Caroline Ferrante

About the Artist

Storyteller | Author | Artist | Researcher   Caroline Bagesaanaatig Ferrante, MAEd/CI, is an award-winning musician, author, researcher, and multimodal storyteller. She currently serves as a Research Program Coordinator for Grants Made at Scale, a multi-institutional, NSF-funded initiative that expands access to undergraduate research and professional development. Across this work, she designs programs, builds mentorship structures, and supports emerging researchers in navigating pathways into academic and professional research careers. Caroline is also a PhD researcher in Language, Literacy, and Culture at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Her research examines social intelligibility: how cultural norms shape what counts as meaningful communication, competent participation, and recognizable personhood, particularly in digital and neurodiverse contexts. Her work is grounded in multimodal and arts-informed approaches, including storytelling, performance, music, and narrative inquiry. Drawing in part on Pawnee-inspired storytelling practices, she engages voice, rhythm, and embodied expression to explore how knowledge is experienced, shared, and made meaningful. Through these methods, she investigates how alternative forms of perception, expression, and knowledge—often marginalized within institutional settings—can become visible, legible, and valued. Across her research, teaching, and public work, Caroline brings together theory, storytelling, and practice to expand our understanding of communication, learning, and belonging.