Spring 2020 Staff

Matthew Baker, Professor of Editing and Publishing

Portrait Photograph of Matthew Baker

Major and Minor: BS in Economics; Minor in Business Management; MBA; PhD in Rhetoric and Professional Communication

Hometown: Spanish Fork, Utah

Position on Latter-day Saint Insights Staff: Editor-in-Chief

Dream Job: Professor

Favorite thing about being an editor: Helping people express their ideas more effectively

Do you speak any foreign languages?: Hungarian, and I’m learning Spanish

If you could have dinner with any person (living or dead, real or imaginary), who would it be?: Benjamin Franklin

twitter.com/profmattbaker

www.linkedin.com/in/bakermatthewj/

Kalene Gillespie

Portrait Photograph of Kalene Gillespie

Major: BA in Editing and Publishing

Hometown: Silverdale, Washington

Position on Latter-day Saint Insights Staff: Co–Managing Editor, Co–PR Director

Dream Job: Associate editor for an outdoors magazine

Favorite thing about being an editor: I like to analyze things and use that analysis to make something better or more understandable.

Unique Hobbies: White-water kayaking and embroidery

What is your perfect pizza?: Real hawaiian (spam, pineapple, and jalapeno)

If you could have dinner with any person—living or dead, real, or imagined—who would it be?: C. S. Lewis

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalene-gillespie-588090a4/

Brady Davis

Portrait Photo of Brady Davis

Major and Minor: BS in Chemical Engineering; Minor in Editing

Hometown: Flagstaff, Arizona

Position on Latter-day Saint Insights Staff: Co–Managing Editor, Co–PR Director

Dream Job: Chemical engineer for a national lab

Favorite thing about being an editor: Elevating writing and helping bring novel, unique, and interesting ideas to light

Bucket list items: Hike a 14,000-foot mountain, hike rim-to-rim at the Grand Canyon, and fly a plane

Unique hobbies: Distance running and doing triathlons

twitter.com/TheBradyDavis

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradyrdavis/

Anessa Pennington

Portrait Photograph of Anessa Pennington

Major and Minor: BA in Journalism; Minors in Editing and Arabic 

Hometown: Valley City, Ohio

Position on Latter-day Saint Insights Staff: Assistant Managing Editor, Art Director 

Dream Job: Professor

If you could have dinner with any person—living or dead, real, or imagined—who would it be?: Brené Brown; she helped me understand relationships, mental health, and perfectionism in a totally new way.

Favorite band/singer/group: I don’t even like country music, but my favorite band right now is The Highwomen. Think feminist folk.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anessa-pennington/

Sam Niven

Portrait Photograph of Sam Niven

Major and Minor: BA in English; Minors in Creative Writing and Editing

Hometown: Dublin, California

Position on Latter-day Saint Insights Staff: Assistant Managing Editor, Designer

Dream Job: Creative writing professor

Favorite book: My favorite book right now is Dark Harbor by Mark Strand.

Do you speak any foreign languages?: I know American Sign Language and a little bit of Italian.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-niven/

Isabella Nuñez

Portrait Photograph of Isabella Nuñez

Major and Minor: BS in Family Life: Family Services; Minor in Editing

Hometown: Rupert, Idaho

Position on Latter-day Saint Insights Staff: Copyeditor, Social Media Team: Instagram Manager

Dream Job: Rehabilitation Counselor/Social Worker

Favorite band/singer/group: Lewis Capaldi

Favorite book: Percy Jackson

If you could be any superhero, who would you be?: Iron Man

https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabella-nunez-a754b41a8/

Instagram: @nunez_isabella

Lorin Hurley

Portrait Photograph of Lorin Hurley

Major and Minor: BA in Comparative Literature; Minor in Editing

Hometown: Power, Montana

Position on Latter-day Saint Insights Staff: Copy Editor, Designer

Dream Job: Editor/Designer

Unique hobbies: I don’t know if this is unique, but I really enjoy cross-stitching

