Two graduate students from Arizona Arts were named to the prestigious 2024-25 University Fellows cohort, awarded to the highest-ranked incoming graduate students at the University of Arizona.
This distinguished fellowship offers recipients a robust financial package, professional development, mentoring, community engagement opportunities, and the chance to connect with an interdisciplinary cohort. The University Fellows program is the flagship initiative of the University’s Graduate Center that launched in 2014.
The University Fellows Program aims to recruit top-tier students to the U of A, cultivate interdisciplinary thinkers and practitioners, and foster collaborative innovation on campus and beyond. This year, the cohort includes Beihua Guo, an MFA candidate in studio art at the School of Art, and Ashley Martin-Casler, a doctoral student in the Applied Intercultural Arts Research Graduate Interdisciplinary Program.
Past University Fellows features
- Lori Hennessy | Shaping inclusive cello pedagogy
- Fátima Corona del Toro | The power to choose
- Gloria Orozco Dorado | Rocking the clarinet
- Savanah Pennell | Arts research with social justice
Beihua Guo
MFA, Studio Art
Artist Website
Beihua Guo, an MFA candidate studying studio art at the School of Art, is a Chinese artist whose work spans photography and installation. Previously based in Los Angeles and Shanghai, Guo holds a BA in studio art and environmental analysis from Pitzer College in Claremont, California. His art delves into the complex relationship between humanity and nature, with current research addressing water issues in the American West, nuclear history, the Transcontinental Railroad, pseudoarcheology, and Chinese gardens.
Guo’s work has been exhibited internationally at venues such as the Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, Photo Open Up International Photography Festival, and Nizhny Tagil Museum of Fine Arts. He was the winning recipient of the Lucie Scholarship Program and earned the Kurt Markus Photography Scholarship in Santa Fe in 2023. He has been awarded artist residencies in Yellowstone, Lassen Volcanic, and Petrified Forest National Parks. His project “Water Is Thicker Than Blood” is included in the Photolucida’s Critical Mass Top 200 list in 2024.
Aside from his research, he enjoys visiting National Parks, exploring Google Earth, and spending time with his partner.
Ashley Martin-Casler
PhD, Applied Intercultural Arts Research
Ashley Martin-Casler, a Tucson native, is a PhD student in the Applied Intercultural Arts Research program. After attending Spelman College, she earned degrees from the University of Arizona (Bed ’08, Music Teacher Education) and Northern Arizona University, where she earned a Master of Music in vocal performance and a graduate certificate in ethnic studies. Her work investigates the intersections of music, culture, and public health, focusing on the impact of music on social change and community wellness. A dedicated arts educator, Martin-Casler taught music and arts integration in the Tucson Unified School District for nine years, contributing to the Opening Minds Through the Arts program.
Her work explores the intersections of music, culture, health, and community wellness, particularly how music can affect social change and positively impact public health. Outside of her research, Ashley enjoys reading, cooking, and being in nature.
2024-2025
Beihua Guo (art)
Ashley Martin-Casler (AIAR*)
2023-2024
Lori Hennessy (music)
Maya Jackson (art)
Savanah Pennell (art)
2022-2023
Maria Fatima Corona del Toro (music)
Jenna Green (art)
Mary Monaghan (music)
Claire Taylor (art)
2021-2022
Anupam Singh (art)
Gloria Ines Orozco Dorado (music)
2020-2021
Emmy Tisdel (music)
Mariel Miranda (art)
2019-2020
Raven Moffett (art)
Lucy Mugambi (art)
2018-2019
Jared Baker (dance)
Rebecca Thompson (art/AIAR)
2017-2018
Matthew Crosby (music)
Maria del Mar Navarro (art/AIAR)
2016-2017
Khaled Jarrar (art)
Juan Mejia (music)
2015-2016
Misha Burstein (art)
Stephanie Hoeckley (music)
2014-2015
Terrence Pitt-Brooke (music)
Danielle Sheather (dance)
* Applied Intercultural Arts Research Graduate Interdisciplinary Program