I have a strong interest in sustainability tourism and investment banking. My passion for these fields has driven my academic and professional pursuits, shaping a unique and diverse background. I had the privilege of working as an intern at the Ministry of Climate Change in Pakistan, gaining valuable insights into environmental policies. Currently, I am interning at Jubilee Insurance in Islamabad, where I am learning about the financial sector. At Penn, I work as a Programming Assistant at Asian American Studies Program. Outside of research, I am actively involved in the Penn Pakistan Society as the events chair, organizing cultural events to foster community among students. Last semester, I was part of Penn Sustainability Consulting, collaborating with peers to provide sustainability solutions for local environmental issues.

• University Scholar
• American Meteorological Society Award for excellence in atmospheric sciences

My research interest lies in the neurological bases and development of anxiety disorders. Specifically, I am interested in the use of brain imaging, psychophysiology, and genetics to understand how pathological anxiety disorders operate in the brain. I have worked under Dr. Ayelet Ruscio in the Boundaries of Anxiety and Depression Lab since my freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania, assisting in various projects aimed at analyzing the differences, commonalities, and relationship between anxiety and depression. With the support of University Scholars, I am currently collaborating on a project designing a program to clean data from the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for the DSM-5 (ADIS-5). Outside of my research, I am involved with the Netter Center, I volunteer with Penn’s Project for Philosophy for the Young, and I do technical work for Bloomers Comedy.

• University Scholar
• Research Assistant to Dr. Ayelet Ruscio, Department of Psychology
• PMG Group Lead

I’m a sophomore from California, majoring in Bioengineering and minoring in Chemistry with a pre-med focus. My research interests center around diagnostic and therapeutic biomedical devices. I completed a research internship at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation with the support of UScholars working on microfluidics and organs-on-a-chip, and now I’m an undergraduate researcher in the Jiang Group, where I work on bioelectronics and biosensors for precision health. On campus, I’m an active member of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and the Penn Undergraduate Biotech Society (PUBS). In my free time, I love hitting the gym, exploring new foods, and spending time with friends and family.

• Undergraduate Research Assistant at Jiang Group
• Research Intern at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation
• Regeneron STS Scholar

My research interest lies in the field of cosmology, focusing on the study of the universe's structure, origin, and evolution. Under the guidance of Dr. Mathew Madhavacheril in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, my research centers on exploding stars, known as supernovae, to better understand the universe's expansion. I am using data from Type Ia supernovae as cosmic markers to measure how fast the universe is growing and to learn more about mysterious forces like dark energy that drive this expansion. With the support of CURF and University Scholars, I am currently working on a project that examines the relationship between the brightness of these supernovae and their distance from Earth, comparing real data from the PantheonPlus supernova dataset with predictions from computer simulations. Outside of my research, I am a member of the Penn Aerospace Club’s Design Build Fly Team and dance in student-run productions with the Penn Ballet Company.

• Research Assistant to Dr. Mathew Madhavacheril, Department of Physics & Astronomy
• Intern at TRIUMF, Canada's national particle accelerator center

See also: Decoding Dark Energy: Exploring the Expanding Universe

My research concentrations and interests span financial markets, macroeconomic theory, artificial intelligence, and statistical finance. Currently, I am engaged in a research study under the mentorship of Dr. Catherine Schrand at the Wharton School, focusing on the impacts of significant cobalt supply chain events and their effects on global markets and cobalt futures prices. This project uses advanced data analysis through the Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) platform to predict stock price reactions across major cobalt suppliers and assess cross-sectional impacts in the Electric Vehicle (EV) market. Outside the UScholars program, I am an NCAA D1 Varsity Swimming and Diving Team student-athlete, dedicating close to 30 hours weekly to training and competition. Additionally, starting in the fall of 2024, I will participate in community service through the Financial Literacy Community Project (FLCP). Supported by the Wharton Management Department, this initiative enables me to teach financial literacy in West Philadelphia schools.

