Jill Ceneskie (she/her) is an AP English teacher at Olentangy High School. She earned a BA in Theatre from Otterbein University, later returning to her studies to obtain her MA in Education for Secondary Language Arts from Mount Vernon Nazarene University. She has also supplemented her studies with Media Specialist courses at Kent State University. Throughout her career, Jill has found spaces to share her voice both through publication in NCTE’s English Journal and at various conferences including NCTE’s annual conventions. She is thrilled at the opportunity to create space for more voices to be heard through OJELA by building a community of educator-writers here. Jill has been a member of the editorial team since 2025.

Josie Bair is the Executive Director of the OWL Program at Ohio Wesleyan University and a retired middle and high school English teacher. She also serves as an adjunct instructor in Communication and is passionate about words and writing, especially poetry. Josie has been a member of the editorial team since 2025.

Missi Kershner is a PhD student at the University of Cincinnati in curriculum Studies and Teacher Education. She is interested in dehumanization of education in policy and practice. She has 25+ years of teaching experience as a high school English teacher and English as a Second Language Specialist for grades pre-k through grade 12. Outside of school, Missi volunteers with children in foster care and partners with Rayo de Sol, a non profit in Matagalpa Nicaragua, to help support those in need,  leading trips to help rehab schools, engage with the community and encourage the incredible staff.  She also enjoys reading, hiking, traveling, spending time with her husband and four children. Missi has been a member of the editorial team since 2025.

Alyssa Chrisman (she/her) is an educator and researcher currently working as the project manager and instructional designer for the Unite to Read Project, a pro-literacy initiative funded by the Mellon Foundation that focuses on reader advocacy in the face of censorship. She earned her PhD in Teaching & Learning with specializations in Literature for Children & Young Adults and Disability Studies from The Ohio State University and has taught a wide range of courses at both Denison University and Ohio State in Education, Comparative Studies, Queer Studies, and Writing programs.

Before working in higher education, Alyssa earned her B.S. in Secondary Education in English and Speech from Central Michigan University and taught middle and high school English in Memphis, TN. She has published her scholarship, which focuses on themes of mental health and wellness, LGBTQ+ children’s and young adult literature, and social emotional learning in journals such as The ALAN Review, Language Arts, Teachers College Record, Race, Ethnicity & Education, and Reading Research Quarterly. Alyssa is excited to support the scholarship of the OCTELA community through OJELA and is especially looking forward to cultivating a pro-literacy culture through the We Read Banned Books! column. If you’re interested in learning more about the Unite to Read Project and getting involved, please fill out our interest form. 

Kierstin Giunco (she/her) is a literacy researcher and teacher educator whose work draws on qualitative methods within long-term partnerships to examine how PK–8 educators make sense of their contexts and exercise agency as they adapt curriculum to affirm and support all learners. Kierstin began her career teaching in elementary classrooms, later serving as a curriculum coach while completing her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction, with a specialization in language, literacy, and culture, at Boston College. Her commitment to teacher research and advocacy‑oriented literacy instruction took root during this period. She now holds a leadership role in the American Educational Research Association’s Teacher as Researcher Special Interest Group and has co‑authored publications with classroom teachers and teacher candidates, including work featured in NCTE’s  journals.Through her involvement on OJELA's editorial team, Kierstin looks forward to supporting teacher-researchers in sharing their practice and scholarship through the journal! Kierstin joined the editorial team in 2026.