Alyssa Gisseman Ball
Major and minor: English Language major; Editing minor
Hometown: Warner Robins, Georgia
Staff positions: Assistant Managing Editor, Analytics Director, and Web Team Member
Dream job: Content writer and SEO strategist at a digital marketing company. Oh wait, that’s what I do now!
Most memorable thing you’ve done in the past year: I got married and am no longer a menace to society!
What is something hard that you’ve had to do in your life? Serve a mission in the murder capital of the world: San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Read Alyssa’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and her professional portfolio website.
Emilee Pugh Bell
Major and minor: English Language major; Editing and Nonprofit Management minors
Hometown: Chewelah, Washington
Staff positions: Assistant Managing Editor, PR & Correspondence Team Member, and Translation Team Member
Most memorable thing you’ve done in the past year: Married my sweetheart and best friend, Jarrett Bell
Unique hobbies: Knitting, weeding, rummaging through the foreclosed housing market for fixer uppers, pretending like I’m on the Great British Baking Show, watching political documentaries, and reading for my book club
Read Emilee’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn.
Liz Blodgett
Major and minor: English major; Editing minor
Hometown: Royersford, Pennsylvania
Staff positions: Associate Editor and Art Director
What is your perfect pizza? If I have to eat pizza, it’s definitely Hawaiian BBQ.
Do you speak any foreign languages? Not really, I’ve studied Romanian and Spanish though.
Favorite band/singer/group? Imagine Dragons (at the moment)
One item on your bucket list: Make a 90% accurate historical costume from either the English thirteenth century or American Colonial era
Read Liz’s Mormon Insights articles
Rebecca Cazanave
Major and minor: English major; Creative Writing and Editing minors
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Staff positions: Managing Editor and Design Team Member
Personal motto: I can do hard things.
Dream job: Adolescent Fiction Author
Favorite book: The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Favorite quote: “He to whom God has given knowledge / And the gift of speaking eloquently, / Must not keep silent nor conceal the gift. / But he must willingly display it.” —Marie de France
Read Rebecca’s Mormon Insights articles and connect with her on LinkedIn.
Charlotte Noelle Champenois
Major and minor: Family History–Genealogy and German Studies double major; Editing minor
Hometown: Allerød, Denmark (original hometown) and Provo, Utah (the last fifteen years)
Staff position: Teaching Assistant and Translation Team Director
Dream job: Working with family history and editing
Favorite singers: Rasmus Seebach (Danish), Christina Stürmer (German), and Indila (French)
Anything else? My middle name means “Christmas.” When I was in kindergarten, I thought my name was “Julegodte” (this was my nickname at home; it means “Christmas goody”).
If you could have dinner with any person, who would it be? Helen Keller
Read Charlotte’s Mormon Insights articles.
Cynthia Chan
Major and minor: English major; Editing minor
Hometown: Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
Staff positions: Copyeditor and Social Media Director
Favorite vacation spot: London or Hong Kong
Do you speak any foreign languages? Cantonese
Favorite book: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Unique hobbies: Playing the violin and piano, obsessing over musical theatre, and having the entirety of In the Heights memorized
Read Cynthia’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on Instagram, LinkedIn, and her professional portfolio website.
Mariana Chrisney
Major and minor: Communications major with an emphasis in News Media; Editing minor
Hometown: Camas, Washington
Staff positions: Associate Editor, Assistant Translation Director, and Assistant Social Media Director
One item on your bucket list: Visiting the Ghibli Museum and the owl and bird cafes in Japan
Personal motto: If it’s not on a plate, then it can wait.
If you could be any superhero, who would you be? Robbie Rotten
What must you always have on your person? My wedding ring and a pair of earrings
Read Mariana’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and her professional portfolio website.
Amy Conway
Major and minor: English major; Editing minor
Hometown: Rexburg, Idaho
Staff positions: Associate Editor, Web Team Member, and Translation Team Member
Favorite quote: “You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” —Dr. Seuss
Unique hobbies: I have a vast collection of diverse quotes and unique words.
What is something hard that you’ve had to do in your life? I went to South Korea to teach English despite not speaking the language or having taught a single class in my life. Luckily, through a lot of study and hard work, I was able to survive my full two years there.
Read Amy’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on Facebook, LinkedIn, and her professional portfolio website.
Shantel Fitzgerald
Major and minor: History major with an emphasis in US history; Editing minor
Hometown: Alpine, Utah
Staff positions: Copyeditor, Pinterest Manager, and Assistant Analytics Director
Dream job: Walt Disney Imagineer
One item on your bucket list: To go to the golden retriever festival in Scotland
Favorite band/singer/group? The Killers
If you could be any superhero, who would you be? I don’t know about superhero, but my super power would be to have the ability to heal anything.
Read Shantel’s Mormon Insights articles.
Shelby Gardner
Major and minor: Accounting major; Editing minor
Hometown: Ridgefield, Washington
Staff positions: Associate Editor and Web Director
Favorite quote: “The longer you wait for the future, the shorter it will be.” —Loesje
Personal motto: I say we nuke it. We always have options, even if they aren’t good.
What is something hard that you’ve had to do in your life? Serve a mission—since I am an introvert, that pushed my limits.
Anything else? I love canning fruit and homemade jams, and few things bring me as much joy as blueberry fields.
Read Shelby’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on Instagram, LinkedIn, and her professional portfolio website.
Brynne Jackson
Major and minor: Public Health major; Editing minor
Hometown: Boise, Idaho
Staff positions: Associate Editor, Design Team Member, and Translation Team Member
Dream job: Infectious disease management, eradicating diseases worldwide
Favorite quote: “He compelled himself to be brave until bravery became a habit.” —Michael Lewis, The Undoing Project
If you could have dinner with any person (living or dead, real or imagined), who would it be? Dr. Atul Gawande, my current favorite medical writer. He brings a level of empathy to science that is stunning.
