Read the news articles below to learn more about what our students are up to in the world of undergraduate research, fellowships, and scholars programs! This is a great way to learn more about the types of research and fellowships students are participating in.
The Importance of Trying New Things
Sophia Jorgensen (‘26), a Neuroscience and Healthcare Management and Policy double major, studied time discounting, a psychological phenomenon that describes the decreased value that individuals assign to rewards the further away they are in time. Sophia was mentored by Dr. Joseph Kable (Department of Psychology), and this research was supported by a College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant. Following graduation, Sophia started working in biopharmaceutical consulting at ClearView Healthcare Partners.
Everyone should do research!
Herinah Asaah (‘26), a Psychology major, conducted research on the effects of exclusionary discipline with mentorship from Dr. Allyson Mackey (Department of Psychology). This research was supported by the College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant. After graduation, Herinah became a Fellow at the Netter Center for Community and Partnerships, working to strengthen youth development, and she plans to apply to law school next fall.
My Summer at the Institute of Contemporary Art
Maya Sethuraman (‘28), an economics major, was an intern for the Institute of Contemporary Art, a free museum dedicated to supporting artistic practices across disciplines and to serving as a laboratory for risk-taking, community-building, and knowledge-creation. This internship was supported by the Summer Humanities Internship Program.
More Than Just Robotics Research
Jeffrey Oduman (‘28), a Computer Science major, conducted robotics research with mentorship from Dr. Cynthia Sung (Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics). This research was supported by the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program.
When Voices Become Meaning
Ethan Yang (‘27) is a Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics major currently pursuing a submatriculated Master of Science and Engineering (MSE) in Robotics. He conducted research on how humans interpret and perceive AI-generated audio with mentorship from Dr. Jianjing Kuang (Department of Linguistics). This research was supported by the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program.
The Heart of the Matter: Research at the Penn Cardiovascular Institute
Andi Therese SyCip (‘26), a Biology major, conducted research on how minor genetic alterations to estrogen-relation receptor binding sites impact heart function. Andi was mentored by Dr. Daniel Kelly (Department of Medicine), and this research was supported by Jumpstart for Juniors.
Connections and Community
Hannah Shumsky (‘26), a Neuroscience major, conducted research on the effect of circadian rhythms on lung repair and regeneration with mentorship from Dr. Shaon Sengupta (Division of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia). This research was supported by the College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant.
Insights into Developmental Psychology Research
Helena Saven (‘26) is a senior in the College studying Psychology, Criminology, and Francophone Studies. With support from the University Scholars program, she conducted research with Dr. Rebecca Waller in the EDEN Lab examining the impacts of adverse childhood experiences on perceptions of touch.
An Organization Built on Partnerships
Alyma Karbownik (‘29), an International Relations and Environmental Studies double major, was an intern for Historic Germantown, a partnership of 20 historic houses, destinations and museums in Northwest Philadelphia dedicated to preserve and share some of Philadelphia’s prized historical assets. This internship was supported by the Summer Humanities Internship Program.
Applying Computer Science in a Molecular Ophthalmology Lab
Rushil Patel (‘28), a Computer Science major, utilized computer science skills to design specialized gene panels to study neurogenerative diseases with mentorship from Dr. Yuyan Cheng (Department of Ophthalmology). This research was supported by CURF Summer Research Funding.
My Experience with Academic Writing
Chelsea Mbakop (‘27), a Health and Societies major, conducted research on barriers oncologists face to discussing cancer clinical trials with patients. She was mentored by Dr. Carmen Guerra (Department of Medicine), and this research was supported by CURF Summer Research Funding.