Co-Editors in Chief
Aidan Tepfer is a senior at UNC Asheville majoring in Political Science and minoring in Human Rights Studies. They are currently serving as one of the co-editors in chief for Dignity. They are specifically interested in Queer rights within the United States and the connections between their violation and the material conditions of those affected.
Benson Hughes is a junior History major at the UNC Asheville. He is currently serving as one of the co-editors in chief for Dignity. Concentrating on United States history in general, he is particularly interested in the National Park Service and its role in presenting history and culture to the American public while, historically, marginalizing indigenous peoples, women, African Americans, and others.
Senior Editors
Joe Knox is a senior at UNC Asheville working on his major in Political Science. Previously a Computer Science major, he is interested in Human Rights as it intersects with technology, as well as the ways that modern advances can improve quality of life domestically as well as abroad. He is also interested in electoral politics and the ways in which it can both improve and restrict human rights. He is currently serving as a Senior Editor and Co-Website Manager for Dignity.
Grace Adams is a junior at UNC Asheville majoring in Political Science. She is currently serving as a Senior Editor and a Website Manager for Dignity. Grace’s interest in human rights began early on in high school when she read Matthew Desmond’s Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City. She is most interested in the rights of the imprisoned, which are often neglected.
Mars Denyer is a recent graduate from the History Department at UNC Asheville. Her passions are uncovering and understanding the past through historical empathy combined with an interest in identifying and protecting human rights. Mars’ interest in human rights encompasses her focus on social history, global revolutions, radical resistance, colonialism and race, and women in history. She presented her capstone project on Rote Zora, a radical feminist guerilla organization in West Germany from 1974 to 1995, at the undergraduate research symposium in December 2022. She plans to continue her studies in a graduate degree program. She currently serves as a Senior Editor for Dignity.
Percy Pinnix is a junior English Literature major at UNC Asheville. He has a special interest in trans health care and rights. He currently serves as a Senior Editor for Dignity.
Associate Editors
Ash Willis is a junior History major with an Asian Studies minor at UNC Asheville. He is interested in how Human Rights weaves together with history to create a bigger, more full picture of both queer Human Rights and the Human Rights of women. He is also interested in areas pertaining to Chinese history and the history of sex and sexuality. He is serving as an Associate Editor for Dignity.
Helen Williams is a junior at UNC Asheville majoring in political science. She is serving as an Associate Editor for Dignity and a part of the outreach team that specializes in outreach programs and social media. During her time in undergrad, Helen has become interested in access to voting in the US, especially for youth voters, African Americans and indigenous peoples living on reservations.
Liv Barefoot is a second year student majoring in Political Science with a minor in Human Rights Studies. She is currently an Associate Editor for Dignity, Vice President of SGA, and a Voting Research Assistant. They initially garnered their interest in human rights by advocating for LGBTQ+ rights throughout high school and writing an extensive 30-page research paper on Indigenous women’s issues in NC. They hope to continue researching and advocating for marginalized communities in the U.S. and beyond. Likewise, she aspires to be a human and civil rights advocate/lawyer in the future.
Steven Moss is a junior and History and Mass Communications major with minors in Philosophy and Religious Studies. Steven’s interests in Human Rights stems from his experience’s growing up in a poverty-stricken area, and wants to travel the world to tell the stories of the underrepresented peoples of the world. He currently serves as an Associate Editor for Dignity.
Will McDavid is a Junior at UNC Asheville majoring in History with a Social Studies Teaching Licensure for grades 9-12. His interest in Human Rights revolves around the access to and quality of civic and historical education across the globe. He is serving as an Associate Editor for Dignity.
Riley Johnson is a senior Creative Writing major and French minor at UNC Asheville. She has interests in how people can support and foster awareness for Human Rights on a local level. She is currently serving as a Associate Editor for Dignity.
Michael Dennis is a senior history major with a focus on modern US and North Carolina history. He has also worked for 2 years as a student assistant at UNC Asheville’s Ramsey Library Special Collections. Michael’s Interest in Human Rights comes from his interest in examining how the United States has oppressed minorities and political dissidents throughout its history.
Ruby Davis is a freshman at UNC Asheville most likely majoring in English with a concentration in creative writing. She is interested in writing, art, and environmental issues. She is currently serving as an associate editor.
Tasha Taggart is a Junior at UNC Asheville majoring in Biology with a Neuroscience minor. She is interested in healthcare access for underserved communities, environmental issues, decolonization, indigenous peoples’ rights to ancestral land, and the environmental stewardship of those lands. She is currently serving as an Associate Editor for Dignity.
Past Dignity Editorial Boards: