Alexa Spaventa

Alexa Spaventa serves as Bucknell Director for the Open Discourse Coalition, where she coordinates programming and engagement efforts at Bucknell University. She works with students, faculty, staff, and community partners to plan speaker events, discussion series, and educational programming focused on civil dialogue and intellectual engagement.

Prior to joining ODC, Alexa worked across higher education and technology in roles related to digital preservation, student affairs, software development, and project management at the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh Library System, and in the private sector.

Alexa earned both her Master of Library and Information Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Science and Digital Narrative & Interactive Design from the University of Pittsburgh. Her interest in civic dialogue and the exchange of ideas began through participation in Lincoln–Douglas debate, where she was a four-time national qualifier, and continued during college as a student fellow with The Beatrice Institute, where she participated in interdisciplinary seminars and discussions centered on the Christian intellectual tradition. Building on these interests, her graduate research focused on artificial intelligence, digital communication, and online disinformation. She also served for several years as a teaching assistant and mentor within Pitt’s School of Computing and Information.