m not working, you can usually find me at a local record store, hunting for more records to add to my already large collection.

Lee Nave

Ph.D. student
lee.nave@slu.edu

I am a native of St. Louis whose path took me to the East Coast for nearly 15 years. With almost two decades of experience working in labor unions, nonprofits, politics and local government, I am now focusing my career on academic research to help cultivate new leaders.

I hold a master’s degree in public administration and a master’s degree in diplomacy and international relations from Seton Hall University. I also earned a bachelor’s degree in history and communication arts from Ottawa University.

When I’m not organizing or raising my two children, I write dense sci-fi and fantasy books that will likely never see the light of day.

Uğur Öztürk

Ph.D. candidate
ugur.ozturk@slu.edu

Dissertation working title: “Welfare to Self-Care: Cultural Work of Neoliberalism in the United States”

Originally from Turkey, I earned a bachelor’s degree in American culture and literature from Bilkent University. In 2017, I received my master’s degree in American studies from Penn State Harrisburg. I joined the Ph.D. program in American Studies at Saint Louis University in fall 2018.

My research focuses on American neoliberalism as a cultural structure that brings market rationality, competition, individualism and the fetishization of wealth into all areas of life. When I’m not studying popular culture to trace neoliberal influences, I enjoy writing short stories.

Giuliana Piccione

Ph.D. student (she/her)
giuliana.piccione@slu.edu

I am from central Illinois and earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a bachelor of science in sociology from Bradley University. I came to Saint Louis University because the American Studies program is the ideal place to pursue interdisciplinarity in my work.

My current research interests include the intersection of historical records and physical objects, sociocultural aspects of storytelling, materiality and feminism. I also enjoy trying my hand at the practices I study—such as calligraphy and lace making—to experience them firsthand and explore their impacts.

Emily Quartarone

Ph.D. candidate (she/her/hers)
emily.quartarone@slu.edu

Dissertation working title: “American Godzilla”

With a bachelor of fine arts in theatre from Columbus State University and a year working for the Project Continua female biography project (now The New Historia), I entered American Studies with a background in the arts and public humanities. I earned my master’s degree in American studies and a graduate certificate in women’s, gender and sexuality studies from The George Washington University in 2017.

My research interests include transnationalism, film studies and the horror genre. Specifically, I study American remakes of foreign horror films, focusing on cultural exchanges, appropriations, American exceptionalism and revisionism in these adaptations.

I am a member of the Graduate Public Humanities Working Group at Saint Louis University and a former American Studies ambassador to the SLU Graduate Student Association.

Vanessa Reger

Ph.D. student
vanessa.reger@slu.edu

I am originally from Rock Island, Illinois, and came to St. Louis in 2019. I earned a bachelor’s degree in American studies and history from Saint Louis University—and I liked my department so much, I stayed for graduate school.

My research interests include public history, memory studies and death culture in the U.S., with a special focus on American cultural memory of war and politically motivated violence.

When I’m not writing about ghosts or World War I, I enjoy visiting local coffee shops and exploring the vibrant art scene in St. Louis.

Savannah Sowell

M.A. student
savannah.sowell@slu.edu

I earned a bachelor’s degree in urban studies and political science from the University of Pittsburgh, where I developed my primary research interests in urban history and American carceral systems. I currently manage operations for a local college-in-prison program that provides undergraduate degrees, academic support and reentry services to incarcerated students at two Missouri prisons.

Rebecca Stokem

Ph.D. student (she/her/hers)
rebecca.stokem@slu.edu

I am originally from New Jersey and earned both a bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing and a master’s degree in English literature from Seton Hall University. My current research focuses on depictions of war and the U.S. military in literature and popular culture, with a particular emphasis on the War on Terror.

My dissertation examines how contemporary media portrays and interrogates the detention center at Guantánamo Bay. I also hold a graduate minor in women’s and gender studies from Saint Louis University.

Outside of school, you can usually find me at a movie theater, reading at a local brewery or playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Grace Waitman

Ph.D. student (she/her/hers)
grace.waitman@slu.edu

I’m from southern Indiana, Evansville, and a proud Hoosier. I completed my undergraduate and graduate studies at Indiana University Bloomington, focusing on English literature, educational psychology, research methodology and music education.

My research interests span multiple disciplines, but my primary focus is creativity and self-belief, with a special interest in how narrative shapes the meaning we derive from everyday experiences. I have been a violinist since age 4, and music plays a foundational role in how I view the world and my place in it. My academic work also focuses on Revolutionary America and the early to mid-20th century.

When I’m not teaching or studying, I enjoy spending time with my husband, our dog and three cats, as well as baking and eating cookies.