Directors

Scott Stein teaches Writing Fiction, Writing Humor and Comedy, Creative Writing, and Freshman Writing in the Department of English and Philosophy, and is Editor-in-Chief of The 33rd. The book Drexel University Off the Record (the unauthorized guide for prospective students) lists “Scott Stein’s Humor & Comedy Writing class” as one of the “Ten Best Things About Drexel.” Stein is the author of the novels Lost and Mean Martin Manning and the editor of When Falls the Coliseum: a journal of American culture (or lack thereof). He has been interviewed by Reason magazine, the Bibliothecary blog, and New York magazine, and his novels have been reviewed by such publications as The American Spectator, Liberty, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Philadelphia City Paper. His short fiction, book reviews, and essays have been published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, The G.W. Review, Liberty, National Review, PopMatters.com, and Art Times.

Kathleen Volk Miller is the Managing Editor of Painted Bride Quarterly, a 35-year-old nationally recognized independent literary magazine. She has published fiction, personal essays, and articles in numerous publications, including Red Booth Review, The Smart Set, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. She has also published pedagogy papers, won a teaching award while at Rutgers University, and speaks at various conferences on marketing, publishing online, working with student interns, and teaching with technology. She takes great pride in being born the same day as Houdini, Bob Marley, and Princess Haalah bint Al Hashim, and in her arm wrestling skills.

Albert DiBartolomeo is the author of the novels The Vespers Tapes (Blood Confessions in paperback, Cassez pas la cassette in the French edition, optioned for film by Fox) and Fool’s Gold. He has published numerous essays, memoirs, and articles in Readers Digest, Philadelphia Magazine, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Newark Star Ledger, Italian Americana, VIA, Woodwork Magazine, Peregrine and Catholic Digest. His publications have been anthologized in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Wild Dreams and Human Ecology. One of his essays is used in testing in the Texas Public School system. He co-wrote the short film Tiramisu with Len Guercio. He is the founding editor of the Drexel Online Journal (whose recent incarnation is The Smart Set), ASK (originally the Journal of the College of Arts and Sciences) and a co-director of the Drexel Publishing Group.

After numerous major switches and constant life-plan alterations, Maia Livengood has decided to stick with a Hospitality Management major, assuming that her great love for food will never die. Though prolific use of “like,” “ya,” and “totally” often reveal her California roots, she considers herself somewhat of a misplaced native Philadelphian, keen on wooder ice, Yuengling, and of course, the Eagles. In her spare time, she enjoys eating, baking, eating, playing board games, attempting to knit (which almost always results in disastrously misshapen scarves), and identifying entirely too much with a variety of insane fictional Russians. And Salieri: Oh, mediocrity.

Jacob Brophy is a Drexel student studying math and digital media. He’s good at making animations of robots and operating doors. His favorite color is one million.

Despite her name and major being a mouthful, Olivia Mae DiPasquale enjoys the simpler things in life. Among them writing (hence the DPG undertaking), growing her herb garden, and cooking obscure exotic dishes for anyone brave enough to sample them. When she’s not studying International Business and Marketing along with her Chinese minor, Olivia moonlights as a barista at Drexel’s very own Starbucks, travels whenever and where ever the opportunity presents itself, and seeks out adventures in Old City with her partners in crime. She is forever expanding her button collection and hopes to someday invent a time machine.

Giby George is a sophomore at Drexel University majoring in biological sciences with a pre-med concentration. She is currently interning for the Drexel Publishing Group in order to relieve the stress of her organic chemistry labs and human physiology lectures (attendance required). During her free time, Giby enjoys cooking, playing piano, reading, writing, and watching the Food Network and the Discovery Health channel. During the weekends, Giby works in the operating room of a hospital. Inspired by this part-time job, Giby hopes to become a physician someday. She also hopes to continue to write for many years to come.

Laura Knoll is finishing her junior year at Drexel University, majoring in English with a Certificate in Creative Writing and Publishing. After graduating, Laura hopes to obtain a teaching certificate and work toward fostering a love of reading and writing in children.

Carolynn McCormack is a junior at Drexel University majoring in English. She is also working toward the Certificate in Publishing and Writing. Carolynn has been a part of the editorial staff for Maya since her freshman year. Recently, she became a copyeditor for The Triangle. Carolynn is also a peer reader at the Drexel Writing Center. In her free time, Carolynn enjoys hanging out with good friends and trying new things.

Sonal Patel is studying Communications in her fourth year at Drexel University. She is currently interning for the Drexel Publishing Group. Sonal is the Executive Director for the undergraduate public relations firm, 33rd Street PR. She is also the former treasurer for the Drexel chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. In the very little free time that she has, Sonal enjoys exploring restaurants in Philadelphia and watching The Food Network. After college, Sonal hopes to enter the field of public relations. For now, she just wants to go to Rittenhouse Square with a puppy of her own.

Daniel Savage is a freshman at Drexel University majoring in English with a minor in Legal Studies.  Immediately after graduating from high school, he served in the Air Force for eight years, which enabled him to live in Germany for three years and travel all over the world.  Dan now lives in West Philly and divides his time between the Drexel Publishing Group, playing on the Drexel club field hockey team, and working at the Drexel Rec Center and Mad Mex. In his spare time, Dan likes to watch movies and fantasize that he will one day be able to write like Chuck Palahniuk. At 6′1″ and 205 pounds, he is not built for speed, but in a life or death situation Dan believes he could outrun Sasquatch.

Zachary Ssebuliba Ssebatindira is a 22-year-old Ugandan. He is currently in his third year of five at Drexel University, majoring in Biomedical Engineering. He has had the good fortune of a rather varied youth: Born and raised in Uganda, he attended elementary school and the first year of high school in his home country. He then transferred to St Andrew’s College in Grahamstown South Africa to complete his high school education. *Cue a four-year spell that remains a truly wonderful memory.* After high school, at the age of 16, he went to Scotland for two years to pursue a Biomedical Science degree at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen.

He is a sports enthusiast, well; maybe addict would be a closer approximation of the truth. His passion is football—or as the Americans call it—soccer. He has played, watched, agonized over, coached and obsessed about the beautiful game since he was old enough to distinguish between two teams (chosen team, Arsenal FC). He currently coaches the Drexel Women’s Club Soccer team.