Meet the 2024 cohort of Honors Summer Fellows.
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What sort of evidence should a political philosopher privilege in their investigations? Traditional Marxists tend to value historical empiricism — observing historical trends to inform their work — while Nozickeans favor decision-theory — assigning probabilities to particular possibilities in order to identify the optimal decision. These methodological differences often seem to entail ideological differences, meaning that these methodological differences produce sharply contrasting notions of how society ought to look like based on completely different epistemological (and even ontological) assumptions.
But is there a “right approach” to political philosophy, one that could inform and lay the theoretical grounding for the social sciences, and ultimately, public policy. Ammar’s thesis will focus on a variety of approaches within political philosophy in order to see which one can be best operationalized as a theoretical guide to the social sciences. Ammar gained an interest in this topic while he was taking a philosophy of science class and an ethics class. Whereas the ethics class introduced him to famous Anglo-American analytic philosophers, the philosophy of science class exposed him to philosophical tools to investigate theories — such as falsifiability and empirical adequacy. By surveying literature in political philosophy and philosophy of social science, Ammar will historicize and then analyze comparative political philosophy methods to understand how they could productively inform social science research.
Ammar is a rising senior studying Philosophy and Cognitive Science. He is broadly interested in philosophy, politics, and psychology. Besides thesis drafting, Ammar likes to go to Comet Coffee to talk with his friends. He is also a fan of the “Overthink” podcast.
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As current college students, we really haven’t ever been without media. Whether it’s social media, television, or the radio, most of us don’t remember a world without some kind of media. We often gain information and knowledge from media. Chloe wants to investigate the interplay between varying media platforms and memory recall, which is a person’s ability to remember some information they have learned. Using information on 2024 presidential candidates mixed with surveys and pre/post tests, Chloe aims to determine if one media platform excels over others in optimizing memory recall. Some of the featured media platforms Chloe will be comparing are Instagram, traditional articles, TikTok, and audio methods.
Chloe’s goal with her thesis is to bridge the gap in current literature regarding social media’s impact on memory compared to more “traditional” platforms such as newspapers or radio. While her research is not inherently political, her results will contribute to a multitude of additional fields such as journalism, marketing, public relations, and advertising.
Chloe is a rising senior studying Political Science. Her initial interest in media and memory stemmed from the phenomenon of “fake news” and how people believe or remember information they have read online. After graduating, Chloe plans to attend law school to pursue a J.D. in media and entertainment law. In high school, Chloe participated in a mock trial program where her team won state finals in 2021, which confirmed her interest in law and government. In her free time, Chloe can often be found building legos or listening to music.
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Native American boarding schools were integral to the cultural genocide perpetrated by the U.S. government against indigenous peoples in 19th and 20th-century America; today, their consequences are still present. Leah is writing her thesis on the origins and practices of Native American boarding schools, more specifically the infamous Carlisle Indian Industrial School, in the late 19th century. She’s asking, How can considering the broader racial contexts of post-Civil War America improve our understanding of indigenous boarding schools? Her current hypothesis holds that anti-blackness ideology helped inform the practices and aims of indigenous boarding schools, and therefore these schools were a culmination of centuries of white supremacist ideology and concurrent racial contexts.
Leah will be using archival sources and existing literature to write her thesis. Her goals for this project are to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of boarding schools and their history, and to better understand contemporary issues in Native American life that stem from this phenomenon.
Leah is a rising senior pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in History and a minor in French and Francophone Studies. Since she was young, Leah has had a strong interest in U.S. history, and since she started college, she has been interested in the evolution of racial ideologies throughout U.S. history. After college, she hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in history and continue researching and writing about her historical passions. In her free time, Leah enjoys reading, outdoor walks, and making jewelry.
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Colorectal cancer is among the most diagnosed and deadly cancers in the United States. Many adults have adapted a Western diet, rich in highly-processed and high-fat foods. This is coupled with a more sedentary lifestyle. A drastic increase in cases of patients under forty-five contracting aggressive colorectal cancer is believed to be attributed to these two changes in lifestyle
The deadly nature of colorectal cancer is tied to the fact that the field of medicine lacks any sort of therapy for late-stage colorectal cancer. This means that if an individual is diagnosed with late stage colorectal cancer, they are practically given a death-sentence. Poor prognosis of life paired with an alarming increase in colorectal cancer diagnoses among younger patients has motivated scientists and physicians alike to investigate any sort of drug and/or therapy. Sofi’s project's goal is to investigate the largely understudied role selenoproteins play in cancer metastasis.
