Ilana Millner

Age: 26

Home Town: Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania

Education: BA in English (concentration: Creative Writing), University of Pennsylvania

Specific Field Interests: Multimedia Storytelling, Gender and Public Space, Women's Empowerment, Gender Equity, Education, Urban Infrastructure, Informal Settlements, Public Health; Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Healthcare

Placement: AIF Media Fellow, Mumbai Maharashtra

Area of Focus: Media

Highlights: Ilana is a second-year Fellow with a passion for multimedia storytelling, a love of Indian literature, a longstanding interest in public health awareness, and a dedication to promoting the rights of women and girls. As an undergraduate, Ilana produced UPenn's 2010 production of The Vagina Monologues and co-founded The Penn Monologues, an annual show written and performed by students, staff, and faculty. She continues to explore the interplay between personal and collective narratives in community development, and the power of storytelling and performance as catalysts for dialogue, growth, and empowerment. Ilana's interest in public health is informed by her experience as a UPenn-Botswana Partnership Early Education Intern in Gaborone, Botswana, where she worked with children affected by HIV/AIDS. Additionally, her passion for education is rooted in her work as a 2010-2011 Fellow with The Modern Story in Hyderabad India, where she taught digital storytelling to 8th and 9th standard students in government schools. Prior to joining AIF Ilana worked in Switzerland as a writer and editor for Urban-Think Tank and the Chair of Architecture and Urban Design at ETH ZÌ_rich. There, her research and editorial work focused on design and infrastructure in informal settlements around the world.