Panel of Judges

Panelists:

Kathleen Dalton: A biographer and public historian, Kathleen is the author of Theodore Roosevelt: A Strenuous Life (2002). She has worked as a history teacher, professor, and public history consultant with the National Park Service and the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. She has also served as a Distinguished Lecturer for the Organization of American Historians and as an elected member of the Society of American Historians for the Parkman Prize Committee.

Fabienne Mery: A seasoned public administration leader, Fabienne has extensive experience in the legal and healthcare sectors in France. She served as a judge appointed by the French government adjudicating cases with a focus on undocumented immigration and asylum seeking. Prior to that, she directed human resources, communication, and legal affairs in several public hospitals in the Parisian area. After moving to Lexington, she gained extensive knowledge of Lexington immigrant’s history as an active volunteer in the Lexington Historical Society.

Weina Dai Randel (戴微娜): An award-winning author, Weina has written four historical novels centered around Chinese history and culture, including The Moon in the Palace and Night Angels. Notably, she’s the first Asian American novelist to intertwine Chinese history with the Jewish diaspora in Shanghai during WWII. As a Goodreads Choice Award “Best Historical Fiction” nominee, Randel’s books have been translated into 13 languages, making her an on-demand speaker on both Chinese and Jewish history and culture

Ashley Rooney: A prolific writer, Ashley has written over 70 published books covering architecture, art, and culture. She is also a dedicated community volunteer, serving on the Cary Memorial Library Foundation Board for six years and as chair of the Lexington Field and Garden Club while volunteering for several other local organizations. In addition, she often writes for local magazines, such as the Colonial Times and the Lexington Times.

Elizabeth Xu: A multifaceted professional, Elizabeth is a passionate advocate for cross-cultural exchange between Asian and Western communities. Apart from her professional job as a computational chemist and software engineer, she is also a writer, journalist, and dedicated volunteer, serving as board member for several non-profit organizations. Her work aims to preserve Asian cultural heritage alongside Western culture and help younger generations explore their self-identity through collaborative celebrations.

Artists:

Cristina Burwell: An illustrious pen and ink artist, Cristina is the Executive Director of the Munroe Center for the Arts. With a background in accessible design, she worked as a Boston University Lecturer and Human Factors Engineer before raising her family in Lexington. An avid organizer, she coordinated numerous neighborhood activities and school events before serving as a chairperson for Lexington Council for the Arts. 

Frank Xiaolin Niu (牛晓林): An established Chinese-American artist and art educator, Frank is the author of 彩色铅笔素描教学 [Colored Pencil Sketching Tutorial]. In China, he studied under renowned oil painters at Xi’An Academy of Fine Arts and helped produce the film 巍巍昆仑 [Towering Kunlun] with the First August Film Studio. After immigrating to the US in 1990, he lectured and held art exhibitions at universities, and his works have been collected by private collections and public institutions, notably Harvard University. While a part of the Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association, his focus shifted from creating art to teaching colored pencil.

Rebecca Richards: An artist and educator, Rebecca is the Programming Director of the Munroe Center for the Arts. Prior to this, she worked for several nonprofit organizations in Greater Boston focused on visual and performing arts, such as Belmont Gallery of Art, Belmont Cultural Council, Imagine News, and Belmont World Film. Her outstanding work at Belmont Gallery of Art has created partnerships with Belmont Public Schools and Library and was recognized by the Mass Cultural Council with a Gold Star Award in 2007. 

Youth Judges: 

Atreyi Basu: A senior at Lexington High School. Atreyi is on the executive board of Diversify Our Narrative LPS, an organization advocating for diverse school curriculum. She is also the leader of Sustainable Lexington Youth, a town government subcommittee, and liaison to the Sustainable Lexington Committee. Atreyi has been involved in climate activism for the entirety of her high school career, working on numerous national electoral campaigns with the Sunrise Movement among other social justice initiatives. 

Jodie Chen: A junior at Buckingham Browne & Nichols and passionate server of her community, Jodie is the youth ambassador for Lexington Council for the Art and Co-President of the Never-Fading Poppy Project (NFPP). As a Chinese-American competitive dancer, she emphasizes both the arts and racial identity through hosting and organizing community events, such as emceeing for Lexingon’s 2023 Dance Around the World Festival, Building Our Bonds Authentically (BOBA) Project X EdCAAL Speaker Series on race and identity, and making a 2,000+ handmade poppy memorial under NFPP for Lexington’s Memorial Day Ceremony. 

Mirei Saneyoshi: A student at Lexington High School and avid community organizer, Mirei is the Coalition for Anti-Racism and Equity fellow and Youth Leadership Council Secretary for the Chinese American Association of Lexington (CAAL). She works with state representatives to advocate for recognition of Asian-American activists, and organizes free Mahjong classes for seniors and veterans in the Greater Boston area. Committed to inclusion, she co-authored an article advocating for inclusive practices in Varsity debate and organized volunteers for an all-abilities running team.