Congratulations to our 2026 Fellowship winners!
Glory Akwa
Indiana University
Sophia Brousseau
Portland State University Press
Iliana Cosme-Brooks
Virginia Tech Publishing and Press
Haley Dittbrenner
Syracuse University, Bird Library
Rebecca Griffiths
Emerald Publishing
Yamaya Jean
Wiley
Phumlani Mncwango
Academy of Science of South Africa
Kaitlin Phillips
George Washington University
Asamoah Ransford
CSIR – Crops Research Institute
Annesha Sil
PLOS – Public Library of Science
Chyanne Turner
American Association for Cancer Research
Sarah Wright
American Veterinary Medical Association
SSP is deeply committed to fostering a community that supports and benefits from the talents of scholarly publishers from myriad backgrounds. We believe that our community must center on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and we strongly encourage people from traditionally marginalized groups to apply as fellows.
Interested in past SSP Fellowship Program winners? We maintain a list of all prior year fellowship participants.
About Our 2026 Fellows
Glory Akwa is a Ph.D. student in Information Science at the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington. Her research focuses on Artificial Intelligence, social media interactions, library and information science, and communication. She explores how the design and use of technologies affect the lives of individuals, organizations, and communities. Prior to joining Indiana University, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Uyo, Nigeria, where she graduated in the top 1% of her cohort. She gained professional experience in academic and information management, contributing to research, knowledge, and information services.
Sophia Brousseau is from the Cowlitz Indian Tribe in Southern Washington, and currently lives in Portland, Oregon, where she is pursuing her MA in Book Publishing at Portland State University. Additionally, she is a Project Manager at Ooligan Press, where she represents two Native non-fiction authors, and works for the Native nonprofit Confluence Project as a copyeditor for their annual journal, Voices of the River, and subsequent book projects by Indigenous writers. Her research is dedicated to the survivance of Native voices in creative endeavors and aims to create an alternative editorial approach for Indigenous peoples that preserves their culture and experiences.
Iliana Cosme-Brooks (she/her) is the Open Publishing Coordinator at Virginia Tech Publishing & Press (VTP&P). She has an academic background in writing studies, rhetoric, and digital humanities, as well as publishing experience across a wide range of formats and fields. In her work producing open access scholarship at VTP&P, she collaborates with authors and editors to create dynamic and accessible texts that redefine what scholarly publications can be.
Haley Dittbrenner is a student of library and information science at Syracuse University. She has previously conducted research on book piracy at undergraduate institutions, culminating in presentations to the Pennsylvania Library Association and the Associated College Libraries of Central Pennsylvania. She has furthered this work through open access initiatives at Susquehanna University and Syracuse University. Her research interests emphasize the intersections between publishing and traditional library science. She has also authored a chapter in the ACRL-published text Supporting Neurodiverse Students in Academic Libraries. Post-graduation, she would like to pursue a career in scholarly and open-access librarianship.
Rebecca Griffiths is a Books Commissioning Assistant at Emerald Publishing, where she began her career as a Market Research Intern working on diamond open access journals. She graduated from the University of Derby in July 2025 with a degree in Creative Writing and Publishing, and her research interests include scholarly communication, open access, knowledge preservation, and regional diversity within the UK publishing industry. She is particularly interested in alternative open access models and more equitable approaches to academic publishing, such as diamond open access.
Yamaya Jean is the Manager of Open Research Americas at Wiley, where she builds strategic partnerships that advance open research across the region. Prior to joining Wiley in 2024, she spent over five years in the nonprofit sector focusing on capacity-building, strategic consulting, and program management of multi-stakeholder research initiatives, experience that strengthened her ability to navigate complex ecosystems and translate data into compelling narratives. She holds an MA in International Development and a BA in Economics and International Development from Clark University. Through the SSP Fellowship, Yamaya looks forward to collaborating with leaders across the industry and deepening her expertise in equitable open access strategies.
Phumlani Mncwango holds a Bachelor of Library and Information Science from the University of Zululand. Before joining the South African Journal of Science (SAJS) editorial team in 2025, he completed a two-year internship in scholarly publishing, gaining experience in editorial workflows, metadata management, and author support. At SAJS, he serves as an Online Publishing Administrator, supporting authors and editors throughout the submission and peer review process. His responsibilities include managing manuscript workflows, preparing submissions for review, coordinating with reviewers and associate editors, anonymising files, following up on revisions, and assisting authors from submission through to publication or rejection. He also manages special issue workflows, handles commentary solicitations, and oversees reviewer engagement. In addition to editorial tasks, Phumlani organises webinars, peer-review workshops, and monthly Peer Review Forum meetings for postgraduate students and early-career researchers. He is also involved in the journal’s science communication, social media reporting, and the production support of the SAJS. Phumlani is particularly interested in strengthening peer-review literacy and supporting transparent, equitable scholarly communication in the African research landscape.
Kaitlin Phillips is a graduate student in the George Washington University Publishing program with an interest in scholarly publishing and academic communications. She currently works as an English teacher in Orlando, Florida. Though in the early stages of her publishing journey, Kaitlin is passionate about making the industry more accessible and reflective of the communities it serves. Before her time at GWU, she grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and moved to South Carolina, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English.
Asamoah Ransford is a young librarian at the CSIR–Crops Research Institute in Ghana, where he supports research scientists with data, information management, and scholarly communication. With a background in management and a master’s degree in information studies, his work focuses on research data management, open access, and improving the visibility of agricultural research. Passionate about strengthening scholarly publishing practices in developing research institutions, Asamoah is committed to advancing sustainable knowledge sharing and improving research visibility within the CSIR research community.
Annesha Sil earned her undergraduate degree in Biotechnology from VIT University, India, followed by a Master’s degree in Neuroscience from King’s College London and a PhD in Neuroscience (cum laude) from the University of Cagliari, Italy, in 2017, specializing in preclinical models of addiction. She subsequently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Aberdeen, contributing to international initiatives to enhance reproducibility in neuroscience and investigating dementia risk factors. She joined PLOS One as an Associate Editor in 2024 and currently serves as a Senior Editor, reflecting her ongoing commitment to open science, integrity, and inclusivity in academic publishing.
Chyanne Turner is the digital publishing associate at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), where she works with the digital publishing team to support the production and publication of AACR’s research journals. She received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry and creative writing at St. Lawrence University and recently completed her master’s degree in inorganic materials chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania. As an early-career professional, Chyanne is looking forward to gaining invaluable insights into scholarly publishing from industry veterans and her SSP Fellowship Program peers. In her free time, she enjoys writing and cooking for friends and family.
Dr. Sarah Wright is an Associate Editor for the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Journal of Veterinary Research. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020. After graduation, Sarah completed a Small Animal Medicine and Surgery Rotating Internship at VCA Aurora Animal Hospital, followed by a Veterinary Fellowship at the Vancouver Aquarium. She transitioned from clinical medicine to scholarly publishing in 2022 when she began working for the Publications Division of the American Veterinary Medical Association as the Social Media Editor, then as Associate Editor.
