12 Sep 2025 Meet the University of Utah Press’s Newest Acquisitions Editor
by Mara Scallon
The most recent addition to the University of Utah Press editorial team is John D. Moore, who began his position in July. In this post, you’ll get to know John and some of his favorite Press books. Stay up-to-date with our upcoming conferences and author events to meet John and our other staff in person.
Get to know John
“I’m very glad to have joined the University of Utah Press as an acquisitions editor of archaeology, anthropology, and linguistics in July of 2025. I was previously a book publicist at Johns Hopkins University Press and have extensive experience as a copyeditor. Most recently, I’ve worked at the J. Willard Marriott Library—the Press office is just across the atrium from my old office. I have an MA in Japanese language & literature from the University of Oregon, and I did my undergrad right here at the University of Utah.”
What are three of your favorite University of Utah Press books?
“Steven R. Simms’s First Peoples of Great Salt Lake brings to vivid life the area I call home with a powerful sense of place and clear, accessible, and engaging prose.”
“Beautifully illustrated by the author, Gasa Gasa Girl Goes to Camp by Lily Yuriko Nakai Havey is a memoir lush with moving human detail that illuminates a critical moment in U.S. history that is too often ignored.”
“It’s old, but it’s a classic for a reason. Orrin Porter Rockwell by Harold Schindler immerses the reader in the wild early Mormon world of the fascinating enforcer.”
What do you like about working at the press or with books?
“Books remain one of the most powerful technologies we have. I find helping authors communicate their ideas clearly and find their audiences to be deeply rewarding. The work scholars publish through the Press is vital and relevant to our world, and as an editor, I am excited to help authors craft books that can speak to our moment.”
What do you love about Utah or the University of Utah?
“Though I mostly grew up in Hawaii and Idaho, Utah is where I was born and is the home I keep returning to. I love and have a deep interest in the history and culture of Utah in general and Salt Lake City, specifically. Utah has some of the most beautiful places on Earth, including the Wasatch Mountains, which I feel fortunate to be able to see every day from both home and the University of Utah campus. Lately, when I’m not hanging out with my partner and our cats, Boris and Natasha, at home, I’ve been enjoying exploring local wetlands and photographing birds.
Mara Scallon currently works for the University of Utah Press as a graduate research assistant for marketing while earning an MS in Environmental Humanities.