AVA JACKSON HAMPTON

I am a graduate of Emory University,
where I majored in interdisciplinary
studies with a focus on urbanism and
minored in architectural studies.
I am an independent researcher with
multimedia training, and my work has
investigated corruption in natural disaster
response and recovery, architectural
histories, mega-events, corporate
landlords, and urban governance.
My creative work has focused on audio as a
dynamic mode of communication, from
podcasts and public radio. During my 4 years
at Emory, I worked as a freelance podcast
editor and served as a broadcast engineer,
and later general manager, for our college
radio station. I am also a print maker and
graphic designer.

I am currently working as freelance web designer and seeking full time employment as a producer, educator, researcher, or legal assistant. Please reach out if you are interested in working together!

CV

PDF for full descriptions

Education

Emory University

May 2026

Bachelor of Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture

Minor: Architectural Studies
Honors Thesis (Highest Honors): “Precarious Games: Corporate Accountability, Housing Justice, and the Right to the City in Atlanta from Olympics to World Cup”

Danish Institute for Study Abroad, Copenhagen

Fall 2024

Employment

Freelance Web Designer
Self-Employed

Jul. 2026-Present

Bread and Butterfly
Host

Aug. 2026-Present

Wall Crawlers Rock Climbing
Coach

Aug. 2026-Present

Institute for the Liberal Arts, Emory University
Teaching Assistant, IDS 390: Interdisciplinary
Research
Design

Jan. 2026 – May 2026

Woodruff Library MediaLab
MediaLab
Specialist

Aug. 2023 – May 2026

Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering
Podcast
Editor

Aug. 2025 – Apr. 2025

Emory History Dept.
Research
Assistant

Mar. 2024-Aug. 2024

Community Leader-ship

Emory Student Radio (WMRE)
President

Aug. 2025 – May 2026

Chief Technical
Engineer

Aug. 2023 – Aug. 2025

Emory Students for New Urbanism
Founder &
President

Jan. 2025 – May 2026

Atlanta Congress for the New Urbanism
Student
Liaison

Aug. 2025 – May 2026

Crafting Community Workshop Series
Workshop
Leader

Aug. 2025 – Dec. 2025

Research

Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE)
Emory University
May 2025-August 2025

“The Urban Archive: Rebuilding Christchurch”
Christchurch, New Zealand May 2024-December 2024

Awards

Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Fellowship ($3,500), Atlanta Congress for the New Urbanism Travel Grant, Emory Conference Grant, Marc Ernstoff Award in Art History ($1,500)

Skills

ArcGIS, StoryMaps, R Studio, HTML, CSS, Omeka, Adobe Suite, Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro, OBS, Riverside, Qualitative Interviews, Participant Observation, Archival Research, Site Analysis, Spanish (B2 Proficiency)

PORTFOLIO

RESEARCH

1. Honors Thesis: “Precarious Games: Corporate Accountability, Housing Justice, and the Right to the City in Atlanta from Olympics to World Cup”

I received highest honors for this work, which employed a year’s worth of literature review, close reading of news, attending and recording public events, and conducting long-form interviews. I presented my research on a panel with three other Atlanta community organizers and scholars at the Atlanta Studies Symposium in May 2026.

2. The Urban Archive: Rebuilding Christchurch

During the summer of 2024, I travelled to Christchurch, New Zealand with funding from Emory’s Marc Ernstoff Award in Art History to conduct long-form interviews, site visits, and archival research in order to report on the city’s recovery after a devastating 2011 earthquake. My findings, presented in a narrative, RadioLab-inspired, podcast-style report.

I was later invited to present this work at the Society of Architectural Historians conference in May of 2025.

3. Visions of the Future: MARTA’s Five Points Station

During the spring of 2024, I took a course on Atlanta’s 20th century architecture and produced this ArcGIS storymap to illustrate the political and social ideas that MARTA’s most important station, built in late 1970s, was intended to communicate. I contrast these “visions of the future” with modern ideas of futurism by using proposed plans for a 2025 renovation of the station.

I have conducted urban research in the cities mentioned above, as well as Copenhagen DK, Gothenburg SE, Barcelona SP, and Charlotte NC.

RADIO

In college I worked at WMRE, Emory’s radio station, first as Chief engineer. After the station “died” during the Covid-19 pandemic, I was a core member of the executive board that returned our stream to air. With the guidance of our advisor, I rebuilt our broadcast system and helped train 100+ DJs how to use our soundboard and troubleshoot technical problems. I also created automatic episode recordings so every DJ could access and download their shows, massive improvements to our sound quality and reliability of the stream, and remote access to our computer so I could resolve issues from anywhere on campus. I remained on call at any time.

My senior year I was elected to be a co-President (aka General Manager) of the station, leading an 18-person executive board, managing a $14,000 budget, and coordinating multiple live broadcast concerts.

Listen to the WMRE stream here:

“Student radio station WMRE dials in on community”

- Emory Magazine

“WMRE debuts intimate live stream concert”

- Emory Wheel

“WMRE’s Spring Band Party celebrates resurrection of Emory’s college radio scene”

- Emory Wheel

GRAPHIC + WEB DESIGN

1. I am currently working as a freelance web designer, and so far have designed (a) a site for a local author and book seller Charlene Ball and am currently working on (b) a landing page for a local documenatary maker, Jen Borrero.

PHYSICAL MEDIA

I am a multimedia artist with a personal practice focusing on printmaking and furniture construction, but I was also trained at Emory in printmaking, sculpture, and architectural modeling.

printing

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other physical media

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VIDEO

I am trained in camera and equimpment (mics, lighting, green screen) operation, and have produced professional grade video-podcast episodes, as well as shorter, more creative student films. At Emory, I completed course work in digital filmmaking and film studies.