LatinX people are disproportionately affected by colorectal cancer in the United States. As a Mexican-American herself, Sofi hopes to authentically give back and work to improve the lives of those within her community. Terminal colorectal cancer diagnoses have also impacted those close to her, aiding her personal interest to further explore potential therapies for colorectal cancer.
Outside of her lab work, Sofi greatly enjoys listening to music, spending time with friends, and exercising. In particular, she has spent many early mornings exploring and running through trails in Washtenaw County. She has also found happiness within weekly salsa classes and cooking with friends.
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Immigration is a dense and heated topic that invokes a range of emotions anywhere from hope to hate. Every day, individuals from all over the world make the difficult decision to leave their home countries. They do so in search of better opportunities, to flee violence, or unusual factors like the aftermath of a national disaster. However, the factor that is least considered and rarely touched, is the need to escape political instability. Nayseth’s thesis explores how political instability in Mexico drives people to migrate to the state of Michigan, offering a perspective that challenges traditional migration theories. By examining the specific impact of political conditions, Nayseth aims to highlight the significant yet often overlooked role these factors play in influencing migration from Mexico to the United States.
Nayseth is a rising senior from Grand Rapids, Michigan, studying Political Science and Philosophy on the pre-law track. With roots in Mexico and a passion for political science, she has always been fascinated by the forces that drive migration, particularly from her parents' homeland. Her aspiration to become an immigration attorney is driven by a desire to serve and advocate for immigrant communities. After practicing law, she will run for public office to truly attempt to implement change within the immigration system. Currently, she serves as President for the Latinx Undergraduate Legal Association, is a third-year optiMize social innovation coordinator, and is involved in a couple more student organizations.
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Due to the growing concern over increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, understanding the mechanisms of the carbon cycle in ecosystems has become crucial to inform effective management strategies. Soil is a major piece of the carbon cycle puzzle as it stores nearly 75% of all carbon in terrestrial ecosystems, making it a potential reservoir for atmospheric carbon. However, one of the current gaps in our understanding are the factors controlling soil organic matter (SOM) accumulation, particularly how SOM is affected by different ecosystem inputs, such as roots or fallen leaves. The University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) is an idealplace to explore how terrestrial inputs impact soils because it hosts the long-term Detritus Inputand Removal Treatment (DIRT) experiment.
These plots have been experimentally treated forthe last 20 years with various inputs, including leaf litter, root inputs, wood inputs, and nitrogen fertilizer application. The DIRT plots aim to establish a baseline of carbon storage activity under normal (control) and manipulated conditions (experimental increases or decreases in plantorganic matter inputs to soil), allowing for a better understanding of the mechanisms responsiblefor soil organic matter accumulation and persistence. Kate’s honors thesis focuses on using Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to understand how different ecosystem inputs (or exclusions) affect carbon sequestration.
Kate is a rising senior studying Interdisciplinary Chemical Sciences with a focus on Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. At the intersection of these two disciplines, she has become interested in soil ecology, biogeochemistry, and global change. After graduation, Kate plans to do fieldwork and then eventually go back to school to get her Ph.D. in soil science or agroecology. Outside ofthe lab, Kate enjoys photography, backpacking, and hanging out with her roommates.
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Chlorella sorokiniana is a crucial pillar of the Laurentian Great Lakes food web and a critical component of water filtration and biogeochemical cycling, which is the exchange of essential elements in the biosphere. Recently there has been an increased interest in studying Chlorella’s growth by examining interactions in the external microbiome, which comprises the microbes in the phycosphere that interact with a host organism that can consequently alter host behavior and fitness. However, the mechanism behind these interactions has yet to be understood. This project seeks to compare unidirectional and bidirectional relationships between host Chlorella and phycosphere-dwelling bacteria to understand why these species live together and the molecular underpinnings that foster these relationships. Madelyn’s project will offer avenues to understanding algal and bacterial growth that can be applicable to ecological research, biofuel engineering, and water filtration.
Madelyn is a rising senior studying Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity with a minor in Statistics. She has been with the Denef lab for three years studying freshwater ecology. After graduating Madelyn’s goal is to enroll in a Ph.D. program to continue studying ecology.
