Meet Our Staff
DCC Staff Profiles Heading link
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Director
Image description: Margaret, a white woman with brown hair and brown tortoise shell glasses, smiles at the camera while taking a selfie. Margaret is wearing a blue and white patterned blouse and a navy blue cardigan. Behind her are the bright green leaves of the trees outside the BSB building on UIC's campus.I joined the Disability Cultural Center staff as Director in 2019. I identify as a white, cisgender woman who is deaf. As an adult, I’ve learned some sign language, but I grew up mainstreamed in hearing culture.
I received my PhD in English Literature from the University of Chicago, and my academic interests focus around representations of disability and everydayness, particularly the formal choices that build certain concepts of disability in relationship to race. One of my primary questions has been: what can visual representation say, convey, or be ambiguous about that textual representation can’t, and vice versa? These investigations have led me to focus on representation not just in prose novels but also in media like comics and reality tv. (Ask me about the course I taught on reality tv and “anomalous embodiment”!)
Before coming to UIC, my professional background was in writing program administration, where I specialized in academic writing and supporting graduate students–both as teachers of writing, and as writers working in highly specialized discourse communities. While my interests in supporting writers have sometimes felt separate from my interests in disability studies, they come together in two important ways. As an undergrad at UW-Madison, I worked as a peer writing tutor, and being assigned to an Intro to Disability Studies course is how I encountered disability studies for the first time. I thought it “might be interesting,” and it turned out to be a lightbulb moment that nudged me to explore my relationship to disability identity, begin processing my experiences and how they had been narrated to me, and grapple with my own internalized ableism. Also, it was at academic conferences for rhetoricians and writing instructors that I first experienced radical accessibility put into practice. It was hugely transformative to feel, for the first time, that I was invited to ask for what I needed, that I was anticipated and welcome. In these contexts, I learned to think about practices as shaping environments and sending messages.
As I carry these experiences with me, I’m grateful to find a professional home in a cultural center that’s organized around building cross-disability and cross-movement solidarity.
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Associate Director
I joined the UIC Disability Cultural Center staff as the Associate Director in Summer 2023. One of my main responsibilities at the DCC is facilitating the Community Care Kit Project, including the Community Care Cohort Internship! I identify as a white, queer, nonbinary person with psychiatric disabilities and a chronic illness. I have been given numerous psychiatric labels over the years (some feel accurate, others not so much!). I also have a chronic illness called dysautonomia that I developed after multiple concussions. I am continuously re/un/learning about how to work with and ride the rollercoaster that is autonomic nervous system dysfunction.
I received my PhD from UIC in the Social Foundations of Education, and while I am interested in a lot of different topics, my main focus is on psychiatric disabilities/mental health, students, and education/schooling. I spend a lot of time thinking about systems of power, privilege/oppression, abolition, community care, and disability justice.
My professional life before the DCC included a variety of things from campus programming, to being the director of a Sexuality Summer Institute, to teaching several critical education courses, like Critical Disability Studies in Education and Gender & Sexuality in Education. I received my master’s degree in Sexuality Studies from San Francisco State University, and that is when I was introduced to disability culture for the first time. I went to a Sins Invalid performance in Fall 2009, and it changed my life – I’ve been working to deepen my relationship to disability culture and disability justice ever since!
Other topics you can always talk with me about: I have a cute dog named Motley, in my downtime you can find me playing Zelda on my Switch, camping and hiking are two of my most favorite activities, and I love to cook and bake! -
Febe Frias (They/Them/Theirs)
Febe is a Latinx person in a red short sleeve shirt smiling at the camera with one arm raised. Behind them, there is a large pine tree.Year & Major: Junior, Public Health major with a minor in Spanish.
Passions and/or research interests: I am passionate about child advocacy, art, and creative writing.
How I connected with the DCC: I connected with the DCC through the Woman’s Leadership and Resource Center when I transferred to UIC. What I most love about the DCC is how they welcome you in with open arms. I love that I can be my most authentic self at the DCC!
Ask me about: Come and talk to me about anything! I enjoy talking to other people especially if it’s art related!
Gené Jolivet (She/Her/Hers)
Gené, An African American woman, bending down In the grass smiling at the camera. She has on a black shirt with colorful graphics on it, and black and white compression shorts. She is in front of a river and tall trees.Year & Major: I am in my third year at UIC, and I study Graphic Design.
Passions and/or research interests: My passion is Design because I love to speak to people through my work. I love to create things that people can engage in and relate to. I am also very passionate about spreading awareness for mental health.
How I connected with the DCC: I connected with the DCC because of my fight with Sickle Cell anemia. I have been searching for a safe place where I can be myself, and meet others like me.
Ask me about Sickle cell disease, mental health, and graphic design!!!
Isabel Virgen (She/Her/Hers)
Isabel, A Latinx woman, is smiling at the camera. She has long dark hair and large gold hoop earrings. Isabel is wearing a red shirt with embroidered flowers.Position(s) at the DCC: Undergraduate student worker
Year & Major: Senior, Psychology major and Art minor
Passions and/or research interests: Exploring intersections of race, sexuality, and disability. I am passionate about mental health, community activism, and books!
How I connected with the DCC: As a disabled student, I was excited that UIC had a cultural center for people with disabilities. I have been involved with disability politics and activism for some time and hope to bring my gifts and talents to others at UIC!
Ask me about My favorite allergy-friendly restaurants in the area! I write reviews online for restaurants based on accessibility for those with allergies and food intolerances.
Paloma Araujo (They/Them/Theirs)
A photo of a black Lionhead rabbit with dark brown eyes, a short gray mane on top of his head and a long gray beard around the sides of his face and neck. His ears are perked up and he is peeking his head out of his small soft red house with white polka dots and green triangles on the top of each side, which is meant to resemble a strawberry. The background is white.Year & Major: I am a Junior majoring in Industrial Design
Passions and/or research interests: I am passionate about intersectionality and learning more about other’s identities and cultures that shape their lived experiences. I am interested in the lived experiences of disabled QTBIPOC. My special interests include history, medieval to renaissance, Chicano history, neurodivergence, and punk.
How I connected with the DCC: During my freshman year, I started to attend some online events the DCC hosted and contributed to the Disabled Latino/a/xs zine. I also participated in the DCC Community Care Cohort.
Ask me about Medieval history, The British royal family, music, food especially vegan food, the Sims, Monster High, and the show Reservation Dogs. I am happy to talk!