Staff
Current Staff
Jonah Willihnganz , Director
Jonah has taught literature, writing, and critical theory at Stanford since 2002. He published fiction, essays, and literary criticism, and currently researches how narrative practices can help develop capacities such as presence, courage, empathy, and belonging. In 2014 he co-founded the LifeWorks Program for Integrative Learning in the Stanford School of Medicine, an experiential education program that helps students learn practices for developing insight and compassion about themselves, others, and the world. He holds a PhD in English from Brown University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Hollins University. He is currently trying to write three books at the same time. It’s slow going.
Laura Joyce Davis, Managing Editor & SSP Lecturer
Laura is the Executive Producer and host of the award-winning narrative podcast Shelter in Place, CEO and co-founder of NarrativePodcasts.com, and a Podcast Magazine Top Influencer in Podcasting. Her work has been recognized with a Social Impact Award for Mentoring and DEI initiatives, a Fulbright scholarship, a Poet & Writers Exchange Award, and the International Women’s Podcasting Award for “Changing the World One Moment at a Time.”
Melissa Dyrdahl, Senior Producer
Melissa was most recently a Stanford University DCI Fellow, where, thanks to Jonah Willihnganz, her love of storytelling was reignited. A strong believer in the benefits of intergenerational learning, Melissa enjoys mentoring students of all ages. In addition to practicing her story craft skills, Melissa runs a small organic farm and worries about who will be the next Masked Singer.
Megan Calfas, Program Coordinator
Megan is a multi-disciplinary storyteller based in San Francisco. As a journalist, she has reported on the environment for the Los Angeles Times and investigated maternal mortality in Zanzibar. She produces the podcasts The Feminist Present and In Bed With the Right. At Stanford and beyond, she has coached over 150 people on telling their true, personal stories live on stage. Most recently, she directed and produced a sold-out run of the original live storytelling show Crushing at Dixon Place Theater in New York City. Her original play, Sleepover, premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2024.
Dawn J. Fraser, Senior Producer
Dawn J. Fraser is a storyteller, podcaster and nationally acclaimed communications coach based out of San Jose, CA. She’s the Founder/ CEO of Fraser’s Edge, Inc, which provides coaching and consulting services for businesses, thought leaders and creatives to develop their leadership potential through storytelling. Past clients have included Google, the Gates Foundation and Spotify, as well as many notable celebrities. Dawn serves as a Senior Producer at the Stanford Storytelling Project, a Lead Instructor with The Moth and was featured among some of the nation’s top change makers at TED@NYC. She loves being a twin, a Trinidadian, and touch-baseable at www.dawnjfraser.com
Student Producers
Ana De Almeida Amaral (she/her) is a chicana storyteller from southern San Diego in California. She studies Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity at Stanford and aims to center marginalized voices in everything she creates. Her work is heavily influenced by her passion for bilingual storytelling and liberatory community organizing. When she is not working on her stories, you can find her listening to vinyl, hanging out with her grandma, and journaling at the beach.
Natasha Charfauros is a Junior majoring in Economics. She loves podcasts that highlight the importance of self-discovery, environmental sustainability, and cultural heritage and educational series that focus on personal finance and professional development. During school, you can find her on campus at the Native American Cultural Center or at club meetings at Stanford Women in Business.
Destiny Cunningham is a Senior from Chicago, IL, and majors in American studies with a focus on disability, gender, and race in American literature and media. She finds joy in actively listening to others’ stories, recognizing the power of each individual’s unique experiences. Outside of SSP, you can find her working on theater productions as BlackStage’s Vice President.
Max Du is an AI researcher by day and a writer by night. As a storyteller, he is especially interested in the human-animal relationship: the mysticism, the controversies, the spirituality. In addition to working on pieces for the Storytelling Project, he is currently doing fieldwork for a non-fiction book that features the stories of whale & dolphin trainers. He also enjoys writing fiction whenever he gets the chance.
Aru Nair (she/they) is a senior from Laramie, Wyoming studying Human Biology and Comparative Literature. Her favorite part of being a producer at SSP is working alongside other students to create audio stories about culture and identity. Storytelling in all its forms (audio, video, writing) is one of their biggest passions because of its incredible power to bring people together. In her free time, Aru loves watching live music, hiking, and playing board games.
Carolyn Stein has been with the Storytelling Project since her freshman year. Originally from Los Angeles, she is double majoring in Communication and East Asian Studies and hopes to use storytelling in her future career endeavors. When she isn’t conducting interviews or listening to podcasts with other producers, you can find her going on unnecessarily long walks.
Alina Wilson studies human biology with a concentration in medical humanities. She is drawn to the power stories have to facilitate meaning-making, connection, and healing. She can be found learning to play the drums, practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai Kickboxing, and walking confidently in the wrong direction while exploring new places.
Shameeka “Smeek” Wilson is a doctoral candidate in education. Her research interest spans multiple topics within education. Shameeka was born and raised in North Carolina and is very proud of her Southern roots. She readily allows these roots to shine through while she produces audio stories. When she isn’t consumed with doctoral work and audio producing, she enjoys the simple things in life. Nature walks, trying new recipes, and binge-watching reality TV are among her favorite pastimes. She also enjoys traveling, cross-stitching, and shenanigating with her immediate and extended family.