Hobnobben 2020 Jury
Danee Pye, PhD
Danee's personal geography stretches from California to Indiana by way of Austin, Texas. She is an artist and a rhetorician, a free spirit, a scholar, and an entrepreneur. After several years working in academia, Danee decided to switch things up and put her communication skills to work in digital spaces. She currently owns and operates Common People United, a communication design lab that helps mission-driven organizations do work that matters. She also serves as Director of Member Experience for Sky's the Limit - a nonprofit mentoring platform for underrepresented entrepreneurs. A former Cinema Center Board member, she is passionate by all things that blend design and function in service of helping others.
Fredrick McKissack Jr.
Fredrick McKissack Jr. has nearly 30 years experience as a writer and editor. He is currently the associate editor of Fort Wayne Magazine and managing editor of Fort Wayne Ink Spot. His articles, op-eds, and reviews have been published in The Washington Post, Newsday, Miami Herald, Charlotte Observer, The Progressive and others. He's the co-author of “Black Diamond: The Story of the Negro Baseball Leagues,” which was an American Library Association Coretta Scott King honor book, and “Shooting Star,” named as one of the best YA novels for 2010 by both Kirkus and the Cooperative Children’s Book Council. He lives in Ft. Wayne, Ind. with his wife, Lisa and their son, Mark.
Dr. Stephanie Young
Dr. Stephanie L. Young is a feminist scholar in Communication Studies at the University of Southern Indiana whose research focuses on issues of race, gender, and sexuality in television and film. When she is not running, cooking, or critically analyzing a movie, she co-hosts the podcast Pop Culture Pizza Party.
Dr. Paul Porter
Dr. Paul Porter is Director of Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Saint Francis. An experienced educator, diversity officer and speaker, Dr. Porter's work focuses on the intersection of higher education and cultural studies with emphasis on intercultural communication competence, unconscious bias, racial identity and campus experiences for students from historically underrepresented student populations. He has shared his perspectives on issues of race, violence, and social justice in higher education in guest lectures across the state of Indiana and nationwide.