Lisa Gagnon, a Buffalo, NY native, is pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in English and linguistics with a music performance minor at the University at Buffalo. An Honors College Provost Scholar and Phi Beta Kappa member, Lisa is interested in the intersections between literature and music, and the ways in which the humanities can be used to serve and improve the lives of underprivileged members of society. Lisa is currently on the organizing team for “Buffalo Bard: 400 Years Since Shakespeare,” a year-long, region-wide celebration of Shakespeare’s life and legacy, and organized two art exhibitions for local artists and high school students as an intern at El Buen Amigo-Latin American Cultural Association. Lisa was principal cellist of the UB Symphony Orchestra for two years, and has played in UB theatre productions “How Did We?” and “The Glass Menagerie.” She currently volunteers at Buffalo String Works, an after school program on Buffalo’s West Side that gives students at PS 45 International School an opportunity to learn violin. Lisa has written for Generation magazine at UB, and her poetry has been twice published in NAME, UB’s undergraduate literary magazine. She is currently serving on the editorial staff for the 2016 edition, and is also working as an editorial assistant at the UB School of Architecture and Planning. In the future, Lisa plans to continue her studies at the graduate level while working with and writing about local organizations using the arts to positively affect the city and region.