Expression Magazine Gets New Editor

Charna Mamlok Westervelt, a skilled wordsmith with more than a decade of experience in higher education, has taken over as editor of Expression, the magazine for alumni and friends of Emerson College.

Westervelt has been leading the publication since early September, when longtime Expression editor Rhea Becker fully transitioned to being Emerson’s primary social media manager and strategist.

“I’m thrilled to be at Emerson and to help tell Emerson’s story,” Westervelt said. “It’s such an honor to be here.”

As editorial director and magazine editor, Westervelt will be responsible for producing a thrice-yearly print publication focused on sharing the stories of the people of Emerson, including the College’s alumni, faculty, and students.

Westervelt said she is excited to be a part of such a vibrant and inventive campus.

“I love the energy and creativity of this place, and being immersed in an environment focused on communications and the arts, within the context of the liberal arts,” she said.

Westervelt comes to Emerson from Wellesley College, where she was the communications director in the President’s Office. Prior to Wellesley, Westervelt oversaw the publications team at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and was editor of WPI’s alumni magazine. From 2002-2005, she was a writer and editor at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School, a private day school in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She began her career as a community journalist, writing for the Norwich (Conn.) Bulletin, where she met her now-husband, who wrote for the competition.

Westervelt holds a master’s degree in communications management from Simmons College, and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ithaca College, where she minored in music performance (piano). She currently sings with the Zamir Chorale of Boston.

“I grew up in a really musical house – I actually learned to read music before I learned to read [words],” Westervelt said. “Before I started at Emerson, someone told me that it’s not uncommon for Emerson students to randomly break out into song and dance. And I thought, ‘Oh, I’m going to love it there!’”

When she’s not writing or editing or singing, she might be found running, hiking, or reading. She is active with her synagogue, Temple Israel of Natick, where she recently served on the Board of Directors.

She lives in Natick with her husband, Rob, and her “fabulously curious, smart, imaginative, and funny” 4-year-old daughter.

Westervelt would love to hear from you, and can be reached at charna_westervelt@emerson.edu or 617-824-3442.