Alicia Cristina Grullon, a graduate student in the Intermedia Design (VRL) Program, uses elements of photography and film to document herself in her artwork. Alicia has studied and blended photography and ethnography to explore the meaning of identity. Alicia's thesis, "Becoming Myth: An Ethnographic Study of Self," is a good example of her interdisciplinary work. In it she explores how ideas of representation in ethnographic photography affect people today.

Though Alicia's work is mostly concentrated on herself, she has done extensive outreach with others. She taught English in Korea to adults for two years and for the past five years has taught English as a second language at an institute in New York City. She enjoys intercultural interaction and hopes to one day become a professor of art and cultivate a language course with a focus on art discourse for international students.

Why New Paltz: "I wanted a smaller environment to work in, an environment of different people with different backgrounds."
Interests: Travel, art, and teaching.
Influences: Anthropologist Margaret Mead and artist Ana Mendietta.
Goals: Alicia hopes to continue her work on ethnography and art in Chile as a Fulbright scholar.