Meet grad students

Lili Abel-Suarez

Lili Abel-Suarez was born in New York and moved to Las Vegas at the age of five. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, where she double-majored in Journalism and Technical Theatre and minored in French. Her professional experiences include working at The Discovery Museum in Reno, Trentina Theatre in Italy and the Athletics Department at UNR. Lili is deeply passionate about theatre, film, and media production. She began her graduate studies at the Reynolds School to further explore her interests in sports media. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies and traveling.

Lupe Alvarez

Lupe Alvarez was born and raised in Reno, Nevada, and earned her undergraduate degree with a double major in Anthropology and Archaeology, along with a minor in Latinx Studies. She gained valuable experience through her work at The Discovery Museum, as a student reporter with the Hitchcock Project, and as a communications intern at the Desert Research Institute. Passionate about anthropology, community building, and science, Lupe is pursuing graduate studies at the Reynolds School to further strengthen her writing and storytelling skills. In her free time, she enjoys creating collages, writing, traveling, watching films, reading, and spending time with friends.

Tinisha Brugnone

Tinisha Brugnone is an award-winning freelance filmmaker from Detroit, Michigan. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Arts and Studies from Wayne State University. Over the course of her career, she has held roles such as field producer, unit production manager, fixer, liaison, videographer, and more. She is also the published author of her debut book, Pimpette Chronicles: A Modern Black Woman’s Guide to Dating Safely and Navigating These Mean Streets. Tinisha is passionate about storytelling, women’s rights, and creative writing, and she aspires to teach at the collegiate level, fostering the next generation of filmmakers. In her free time, she enjoys great food, nature, dancing, and roller-skating.

Ella Burriss

Ella Burriss was born in Reno and has lived here most of her life. She earned her undergraduate degree in Communication Media and Art Studies from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. Her work experience includes positions in the coffee industry and as a high school tennis coach in Washington. Ella is passionate about sports and aspires to work with a media team for professional football or baseball teams. She is a graduate student at the Reynolds School, where she is eager to gain advanced knowledge in media to support her career goals. In her free time, she enjoys attending concerts, shopping, and playing tennis and pickleball. 

Eliseo Claro

Eliseo Claro was born in San Bernardino, California and raised in Reno. He earned his undergraduate degree in Art and Spanish through the Professions from the University of Nevada, Reno. He works for the University as a graduate resident director, and has previously been a student worker, recruiter and in various customer service roles. Through his graduate studies at the Reynolds School of Journalism he hopes to make the most of the resources and opportunities available, aspiring to pursue independent creative work in his professional career. Eliseo is passionate about drawing, dance, and sports, and enjoys staying active.

Yasmin Dianni

Yasmin Dianni Barbosa was born in São Paulo, Brazil, and has also lived in Chicago, Illinois, and Doha, Qatar. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication from Northwestern University, concentrating in Media Industries & Technology with a minor in Strategic Communication. In her career, Yasmin has worked as a production assistant for CNN Brazil, interned with FIFA+, and served as a marketing communication specialist for Unilever Brazil, among other roles. Yasmin aspires to deepen her expertise in journalism, video production and writing as a graduate student at the Reynolds School. She enjoys cooking, gardening, and exploring new cultures and cuisines.

Jazmine Perez

Jazmine Perez, born and raised in Nevada, earned her undergraduate degree in Public Health from the University of Nevada, Reno. She is passionate about creating content that promotes mental health and wellness. Jazmine has previously worked as a research assistant and content creator at UNR, experiences that deepened her interest in communication and storytelling. She wants to hone her skills in audio and video production through the graduate program at the Reynolds School. Outside of academics, she enjoys reading, writing, and spending quality time with friends and family.

Josue Ponce

Josue Ponce was born in Los Angeles and has primarily lived in Reno. He earned his undergraduate degree in Creative Writing and Spanish through the Professions from the University of Nevada, Reno, where he was also involved in Noticiero Móvil, the Reynolds School’s bilingual (Spanish/English) news outlet. He has previously worked for Patagonia. Josue is passionate about writing, sports, and connecting with nature and the outdoors. He hopes to experience life beyond routine through travel and aims to use communication as a tool to support this goal. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, hiking, spending time at the lake, gardening, and watching movies.

Alex Mounde

Alex Mounde, born and raised in Kenya, holds a B.Sc. in Graphic Communication and Advertising from Moi University and an M.A. in Design from the University of Nairobi. With professional experience at non-profits like SNV and Agriterra, he is passionate about using his skills to address global challenges and support the Global South. Alex is currently pursuing an M.A. in Media Innovation at the Reynolds School of Journalism, aiming to further his goal of working with international non-profits. In his free time, he enjoys hiking and volunteering.

