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A lifetime of dancing around the world defines the work of Maryland faculty fellow Kate Spanos (Ph.D. ’16), non-profit founder and now first-time author. She specializes in dances of resistance, which allow communities to have their voices heard in a way that transcends speech. Through her travels to Montserrat in the Caribbean, Ireland, and Brazil—she’s seen the power of these dances to resist subjugation and build community firsthand, and she’s sharing this knowledge on campus and off.

The sound is unmistakable—a grumbling putter followed by screeching breaks and a reluctant idle: the mailman is here, and Tiara Darnell ‘11 is running to her mailbox. In the carrier’s hand is her gateway to the rest of the world, coming in the form of an international postcard from her father. Growing up in a military family is not without its challenges, but for Darnell, these childhood afternoons waiting for the postman were the origins of a global fascination that would take her all over the world.