Meet Our Team

Lauren Kern
Editor in Chief (she/her)
Lauren is a fourth-year English and Creative Writing major on the publishing track with an entrepreneurial management certificate who looks forward to finally finishing the ever growing list of novels on her reading list. If she's not buried in a fantasy book you'll probably find her at one of the many cafes on campus with a latte in-hand or writing the next bestseller.

Iliana Banu
Editor in Chief Assistant
(she/her)
BIO COMING SOON

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Kennedy Ebberts
Writing Workshop Editor
(she/her)
Kennedy is a fourth year transfer student majoring in English and Creative Writing on the publishing track. She loves reading anything fantasy but prefers when there’s at least a romantic subplot. Her favorite past time besides reading is over analyzing Taylor Swift lyrics and forcing her friends to watch elaborate slide shows about Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones lore.
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Catie Plowman
Writing Copy Editor
(she/her)
Catie is a fourth-year anthropology major focusing on biological anthropology. She loves reading about human variation and behavior, but that doesn’t stop her from enjoying psychological thrillers both written and on-screen. In her free time, she roller skates at City Park or downtown and plays her keytar to her heart’s content! You may find her at a cosplay convention dressed up as one of her favorite characters, trying to haggle for a mint-condition comic.

Madeline Hussey
Writing Workshop Editor
(she/her)
Madeline is a third-year student at the University of Iowa. When not focused on classwork, she can be found watching football and enjoying a mug of coffee. Madeline loves hanging out with her friends, reading anything fantasy-related, and is inspired by TikTok edits and cheesy Pinterest posts.

Janessa Wilson
Managing and Production Director (she/her)
Janessa Wilson is a fourth year studying English, with an interest in African-American Studies. She loves to read anything with a good plot, along with watching old TV series, and playing horror games on the easiest difficulty. If you can’t find her, she’s probably trying to catch a stray cat or hiding away at home.

Janani Pattabi
Managing & Production Director Assistant (she/her)
Janani is a third-year English & Creative Writing and Journalism & Mass Communications double major. She’s from Champaign, Illinois, and loves reading science fiction and horror. In her free time, she enjoys binging shows on Netflix, playing tabletop roleplaying games, and finding new restaurants to try out in Iowa City.

Whitney Jensen
Writing Workshop Editor
(she/her)
Whitney is a fourth year English and creative writing student at the University of Iowa on the publishing track. She adores pieces of fiction which speculate on the possible futures of our world; put an apocalypse novel in front of her and she'll never put it down! Outside of Wilder Things, Whitney can be found sitting dramatically by the riverside or cozied up for movie night with her friends.

Rhianna Koppes
Writing Workshop Editor
(she/her)
Rhianna is a third year student double-majoring in Creative Writing and Theatre. When she isn't writing comedy plays, she can be found reading sci-fi and fantasy novels, playing cozy games on her Switch, crocheting, and binging cooking shows.

Emily Vitosh
Writing Copy Editor
(she/her)
Hi, I'm Emily Vitosh, a sophomore from Nebraska. I'm an English and creative writing major. My favorite hobbies are reading, writing, rewatching my favorite tv shows.

Ava Steiner
Marketing Director (she/her)
Ava Steiner is a third-year double major in English and Creative Writing and Screenwriting. When she isn’t chasing plot bunnies or watching campy movies, she can be found shopping for vintage clothes or playing an indie visual novel.

Autumn Mayer
Writing Copy Editor (she/her)
Autumn is a senior double majoring in French and English and creative writing on the publishing track. When she's not busy coordinating and translating for TIP, copyediting for Wilder Things, or being an Honors Writing Fellow, she can be found making her way through an endless stack of books, writing novels, or rock climbing at the Rec.

Mia McRoberts
Writing Copy Editor
(she/her)
Mia is a third-year student double majoring in English and Political Science on the publishing and law tracks. She is from Chicago, Illinois, and loves reading fantasy, horror, and books about mythology. In her free time, she can be found working out at the gym or hanging with her friends.

Mia Miceli
Writing Copy Editor
(she/her)
Mia Miceli is a third-year double majoring in Journalism on the Strat Comm track and English & Creative Writing on the publishing track. She is from the Southside of Chicago and can be found reading, going on walks, or hanging out with her friends.

Ben Van Gorp
Web & Design Editor
(they/them)
BIO COMING SOON

Coming Soon!
Marketing Editor
(she/her)
BIO COMING SOON