One item on your bucket list: There’s this one weird staircase in Machida (Tokyo-Japan) that just leads up into the bamboo and you can’t see the top of it from the street. I really wanted to climb it while I was there, but never got the opportunity.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorin-zylks-653238173/

Elizabeth James

Portrait Photo of Elizabeth James

Major and Minor: BA in Editing and Publishing; Minor in English

Hometown: Spanish Fork, Utah

Position on Latter-day Saint Insights Staff: Substantive Editor and Social Media Team: Facebook Manager

Dream Job: Arts and Crafts Teacher

Unique hobbies: Swimming, crafting, and making floor plans on Minecraft

Do you speak any foreign languages?: Spanish

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethswanjames/

Anna Freeman

Portrait Photo of Anna Freeman

Major and Minor: BA in English; Minor in Editing

Hometown: Riverton, Utah

Position on Latter-day Saint Insights Staff: Substantive Editor, Designer

Dream Job: Author

Favorite thing about being a writer: I love to tell stories!

Favorite thing about being an editor: It actually teaches me a great deal about writing well.

One item on your bucket list: To start flying often: on a hang glider, on a parachute, on a paramotor. Anything.

If you could be any superhero, who would you be?: Supergirl. She can fly.

https://www.facebook.com/anna.freeman.7737

Shaelyn Topolovec

Portrait Photo of Shaelyn Topolovec

Major: BA in Editing and Publishing

Hometown: Sanger, California

Position on Latter-day Saint Insights Staff: Substantive Editor, Web and Copyrights team member

Dream Job: A published writer

One item on your bucket list: Go to Mardi Gras.

What must you always have on your person?: A hair tie! It’s a fashion statement with purpose.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaelyntopolovec/

Catherine Niesporek

Portrait Photo of Catherine Niesporek

Major and Minor: BA in Editing and Publishing; Minor in Creative Writing

Hometown: Kingwood, Texas

Position on Latter-day Saint Insights Staff: Substantive Editor, Social Media & Analytics Team Lead, Twitter Manager

Dream Job: #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

Favorite thing about being a writer: Creating new worlds to escape into.

Favorite thing about being an editor: Making stories shine.

Do you speak any foreign languages?: Spanish, survival Italian

What is your perfect pizza?: In America: Domino’s GF Pepperoni. In Italy: Salmon and cream cheese

Favorite book: The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-niesporek/

Twitter and Instagram: @thecatherineeli

Linde Fielding

Portrait Photo of Linde Fielding

Major and Minor: BA in English; Minor in Editing

Hometown: Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Position on Latter-day Saint Insights Staff: Substantive Editor, Social Media Team: Pinterest Manager

Dream Job: Authour

Favorite thing about being a writer: Getting to be a million characters at once as I write their experiences.

Favorite book: The Lost Years of Merlin by T.A. Barron

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindevfielding/

Sarah Riley

Portrait Photo of Sarah Riley

Major and Minor: BA in English; Minor in Editing

Hometown: Elk Ridge, Utah

Position on Latter-day Saint Insights Staff: Substantive Editor and Designer

Dream Job: Novelist

Unique hobbies: I love making pottery and clay sculptures

Do you speak any foreign languages?: No, but I can do a pretty good New Zealand accent

https://www.facebook.com/sarah.riley.165

Matthew Tyler

Portrait Photo of Matthew Tyler

Major and Minor: BA in Family History and Genealogy & BA in Editing and Publishing; Minor: TESOL

Hometown: Provo, Utah

Position on Latter-day Saint Insights Staff:  Substantive editor and Web Team Lead

Dream Job: Historical acquisitions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Unique hobbies: I enjoy screenwriting. I spend a lot of my time mentoring others to achieve their goals. 

One item on your bucket list: My top bucket list item is to enjoy being one hundred years old.

Most memorable thing you’ve done in the past year: I presented for the 10th anniversary of RootsTech on Chinese genealogical practices.

Favorite band/singer/group: The Chemical Brothers

linkedin.com/in/matthew-tyler-b8475022

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