Meet Our Team
Dr. Juliet Iwelunmor, Co-Founder
Dr. Juliet Iwelunmor is Professor of Medicine and Associate Director for Global Health and Dissemination at Washington University School of Medicine. A passionate advocate for health equity and sustainability, Dr. Iwelunmor is widely regarded for understanding how to make evidence-based interventions last, reshaping the focus on community engagement using participatory research, improving the dissemination of health information, while amplifying the voices of young people in health interventions. She combines more than a decade of authority and leadership in the use of dissemination and implementation science to deliver cutting-edge health programs that create tangible impact.
Prior to joining WUSM, Dr. Iwelunmor has served as Professor at Saint Louis University and the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. From 2010-2013, she also worked as a program specialist for the intersectoral platform on HIV at UNESCO in Paris, France.
Dr. Idia Thurston, Co-Founder
Dr. Idia Binitie Thurston is a licensed clinical psychologist, Professor of Health Sciences and Applied Psychology, and Associate Director of the Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research at Northeastern University. She directs the CHANGE Lab, where she collaborates with students, youth, families, and community organizations to develop and disseminate strengths-based, culturally-responsive tools that reduce stigma, enhance wellness, and promote resilience. She is passionate about mentoring, dismantling structural and systemic barriers, and promoting career pathways for students and faculty underrepresented in health sciences and psychology. She is a mom of three kids and loves exploring new coffee shops.
Alexis Engelhart, Creative Director
Alexis is the Creative Director of LIGHT. Having been involved with LIGHT since inception during her master’s program, she has grown alongside the initiative itself, helping shape its direction and impact. She believes in the beauty and power of storytelling and creativity, and her interests lie in the intersection of storytelling, culture, and health. She is published in flourish and frequently writes on her blog. Alexis is deeply inspired by fashion, nature, and spirituality, and she is always taking a walk with her Golden Retriever, Brooks, or a scenic drive if she needs to brainstorm for her writing.
While Alexis is passionate about creativity, she also has a strong background in science. Alexis received her Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and Master’s degree in Public Health, naturally blending her interest in science with her creative ventures.
Carmen Dillman, Communications Specialist
Carmen is a senior business student at Saint Louis University studying marketing as a part of the Business Scholars Program, a highly competitive, accelerated 3-year undergraduate business track. Recently, Carmen was also selected for membership into Beta Gamma Sigma, the international honors society for collegiate schools of business. Membership in Beta Gamma Sigma is the highest scholastic recognition a student throughout the world can receive in an undergraduate or master’s business program, with only the top 10% of undergraduate business students at an accredited AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) International School, receiving an invitation.
This past semester Carmen spent her time studying Global Consumer Behavior and Global Marketing at Fordham-London’s Gabelli School of Business. Additionally, she has had professional experience in social media management, non-profit fundraising and event planning, health messaging, graphic design, magazine design, email newsletters, podcasting, newspaper and blog writing, and even radio show hosting and software. She is an experienced leader with a passion for using her creative abilities to empower, uplift, and drive support for ideas, missions, or people she feels deserve greater attention.
Bianca Kipp, Magazine Designer
Bianca is the designer behind LIGHT Magazine. She graduated in 2016 from the Savannah College of Art & Design with a BFA in Graphic Design. Bianca did not start out as a designer, though. Originally, she went to school to pursue a degree in photography. During her Sophomore year, she took more of an interest in design and made the huge decision to switch her major, which put her in school for another year. Bianca has always loved to challenge herself to learn a new skill, and while photography was her first love, she realized that she had learned everything about it that she was interested in learning. Graphic Design was an entirely new subject for her to dive into. Her years in school were grueling, but she had some amazing professors, an amazing learning environment, and the opportunity to meet other creatives in the field who continue to inspire her to this day. Years later, Bianca is still in love with all things design related.
Despite the rumors, Bianca believes that print is NOT dead. One of her favorite aspects of print design is the ability to touch it and see it in real life. This is what excites her about being the designer for LIGHT Magazine!
Organized chaos describes her design process best. As she works through a design, she gathers everything piece by piece like a puzzle—starting with the structure. As more pieces are added to the puzzle, the bigger picture starts to become more and more clear. Sometimes elements do not fit where she thinks they will, but as she rearranges things, it all starts to come together. Some aspects of the process come together effortlessly while other parts of the journey can be quite challenging. Bianca finds herself always looking at new ideas from other creatives and incorporating them into her own work.