Announcing the 2023 Liminal Fellows

Maren Louttit Johnson and Issam Azzam to Join Liminal Lab Monti Prenestini

The Liminal team is excited to announce the selection of Maren Johnson and Issam Azzam as the 2023  Liminal Fellows. Chosen from a competitive pool of applicants from around the globe, Maren and Issam will bring a unique and multidisciplinary perspective to Liminal Lab Monti Prenestini, which will run from July 3rd to August 11th. 

Liminal Fellow Maren Louttit Johnson

Maren Louttit Johnson, a graduate of Cornell University, possesses a background in ecology, biodiversity, and landscape architecture. Maren’s passion for finding opportunities in rural and overlooked landscapes through creative and thoughtful relationship-building makes her highly aligned with the goals of the Liminal Lab.

Issam Azzam, a Harvard Graduate School of Design student, brings expertise in data visualization, biology, and landscape architecture that will be essential in this year’s iteration of the program. Both fellows have demonstrated strong dedication to facing contemporary social and environmental challenges using their unique skillsets and perspectives.

Liminal Fellow Issam Azzam

Through their participation in Liminal Lab Monti Prenestini, Maren and Issam will engage with local stakeholders and community members in the towns of Castel San Pietro Romano, Rocca di Cave, Capranica Prenestina, and Guadagnolo this summer. They will collaborate with a team of eight students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to create a cohesive web platform that showcases the opportunities and challenges of the territory.

The team will develop a digital identity for the area that they will study, that reinterprets the role and meaning of these evolving landscapes today. They will study and propose a cohesive identity for the municipalities of Monti Prenestini through an intensive participatory process. The initiative is part of  "I Borghi Maestri dei Monti Prenestini–Isole di Rigenerazione '' regeneration project, funded by the European Union's NextGenerationEU program. The NextGeneration EU project aims to strengthen tourism activity, support the creation of new jobs and the increase of residential population through a combination of 27 initiatives including Slow Food, Associazione Borghi più belli d’Italia, Tor Vergata University, South Working, Liminal and other stakeholders and organizations. 

We would like to thank everyone who applied to the fellowship and welcome Maren and Issam to the Liminal team.

To stay updated on the latest news and work of the Liminal Fellows, please follow our official website and social media channels!