Read Brynne’s Mormon Insights articles.
Kiana Kekauoha
Major and minor: English Language major; Communications and Editing minors
Hometown: Van Nuys, California
Staff positions: Copyeditor, Assistant Art Director, and Web Team Member
One item on your bucket list: Eat all forms of potato
Favorite song: “Taylor, the Latte Boy,” by Kristen Chenoweth
If you could be any superhero, who would you be? Whatever Man
If you could have dinner with any person (living or dead, real or imagined), who would it be? Gordon Ramsey
Read Kiana’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on her professional portfolio website.
Natalie Kokol
Major and minor: History major; Editing minor
Hometown: American Fork, Utah
Staff positions: Assistant Managing Editor, Web Team Member, and PR & Correspondence Team Member
Dream job: Ice cream taste tester by day, jazz singer by night
Unique hobbies: Looking up movie trivia on IMDb, and then repeating it to other viewers as we watch the movie
Favorite quote: “Some day, you will be old enough to start reading fairytales again.” —C.S. Lewis
Read Natalie’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Stephanie Neher
Major and minor: Linguistics major; Editing minor
Hometown: Gilbert, Arizona
Staff positions: Associate Editor, Facebook Manager, and Analytics Team Member
Dream job: Working for a cool publishing company or as a professional dog rescuer . . . or both
What must you always have on your person? My cellphone—without it I would, quite literally, be lost (I need the GPS).
Do you speak any foreign languages? I speak Mandarin at about the level of a three-year old, if that counts.
Favorite band/singer/group? Panic! At the Disco
Read Stephanie’s Mormon Insights articles.
Heather Randall
Major and minor: English major; Editing minor
Hometown: Sandy, Utah
Staff positions: Copyeditor, Copyrights Director, and Twitter Manager
Favorite quote: “It’s nice to be important, but more important to be nice.” —Mom
Unique hobbies: Rapping in the car to music from Hamilton
Favorite band/singer/group? Once upon a time I discovered a bluegrass band called Punch Brothers. You should discover them too.
Read Heather’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and her professional portfolio website.
Morgan Reese
Major and minor: English Language major; Editing and English minors
Hometown: Flower Mound, Texas
Staff positions: Assistant Managing Editor, Assistant Copyright Director, and Design Team Member
Most memorable thing you’ve done in the past year: I won a mixed doubles tennis tournament with my fiancé!
One item on your bucket list: Going to Alexandria, Indiana, to paint my own layer on the World’s Largest Ball of Paint
What is your perfect pizza? Thin crust, pepperoni, and jalapeños—what more do you need?
Read Morgan’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and her professional portfolio website.
Phyllis Rosen
Major and minor: Post-baccalaureate; Editing minor
Hometown: Provo, Utah
Staff positions: Associate Editor, Design Team Member, and Analytics Team Member
Favorite quote: “Don’t you know the meaning of propriety?” —What’s Up Doc?
Unique hobbies: Road biking
One item on your bucket list: Visit New Zealand
What is something hard that you’ve had to do in your life? Raise kids (hardest but best)
Read Phyllis’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Brett Peper Ruff
Major and minor: English major; Editing minor
Hometown: Alpine, Utah
Staff positions: Associate Editor, Assistant PR & Correspondence Director, and Copyrights Team Member
Favorite book: The Only Alien on the Planet by Kristen D. Randle
Most memorable thing you’ve done in the past year: Got my first speeding ticket
Unique hobbies: Artistic roller-skating and dance teacher
If you could be any superhero, who would you be? Mrs. Incredible
Read Brett’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.
Madeleine Lewis Smith
Major and minor: Communications major with an emphasis in Public Relations; Editing minor
Hometown: Greenville, North Carolina
Staff positions: Associate Editor, PR & Correspondence Director, and Instagram Manager
Favorite quote: Currently? “We’re smarter than the wood.” —my husband (long story)
Personal motto: Embrace uncertainty
One item on your bucket list: Circumnavigate the globe—without flying
Interesting fact: I’ve swam with sharks (accidentally)—it’s a hazard of growing up in North Carolina and going to the beach there.
Read Madeleine’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and her professional portfolio website.
Olivia Snow
Major and minor: Interdisciplinary Humanities major with an emphasis in English literature; Editing minor
Hometown: Bigfork, Montana
Staff position: Teaching Assistant
Unique hobbies: Intense Star Trek appreciation, photography, and vegetarian sushi tasting
What is your perfect pizza? Mushrooms, olives, and too much sauce
Favorite quote: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” —Gandhi
One item on your bucket list: To go on a European art history tour in London, Paris, Rome, Greece, and Spain
Maegan Sugrue
Major and minor: English Teaching major; Editing minor
Hometown: Orem, Utah
Staff positions: Associate Editor, Design Team Member, and Copyrights Team Member
Favorite quote: “There’s power in looking silly and not caring that you do.” —Amy Poehler
Personal motto: Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.
Do you speak any foreign languages? I speak enough Spanish to survive in a Spanish-speaking country.
Dream job: Director of a humanities study abroad program for high school students
Read Maegan’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Marvin K. Gardner
Position at Brigham Young University: Professor, Department of Linguistics and English Language, College of Humanities
Position on Mormon Insights staff: Editor in Chief
Most memorable thing you’ve done in the past year: Spent a week in Paris with Mary for our fortieth wedding anniversary; then co-directed a group of 30 BYU students on a six-week study abroad in Ireland, Wales, England, and Scotland
Unique hobbies: Spending time with our six children and fourteen grandchildren; playing classical piano and organ
Connect with Professor Gardner on LinkedIn.