
Steph C. Iasiello, PhD
Educator | Coach | Consultant
Steph received their Ph.D. in English from Emory University. They served as a Mellon/ACLS Public Fellow and Director of Information and Education at the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison. Prior to their appointment at the Alliance, they served as President of the Board of Directors for Reforming Arts, an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization that provides a theater-infused liberal arts higher education to the individuals incarcerated at women's prisons across the state of Georgia.
Steph's research interests include contemporary literature of the African Diaspora, slavery, neo-slavery, mass incarceration, criminal justice reform, critical race theory, postcolonial theory, and queer theory.
Currently, Steph is pursuing a JD at Georgia State University College of Law. In addition to having worked as a graduate assistant for the Georgia State University Prison Education Project, they have also helped to develop GSU's Street Law program as a means to continue their social justice & advocacy work.

About
Education
2019 - 2023 (Anticipated)
Georgia State University College of Law
Juris Doctor
Certificate in Public Interest Law (pending)
2012 - 2018
Emory University, Laney Graduate School
MA, PhD in English Literature
Areas of Research: Literatures of the African Diaspora, Critical Race Theory, Slavery, Neo Slavery
2008 - 2012
State University of New York College at Geneseo
BA in English Literature and Black Studies

Experience
January 2022-Present
Georgia Humanities
Director of Digital Initiatives
August 2021 - August 2022
Georgia State University Prison Education Project
April 2020- February 2023
Apogee College Prep
Coach
August 2020- October 2021
Alliance for Higher Education in Prison
Director of Information and Education
Associate Editor, Journal of Higher Education in Prison
American Council of Learned Societies/Mellon Foundation Public Fellow
January 2017 - July 2020
Reforming Arts, President of the Board of Directors
September 2016 - July 2020
Reforming Arts, Instructor
English Literature & Composition
June 2017 - May 2018
Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry, Emory University
Digital Publishing Fellow
February 2014 - July 2018
Woodruff Library, Emory University
Still Image Processing Assistant
Skills & Services
Research
Legal Research; Specialization in Prison Studies & Abolitionism, Literature of the African Diaspora, CRT
Writing & Communications
Grants, Social Media Content, Web Copy, Academic Essays & Editing, Book Indexing
Tutoring & Coaching
College Admissions, & College Prep;
High School & College
English, Dissertation Coaching
Digital Publishing
Website Design & Management, Curating Digital Content & Data Visualization
Awards & Distinctions
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Georgia State University College of Law Fall 2022 Magazine Featured Story: "Real Life Lessons in Wrongful Conviction"
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2020 - 2022 Mellon/ACLS Public Fellow
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2019 recipient of the “30 Under 30” Non-Profit Leader Award, Young Non-Profit Professionals Network of Atlanta
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Member of Phi Beta Kappa
Interests
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Prison Abolition
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Higher Education in Prison
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Literature of the African Diaspora
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Critical Race Theory
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Arts-Based Education
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Queer Feminist Pedagogy
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Decriminalizing Homelessness
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LGBTQ Advocacy
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Health Law
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Wrongful Convictions