Jessica Bal
(she/her/hers)
Jessica (Jess) Bal (she/her) is a researcher, educator, and photographer pursuing a PhD in Art History at The Graduate Center, CUNY, along with a certificate in Interactive Technology & Pedagogy. Her research focuses on documentary ethics, histories of photographic illusion, and emerging imaging technologies. Jess has taught media literacy and visual storytelling to teens and graduate students in New York City, coordinated education programming for the Photoville festival, and managed the digital archive of photographer Susan Meiselas. Her documentary work has been supported by the International Women’s Media Foundation, Magnum Foundation, The Polis Project, UnionDocs, Eddie Adams Workshop, and Fledgling Fund, and published in The New York Times, BuzzFeed News, VICE, The Miami Herald, Narratively, and others.
Contact
Website
Education
Ph.D. The Graduate Center, CUNY (2022-present) // Art History
M.A. CUNY Graduate School of Journalism (2015) // Urban Reporting
B.A. Tufts University (2010) // Art History & English
Teaching
Lehman College, CUNY (Bronx, NY) // 2023 – present
Adjunct Lecturer & Graduate Teaching Fellow, Art Department
NYU Tisch Future Imagemakers (New York, NY) // 2022 – 2024
Lead Teacher & Adjunct Instructor, Photography, High School Program
CUNY Graduate School of Journalism (New York, NY) // 2019-2022
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Photojournalism
Grants &
Fellowships
2025 Early Research Initiative/PS2 Summer Public Research Fellowship
2024 Social Practice CUNY Actionist Fellowship
2024 Morgan Library & Museum Summer Graduate Fellowship
2023 Open Knowledge Fellowship, Mina Rees Library
2020 Photoville Educator Grant
2019 IWMF Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice Grant
2018 Double Exposure Fledgling Fund Fellowship
2018 IWMF African Great Lakes Reporting Fellowship
2016 New York Times Portfolio Review
2016 Eddie Adams Workshop XXIX
2016 Magnum Foundation Fellowship