• Research Concentrations: Financial markets, Macroeconomic Theory, Artificial Intelligence, and Statistical Finance
• NCAA D1 Varsity Swimming and Diving Student-Athlete
• College Board National Hispanic Scholar & Financial Literacy Community Project (FLCP) Participant

Evan presenting sophomore year research at the Vagelos 4th Annual Frontiers of Energy Research Convention.

As a third-year bioengineering major, I’m enthusiastic about studying the intersections between my major and neurology through translational research. A majority of my work concerns the application of neuromodulation (modifying neural activity by delivering electric/magnetic impulses) and how these techniques can be used to clinically alleviate cognitive impairments in various mechanisms of disease/injury (stroke, dementia, small vessel disease, etc). With UScholars' support in Summer 2025, I've continued my research with Dr. Kelly Sloane at the Laboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation (LCNS) while exploring new areas of interest. These projects range from benchmarking large language models (LLMs) as alternative methods to automate time and labor-intensive processes in the transcription of impaired speech to surveying healthcare providers and patients to evaluate the quality of care in post-stroke patients. Outside of research, I enjoy perusing through second-hand bookstores and learning trendy choreographies that I find on YouTube with friends.

• Peer Mentor Group Lead
• SEAS Orientation Peer Advisor

I'm interested in the applications of machine learning in various sectors, including finance, neuroscience, and climate change. At Penn, I work in the Weber Lab using LSTM and CNN machine learning models to detect p-waves (brief peaks linked to brain state transitions) during sleep in both mice and humans, using EEG and LFP recordings. I have also conducted research under Professor Charles Yang in the Linguistics department, where I modeled how children learn pattern recognition using cognitive science principles. Previously, I have worked on research projects related to climate change, snowfall and weather prediction, and simulating space weather in the Earth’s magnetosphere. Outside of research, I’m a CIS 1200 TA, in Theta Tau, and involved with PennApps. Recently, I’ve been exploring software engineering through full-stack web development at a fintech company.

Learning does not occur in isolation; it is profoundly shaped by our prior knowledge and external environment. My research interests center on exploring the neural mechanisms underlying associative learning, memory, affective empathy, and other forms of human cognition through the lens of computational neuroscience and deep learning. 

At UC Berkeley's Cognitive Development and Learning Lab, I studied three-dimensional object perception in children compared with neural networks, which fueled my interest in studying associative learning through computational methods. At Penn, I work at the Schapiro Computational Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, where I explore how novel information integrates with existing knowledge structures during sleep. My work involves running sleep experiments, analyzing EEG data, and developing neural networks to model hippocampal-cortical interactions. Additionally, in the Corder Lab at the Perelman School of Medicine, I contribute to developing an open-loop platform with an unsupervised algorithm to standardize the analysis of pain and analgesia behaviors in mice, aiming to advance pain disorder treatments.

As a staunch advocate of translational research, I aspire to promote better learning strategies for children and pioneer preventive interventions against neurological disorders through my research. 

I am grateful to the UScholars program for equipping me with a robust interdisciplinary perspective, through the opportunity of interacting with talented peers of varying research interests. This unique perspective has been invaluable in comprehending the societal implications of my research and exploring alternative methodologies for specific projects. Go UScholars!

• Memory and Cognition Researcher
• Translational Research Advocate
• Peer Mentor Group Lead

My research interests lie in 20th century political and intellectual history, particularly with respect to the radical politics of postwar Europe and Asia. I'm especially interested in how radical thinkers and activists forged networks of solidarity and worked beyond national borders to struggle for a more just and equitable world. With the support of the University Scholars program, I spent last summer working with archival materials from members of the Situationist International at Yale University and writing a paper on the actions of radical student groups during the events of May 1968 in France, with a particular focus on how left wing student groups expressed and acted upon their solidarity with workers and revolutionaries in the postcolonial world. At Penn, I'm also involved with 34th Street Magazine, Penn Mock Trial and the Philomathean Society. In my free time, you can find me reading, playing guitar or walking around without purpose.

• Wolf Humanities Center Undergraduate Fellow
• Research Assistant for Dr. Siarhei Biareishyk
• PMG Group Lead

See also: Finding France at the Beinecke Library