Stephanie completed a Bachelors of Arts in Film Studies from UW-Milwaukee. She earned a Masters of Arts from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, and spent four and a half years pursuing a PhD with the University of Edinburgh’s Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Department. She also spent her time in Scotland curating and organizing independent film festivals and screenings with the Film House Theatre in Edinburgh, and the University of Edinburgh’s Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Department.
Putting her PhD on hold, Stephanie moved to Los Angeles in 2010 to continue her work in producing, writing, and directing. When not creating fantastical realities on stage, page, and screen, she heads Verthandi Press, through which she published her book “Telling it to the Moon: faerie tales and fantastical journeys.” True to her literary and theatrical geekiness, she runs a monthly classical play reading group with her husband, artist Brian Carroll.
Science fiction has been an all-encompassing part of her life, thanks, in part, to the contagious love of the genre from her parents. When not quoting Frank Herbert’s Dune, waxing poetic about Victorian female sci-fi writers, or arguing why Star Trek VI: the Undiscovered Country is the best Star Trek film ever made, Stephanie is writing her own science fiction films, books, and short stories. Her podcast, Sisters of Sci-Fi, is the product of this genuine adoration of, involvement in, and frustration with the world of science fiction and to give a tiny contribution to science communication.
Her photography, 2-D, and 3-D artwork are meant to be reflections of her deep-seeded love of sacred geometry and the natural world, but more than likely just reveals her inner, well-accepted, and fully loved chaos.
Find her on twitter @Queendomofmab