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Cell migration, the movement of cells in response to an external stimulus, is a critical process in embryonic development, particularly in the development of the brain. Cytoplasmic dynein-1 (dynein), the primary motor protein for transporting retrograde cellular cargo, plays a crucial rolein the process of cell migration. In order for dynein to perform its migratory functions, it must be activated both at the correct time and correct location to ensure specificity. Two proteins, Lis1 and Ndel1, known to be involved in the regulation of dynein provide a potential mechanistic link to understand how the specificity of dynein activation is achieved. By investigating Lis1 and Ndel1 interactors, Daytan’s lab has identified the poorly characterized protein CCSer2 as a potential spatial regulator of dynein activity.
Daytan’s thesis investigates CCSer2’s function within the context of migration, specifically exploring its relationship to the regulatory interplay between Ndel1, Lis1, and dynein. Daytan is using epithelial and neural progenitor cells to investigate this question in two different migratory models.
Daytan is a rising senior studying Neuroscience and hopes to ultimately pursue a Ph.D. in Cellular Biology. Daytan began working in the DeSantis Lab during her freshman year, where she became interested in studying dynein regulation and its connection to neuronal processes. She hopes her work can contribute to a better understanding of dynein regulation mechanisms, which may hopefully aid in the further conceptualization of the pathology of neurological disorders associated with dynein mutations. Outside of research, Daytan enjoys going to concerts with friends, reading, and playing with her cat, Dustin.
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The mTOR pathway is an important cell signaling pathway that controls cell growth and other processes. Issues with this pathway can lead to many human health problems and diseases, including cancer. Past research has shown that the mTOR pathway contains several branches, which overlap and intersect in many different ways, often yielding surprising results depending on the nature of the cell. For her thesis, Lydia will inhibit a protein in the pathway and observe its effect on cell behavior; her goal is to identify key relationships between multiple mTOR pathway proteins and determine their mechanism of action.
Lydia is a rising senior pursuing a major in Biomolecular science. She was first introduced to cell signaling research during her fellowship in the University of Miami’s 2023 SURF program, and she joined Dr. Inoki’s lab in the Life Sciences Institute in the following fall. Lydia hopes to attendmedical school and continue performing research after graduating from college. Outside ofschool, she is an Organic Chemistry tutor for the Science Learning Center and a member of the U-M Figure Skating Club.
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Psychologists have increasingly recognized the unique struggles experienced by autistic women. In particular, research and interviews with autistic women who were not diagnosed until adulthood find common threads: feeling misunderstood in relationships, being dismissed when seeking support, and a lack of congruence with social expectations of gender. How does this impact autistic women’s discussions about their sex, intimacy, and dating experiences? Micah is analyzing posts and comments on an internet forum run by autistic women, for autistic women, to understand how users support each other on their romantic endeavors.
Micah is a rising senior majoring in Psychology and Gender & Health, with a minor in writing. He is interested in understanding the social taboo surrounding sexuality, particularly as it is experienced by those who already fit outside social norms. As someone who self-identifies as being “overly online,” they want to understand the role of online communities in helping members of marginalized groups connect and make their own social rules. Outside of the Honors Program, he researches sexual violence prevention for LGBTQ+ students, plays video games, and likes to spend time with his cat, Charlie.
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Following the highest years of biodiversity loss to date, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a council of over forty nations, non-governmental organizations, and prominent scientists and experts from around the world, met in 2021 to put forth an ambitious framework centered around protecting 30% of the Earth’s land and sea by 2030, an initiative now known as 30x30. In line with the CBD’s 30x30 goals, the Biden administration issued Executive Order 14008, which affirmed the United States’ commitment to 30x30 nationally, with federal agencies emphasizing the importance of conserving land through the development of protected areas (PAs). The order emphasized conservation efforts outside of what has been known as traditional protected areas such as national parks and reserves, which are federally owned and maintained. This comes in the form of private land protection measures, known as privately protected areas (PPAs), which include but are not limited to areas such as private reserves, land trusts, and conservation easements.
Understanding this critical distinction, Grace’s thesis aims to utilize the mapping software ArcGIS to conduct a comprehensive analysis of protected areas with both public and private conservation status within Michigan, providing critical insights into the conservation effectiveness and landscape patterns of both designations within Michigan, and broader insights for the Midwest region as a whole.
Grace is a rising senior double majoring in Political Science and Program in the Environment. Her interests lie in the realms of climate justice, grassroots advocacy, and environmental policy and law, stemming from the early recognition of human development and its impacts on the environment. After graduation, she hopes to work for an environmental protection organization, eventually pursuing law school and working directly in environmental law.
