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Borders and Boundaries: Border Technology and Securitization

Work with us to document the use of new technologies - from drones to sensors to robots - to secure international borders around the world.

For the past few years, I have been researching developmental and child psychology with Dr. Becky Waller at the Emotion, Development, Environment, and Neurogenetics (EDEN) Lab. I am interested in studying the impacts of interpersonal and communal trauma on human development. I'm currently working on an independent project about how physical and sexual abuse in childhood affects perceptions of physical touch in adulthood. In recent years, I have also worked on projects about parenting interventions and nurturing healthy parent-child relationships. On campus, I am the president of the student advocacy group Abuse & Sexual Assault Prevention (ASAP), a peer educator through Penn Anti-Violence Education (PAVE), and a sister in the Alpha Omega Epsilon Sorority.

  • Research Assistant at the Emotion, Development, Environment, & Neurogenetics (EDEN) Lab
  • MindCORE Summer 2024 Fellow
  • Student Intern at Penn Violence Prevention
  • Speaking Coach for Communication Within the Curriculum (CWiC)
Academic Major(s): Criminology, French and Francophone Studies, Psychology
Helena Saven

My research interests include the intersection between Neuroscience and the Performing Arts. As someone who grew up interested in the field of Medicine, but who also loved dancing in Ballet and performing piano pieces, I wondered how much of an impact these two had on my personal life. I decided to begin a research project that highlighted the possible effects that the performing arts could have on Academic Achievement, Mental Health, and Social Well-Being. I began this research in a mixed-method manner, by using both qualitative and quantitative data in order to triangulate my findings. Last year, I was chosen to become a College House Research Fellow, and this year, I hope to continue to make my findings stronger!

  • KCECH College House Research Fellow
  • Research Girl NonProfit Peer Mentor
Academic Major(s): Neuroscience
Lily Cate Hunter

My research interest is in the field of Health and Societies. I have been focusing on the 1918 influenza pandemic with the goal of shedding light on the pandemic’s differential impacts on different parts of society. In summer 2024, I completed a research project with Dr. David Barnes through PURM which suggested that African-American and immigrant populations were more adversely affected by influenza than their white, native-born counterparts: their rate of death was higher. Understanding from previous social epidemiology research that social cohesion and the physical fabric of urban life profoundly influence health outcomes, I would like to explore other avenues and perform detailed research on 1918 Philadelphia neighborhoods to further understand these initial findings. I also have worked with Dr. Adrianna Petryna in the anthropology department, researching the environmental impact of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Outside of the classroom, I am a Deputy Blog Manager on the Penn Undergraduate Law Journal, internal chair in the John Marshall Pre-Law Society, and a co-head of the Clio Society. I also love to play the alto saxophone and perform with the Penn Wind Ensemble.

  • University Scholar
  • Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program
  • Research Assistant to Dr. David Barnes and Dr. Adrianna Petryna
Academic Major(s): Health and Societies, Anthropology
Matthew Breier

I am a research assistant at the Balderston Lab, where we study the therapeutic use of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. This past summer, I worked on analyzing sex differences of TMS including electric field, scalp-to-cortex Euclidean distance and behavioral effects on startle responses in healthy human controls. Outside of research, I am involved in PennKDSAP, MERT, and CityStep. In my free time, I enjoy exploring new restaurants, going to the gym, baking, and spending time with friends.

Academic Major(s): Neuroscience
Sneha Chandrashekar

Using AI to improve the environmental and nutritional efficacy of food subsidies

Food consumption is a key lever for enhancing human health and environmental sustainability on earth. Our goal in this research is to better understand and find effective approaches to jointly alleviate malnutrition and climate-change outcomes in developing countries. In-kind food subsidies are a primary policy intervention in economically underprivileged communities. However, despite the proven efficacy of machine learning and data analytics in various industries, these technologies have not been widely adopted to enhance the design and impact of such subsidies. We aim to bridge this gap: this study develops a method to design nutrition- and climate-targeted food programs i.e., we algorithmically decide which foods to subsidize to maximize the nutrition value and minimize the carbon footprint of a subsidy program. This project builds on extensive field data collection in an underserved community in India, which comprises a randomized controlled trial, collection of large-scale point-of-sale transaction data, and survey data. Our methodology will combine a predictive choice model based on machine learning techniques and an optimization algorithm. Through this research, we aim to offer policymakers a tangible, data-driven pathway to refine food subsidy schemes, achieving healthier populations and a reduced carbon footprint.

The undergraduate RA is expected to have strong proficiency in coding, and basic understanding of statistics and/or econometrics.

I am interested in political psychology and how cognition affects foreign policy in South Asia. I am looking to develop a project within these interests.

Previously, I have worked in centers research education psychology and policy. I have particularly worked on a project analyzing the psychological effects of rhetoric education in secondary school curriculum.  

Outside of UScholars, I am involved in Penn Democrats (got to meet Kamala Harris, John Legend, many other cool people through advocacy work!) and the International Affairs Association. I also work at the Netter Center for Community Partnership's High School Voter Project as a school site coordinator. I love to sing, and I am trained in South Indian classical music--I'm looking forward to getting involved with some music groups on campus as well.

Academic Major(s): Political Science, Psychology
Nikhil Pochana

I am curious about the effectiveness of government interventions in the economy to promote sustainable behaviour. For me, efficiency in this field includes not only gains in social welfare and the amount of tax revenue collected, but also real impact on the environment measured by decrease in rate of Earth’s atmospheric temperatures’ growth, for example. I have already investigated the Irish government’s policies to decrease emission of greenhouse gasses, in particular carbon taxes. During my exploration, I considered mainly economic factors of effectiveness of this intervention such as influence on consumers and producers of fuels and financial perks for the government. As an extension of this paper, I completed the Sciences Po course about politics and economics of International Energy to enhance my comprehension of this complex topic. When I was preparing my research, I realized that individual organizations and their actions play a crucial role in green transition and economic development overall. In the future, I want to focus my research on the intersection of Environmental Economics and Theory of Firm. By combining these fields, I will be able to better understand all aspects of economic decision-making concerning environmental action.

Academic Major(s): Business Economics and Public Policy
Eva Lititskaia

I am interested in linguistics and language—particularly the relationship between language, thought, cognition, behavior, and decision-making. I am also interested in the historical role of literature in shaping language and languages in shaping literary traditions, as well as the impact of linguistic interaction across national and sociological barriers.

Academic Major(s): Linguistics
Isabelle Chapman

My research interests focus on voting trends, presidential elections, and the psychology behind how voters choose candidates and how candidates succeed in winning elections. I am particularly interested in understanding the patterns that drive electoral decisions and how campaign strategies resonate with diverse voter demographics. Previously, I conducted research titled "We Hate Female Rage: A Feminist Deep Dive Into Why Feminine Rage is Villainized Across Literature," examining the "angry woman" archetype in literature, revealing feminist themes that frame this anger as a response to societal constraints, thus highlighting external causes rather than internal flaws. Currently, I am applying similar analytic skills to investigate voter behaviors, exploring how societal factors and media portrayals impact voter perceptions of candidates. Outside academia, I am actively involved in Bloomer's Comedy as a writer.

Academic Major(s): Political Science
Nathania Antwi
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