Our Team

Communications Assistant

LILLIAN IS A THIRD YEAR DREXEL STUDENT WITH A CUSTOM DESIGNED MAJOR IN ACADEMIC COUNSELING AND ADVISING, AND IS WORKING WITH WRITERS ROOM FOR HER SPRING/SUMMER CO-OP. HER YEARS WITH TRIPOD ENCOURAGED HER INVOLVEMENT WITH PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

Operations Manager

JESSICA IS THE OPERATIONS MANAGER AT WRITERS ROOM SUPPORTING THE GREAT IDEAS AND SMALL DETAILS. THE THREAD THAT TIES TOGETHER HER LIFE EXPERIENCES AND PULLS HER FORWARD IS THE DESIRE TO CREATE SOCIAL CHANGE AND UPLIFT THE HUMAN HEART THROUGH ART AND CREATIVITY.

Co-op Program Assistant

AZAIRA IS A SECOND YEAR DREXEL STUDENT MAJORING IN PSYCHOLOGY WITH A BUSINESS-RELATED MINOR, AND WILL BE WORKING WITH WRITERS ROOM THROUGHOUT HER FALL/WINTER CO-OP. HER PASSION FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH, WRITING, AND THE ARTS HAVE INSPIRED HER PUSH FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION THROUGH CREATIVE OUTLETS.

Community Engagement Liaison

VICTORIA HUGGINS PEURIFOY IS A RECENT GRADUATE OF PEIRCE COLLEGE RECEIVING A BS IN ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP. SHE IS A WRITERS ROOM FOUNDING MEMBER, AN AUTHOR, PHOTOGRAPHER, POET, AND SPOKEN WORD ARTIST. FOR 14 YEARS, SHE FACILITATED A SENIOR CITIZEN POETRY AND DISCUSSION GROUP AND CO-FACILITATES A STORYTELLING GROUP CALLED THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE SO FAR. SHE IS THE MOTHER OF THREE AND GRANDMOTHER TO TEN.

WRIT 290 Instructor

LAUREN LOWE IS A WRITER AND A TEACHING ARTIST WITH FAMILY ROOTS IN PHILADELPHIA’S CHINATOWN. SHE’S WORN A LOT OF HATS WITH WRITERS ROOM SINCE JOINING AS A STUDENT IN 2015. CURRENTLY SHE’S THE MANAGING EDITOR FOR ANTHOLOGY 10 AND TEACHES THE COMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING COURSE, WRIT 290: WRITERS ROOM EXPERIENCE. SHE RECEIVED AN MFA IN CREATIVE WRITING FROM NEW YORK UNIVERSITY.

Archivist and WRIT 290 Community Co-Instructor

CAROL RICHARDSON MCCULLOUGH IS A RETIRED ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS TEACHER BY TRADE AND A POET/MEMOIRIST AT HEART. SHE IS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF WRITERS ROOM AT DREXEL UNIVERSITY AND A FORMER TRIPOD WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE. SHE IS CURRENTLY A COMMUNITY RESEARCHER WITH THE JUSTICE-ORIENTED YOUTH (JOY) EDUCATION LAB AT DREXEL’S SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, AS WELL AS WRITERS ROOM ARCHIVIST. HER WRITING INCLUDES A CHAPTER BOOK (IMPLOSION); POEMS, ESSAYS, AND MEMOIR. SHE’S PUBLISHED IN (WR) ANTHOLOGY, VOL. 1-9, AND THE 33RD; AS WELL AS CONTRIBUTION TO THE JOURNAL OF TRAUMA STUDIES IN EDUCATION (2022). THIS “WV MOUNTAIN MAMA TURNED PHILY JAWN” LOOKS FOR THE LYRICISM OF LIFE AND USUALLY FINDS IT IN A POEM.

Programs Manager

TEDDY IS THE PROGRAMS MANAGER AT WRITERS ROOM, BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH PUBLIC PROGRAMMING. HE IS AN ARTIST, EDUCATOR, AND ADMINISTRATOR, AND IS EXCITED TO WEAR ALL THOSE HATS WITH WRITERS ROOM. TEDDY COMPLETED HIS MFA IN CERAMICS AT TYLER SCHOOL OF ART & ARCHITECTURE, AND HIS CREATIVITY IS CURRENTLY SPLIT BETWEEN THE STUDIO AND KITCHEN - BOTH PRACTICES CENTERED ON BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER OVER A MEAL.  

Tripod Teaching Artist

SOFIE IS AN EDUCATOR, ARTIST, AND SOMEONE WHO LIVES AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE TWO. THEY ARE INTERESTED IN HOW COMMUNITIES CAN USE ART TO DESCRIBE AND TO TANGIBLY BUILD THE WORLD THEY WISH TO LIVE IN. A FORMER PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER, THEY ARE THRILLED TO CONTINUE SERVING THE PHILLY COMMUNITY.

Tripod Teaching Artist

ANDREA “PHILLY” WALLS IS A MULTIDISCIPLINARY ARTIST, INFORMED AND INSPIRED BY THE WRITERS AND VISUAL ARTISTS OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE AND BLACK ARTS MOVEMENT. SHE IS AMONG THE FIRST COHORT OF ARTISTS TO BE DESIGNATED AS PHILADELPHIA CULTURAL TREASURES, AND IS THE FOUNDER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM OF BLACK JOY.

Tripod Teaching Artist

LORI WASELCHUK IS A PHILADELPHIA-BASED VISUAL STORYTELLER, COLLABORATOR, CURATOR, AND ACTIVIST. LORI’S WORK IS ROOTED IN COMMUNITY – THE POSSIBILITIES, THE TENSIONS AND CHALLENGES OF WORKING TOGETHER FOR A COMMON IDEA OR GOOD.

Founding Director

RACHEL HAS WORKED AS A WAITRESS, A ROOFER, AND A TEACHER. ALL OF THESE JOBS REQUIRED PAYING ATTENTION. BEING A WRITER HAS TRAINED HER TO LOOK FOR THE THROUGH-LINES THAT INTERSECT TO MAKE A LARGER NARRATIVE. SHE RECEIVED AN MFA FROM COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY’S SCHOOL OF THE ARTS AND IS CO-AUTHOR OF SINGER AND ACTIVIST ANGELIQUE KIDJO’S MEMOIR, SPIRIT RISING.