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DNA replication is an essential process that allows all cells, ranging from bacterial to human, to duplicate their genetic material and faithfully transmit it to offspring. An imperative part of the replication machinery is a class of proteins responsible for polymerization, or the creation of anew DNA strand from a template. In many bacterial species, DNA Polymerase III and DNA polymerase I are tasked with performing this role. Polymerase I can be broken into two domains, the Klenow Fragment and flap endonuclease (FEN) domain. However, much remains unknown about the FEN domain and its role in DNA damage repair and genome stability, specifically with regard to gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis. Notably, in B. subtilis, FEN exists as a free domain in addition to being a part of DNA Pol I.
This unique and unexpected organization mirrors the machinery present in humans. Moreover, FEN is one of the only components of the replication machinery that is overexpressed in cancers, and thus remains an enticing target for novel anti-cancer treatments. Abigail aims to determine therelationship between the Klenow fragment and FEN domain in DNA Pol I by examining thelinker that connects them and characterizing key differences in the linker between disparate species. By examining protein activity in various pure Pol I FEN samples, her thesis will explorehow structural differences correlate to functional changes between bacterial species.
Abigail is a rising junior double majoring in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and Sociology. She joined the Simmons Lab her first year of college and believes the lab has been adefining part of her university experience. After graduation, Abigail plans to pursue a Ph.D. inmolecular biology, with a focus on DNA replication, DNA damage repair, and genome regulationand stability. Outside of the lab, she enjoys traveling, spending time outside, reading, thrifting, and cooking.
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Depression is a highly prevalent and disabling disorder, associated with a persistently low mood, fatigue, and disruptions in cognitive functioning. Often, the cognitive disruptions present in such domains as learning and memory deficits, even from the first episode of depression. However, little is known about the dynamic interaction of these domains and the reward system in depression. Through her honors thesis project, Alyna aims to investigate the extent to which depression levels are associated with reward learning and memory. She hypothesizes that participants with higher depression levels learn and recall reward associations at a slower rate and have reduced physiological reactivity (skin conductance response) to reward.
To examine her research questions, Alyna plans to use self-reported reward learning and memory ratings and skin conductance response as measures of reward learning and memory.
Alyna is a graduating senior studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. She plans to pursue an MPH/Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology to continue her exploration of the mechanisms underlying anxiety, depression, and stress disorders. Alyna hopes to become a researcher and a licensed clinician involved in addressing racial and ethnic disparities in mental health access. Beyond research, Alyna enjoys biking around Ann Arbor, writing her monthly musings, music, and engaging in deep conversations.
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Shao-Chi is a double major in Comparative Literature (specializing in Mandarin and French) and Women’s and Gender Studies with a minor in Environment. His project concerns the representation of “stone maidens” (shinü 石女) in Chinese fictional writings in the Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing (1644-1911 AD) dynasties. Stone maidens, from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, were woman-identifying individuals who were unable to engage in vaginal sexual intercourse due to the anatomical structure of their vagina. In the traditional Chinese society where reproduction was an imperative for the physically and socially mature, stone maidenhood was seen as a form of disability. These individuals, as a result, became a group of social outcasts.
Instead of taking the modern approach of analyzing disability experiences with medical or political ideas, Shao-Chi is interested in analyzing how Ming and Qing Chinese authors used such characters to explore social norms and gender in the context of Chinese philosophical and religious thought. He also plans to look at public health handbooks in the Republican era (1912-1949 AD) that talk about stone maidenhood. Related writings and works from other cultures and time periods are also of his interests.
This honors thesis project is part of Shao-Chi’s broader interests in the idea of “humanness”: who counts as a human, what is the difference between human and nonhuman, and essentially how literary works talk about/shape our understanding of who we are as humans. He first learned about stone maidens in the course WGS 408, “Women, Gender, and Health in East Asia: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives,” taught by Professor Yi-Li Wu in Winter 2023.
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Previous research examining the aftermath of organizational layoffs have primarily focused on how survivors perceive their organization and how layoffs affect the surviving employee’s own performance. However, how do surviving employees behave toward their surviving coworkers? This study investigates how survivors’ emotions toward other coworkers who also survived layoffs may influence their subsequent behavior. Through a two-time point field study, this research aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the interpersonal dynamics among survivors in the aftermath of organizational layoffs.