Zareen Tasnim

Zareen Tasnim was born and raised in Bangladesh and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Journalism and Media Studies from Jahangirnagar University. She has worked with leading Bangladeshi media outlets, including The Daily Star and Kaler Kantho. Currently, Zareen is pursuing graduate studies at the Reynolds School driven by her passion for using multimedia to tell impactful, people-centered stories. Beyond her academic and professional pursuits, she enjoys reading books and watching films since she wants to nurture her creativity and broaden her perspective as a storyteller.

Mary Kate Atiglo

Mary Kate was born and raised in Ghana and graduated from the Ghana Institute of Journalism, earning a bachelor's in communication. She worked for the Ghana Revenue Authority, and Radio XYZ as a producer. She aspires to inform, inspire, and create positive changes using the entertainment industry. Mary Kate wants to be a producer and entertainment journalist in the future. She is excited to enhance her expertise in storytelling, video production, and writing as a graduate student at Reynolds School. Her hobbies include visiting the beach, meeting new people, and writing entertainment stories.    

Bridget Bennett

Bridget was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has lived in Las Vegas, Nevada. She earned her bachelor's in journalism from the University of Minnesota. Bridget worked for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and has contributed photographs to the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times as a freelancer. Alongside her passion for photography, she reports on press freedom, housing issues, environment and climate issues. She sees herself as a staff photographer for a national newspaper in the future. She has a strong interest in learning data journalism during her graduate studies with the Reynolds School. In her free time, Bridget likes being outside, hiking, climbing, and restoring furniture.

Ali Dickson

Ali was born in Wisconsin and has also lived in Minnesota, Idaho, and Wyoming. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in environmental studies.  Ali has worked at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve, Grand Targhee Ski Resort, Tahoe Donner Homeowners Association, and Lahontan Golf Club, where she oversaw marketing and communications for both print and digital media, while also occasionally instructing skiing and providing environmental education. She is passionate about sustaining the planet while enjoying it through activities like outdoor recreation, foraging, gardening, reading, chatting on the deck, and sipping wine at sunset. Ali aspires to work at a nature reserve or environmental nonprofit, overseeing communications that educate audiences on how to become stewards of the planet. She is excited to learn how effective communication can inspire connections to help combat climate change.

Abdulmalik Adetola Lawal

Abdulmalik was born in Ibadan city in Nigeria. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Kwara State University. Abdulmalik worked as a remote correspondent for Development Innovation Insider (Dissinder) based in Beijing, as a reporter and editor for AgroNigeria and Eagle News in Nigeria, and as a remote writer for Zuri Baby's Corner in Canada and Techfastly in India. He plans to pursue a PhD after his master’s degree to become an academic in the field of health and environmental communication. To achieve this, he aims to gain specialized knowledge and expertise in using media and communication to improve the environment and promote healthier living. His hobbies include reading, writing articles, watching football.

Oscar Martinez

Oscar was born in Hicksville, New York. He received his bachelor’s degree in media and communication from Suny Old Westbury, New York. During his undergraduate studies, Oscar worked in retail. He is passionate about journalism and its impact on society. In the future, Oscar wants to write about media freedom. He will prepare himself for a career in journalism during his time as a graduate student. Oscar likes to play video games and take photographs in his free time.

Katrina Perce

Katrina was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. As an undergraduate, she worked for the Reynolds School dean's office and the University welcome center. She loves helping people and using communication to understand them. Katrina aims to be a marketing professional for the entertainment industry and music festivals in the future. As a grad student at Reynolds School, she will focus on enhancing her expertise in storytelling and strategic communication. Alongside painting and baking, she likes to try new hobbies during her leisure time.

Fazlur Rahman

Fazlur was born and raised in Jamalpur, Bangladesh and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Dhaka. He served as the deputy business editor of The Daily Star, the most-circulated English daily in Bangladesh. Over his nearly two-decade-long journalism career, Fazlur worked for several media outlets. Fazlur wants to be an outstanding journalist in the future as he views journalism as a tool to hold the powerful accountable to ensure transparency in all sectors. As a graduate student at Reynolds School, he is interested in learning multimedia journalism. His hobbies include reading books, going out, and playing cricket.

Alyssa Rowley

Alyssa was born in Reno and has also lived in Eugene, Oregon, earning her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon. She has worked for the financial aid office and foster youth community at the University of Nevada, Reno. Alyssa aspires to work in the marketing department of a book publishing company. To achieve this, she plans to focus on developing her marketing and branding skills as well as honing her expertise in photo editing, audio, and multimedia while pursuing graduate studies at Reynolds School. In her free time, she likes to read and spend time with her family and dog. She is passionate about animal welfare.