Lillian is a rising senior majoring in Psychology and Organizational Studies. Her interest in organizational behavior and workplace psychology was sparked by the profound impact of COVID-19 on her family and broader communities. This interest fully blossomed after she joined the ODESI Research Lab, a multidisciplinary lab focused on workplace behavior, and took courses in organizational psychology. Her passion now centers on understanding workplace survivor sentiment and workplace dynamics. Lillian enjoys listening to podcasts, crafting small items, and exploring Ann Arbor with her friends.
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Astrogenesis is the process in which neural stem cells transform or differentiate into astrocytes. It occurs largely during neurodevelopment, but there is also evidence that this can occur locally during adulthood. Astrocytes are crucial, non-neuronal cells of the central nervous system, and the dysfunction of these cells is linked to a myriad of disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Type 2 Diabetes and more. Jamie is studying a receptor tyrosine kinase known as ErbB4 which plays a role in regulating astrogenesis. Receptor tyrosine kinases mediate intracellular responses to extracellular signals, and ErbB4 can do this in two different ways. One of which is a newly discovered non-canonical pathway. The intracellular domain of ErbB4, known as E4ICD, is cleavable and can migrate to the nucleus of the cell where it then binds to transcription factors and therefore, regulates their expression.
Jamie’s thesis focuses on binding partners of E4ICD that may play a critical role in facilitating this process. Specifically, she is studying the role that ErbB4 signaling may play in regulating these binding partners' activity and the role that this interaction may play in regulating astrogenesis. Understanding the mechanisms and regulation of astrocyte expression is key to understanding central nervous system growth and development. Findings of this nature may also be applicable to neurodegenerative diseases (diseases damaging to the central nervous system) and provide useful insight into causes and potential solutions.
Jamie is a rising senior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience. She enjoys molecular biology, biochemistry, and neuroscience. She is particularly interested in learning about how changes at the molecular level can alter brain functioning and health. Jamie’s goal is to go onto a Ph.D. program in pharmacology and eventually play a role in medication development.
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Elizabeth is a rising senior studying Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity, and Program in the Environment. With diverseinterests in toxicology, ecology, policy, and environmental justice, she wanted to design a thesis project that connected her enthusiasm for cell-level research with opportunitiesfor real-world impact. She began reading about substances used throughout the foodsystem, and her mentors in the Colacino Lab identified chemicals that were particularly relevant for environmental justice concerns. Although widely used, many of these compounds were not thoroughly researched or regulated to minimize harm for humanand environmental health.
One example is diethyl phthalate (DEP), a chemical used to make plastics more flexible. It is present in materials such as food packaging, insecticides, tools, toys, aspirin, cosmetics, toothbrushes, and more. However, early research shows that DEP may negatively impact brain development and could harmecological networks such as aquatic life. Therefore, further research is needed to determine whether DEP requires stricter regulations. Elizabeth hopes to help close this informational gap by completing experiments with cell cultures in the Colacino Lab. This study may also provide insight into the impact of DEP on the development of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
After completing her undergraduate education, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Toxicology with the goal of completing research that has tangible impacts on political and socialissues. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys being outside, bird watching, going to the farmers’ market, and spending time with friends.
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When studying for a big exam or perfecting a presentation, the decision of whether to sacrifice sleep for productivity is a universal experience. The decision often comes with the warning that a lack of sleep might cause memory or cognitive impairments, making your efforts futile. Anna’s thesis aims to explore the neurological mechanism responsible for memory impairment due to sleep loss; her research focuses on somatostatin-expressing (SST+) interneurons in the hippocampus, the region of the brain most associated with memory. SST+ interneurons are of particular interest because they inhibit memory-processing neurons and show increased activity after sleep deprivation.
Using a mouse model, she will explore the effects of activating orinhibiting SST+ interneurons on spatial memory task performance, quantify activity levels ofSST+ interneurons after memory tasks, and characterize the structure of SST+ interneurons after periods of sleep deprivation. Anna hopes this research will aid in the understanding and treatment of patients with sleep disturbances and neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s Disease.
Anna is a rising senior in the LSA Honors Program studying Neuroscience and Sociology. She has been working in the Aton Lab for over two years, and is excited to take a more independent role in the lab this summer. After graduation, Anna plans to pursue a Master of Social Work, hoping to one day work in behavioral health. In her free time, Anna likes to swim inlakes, read, and spend time with friends.
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The process of decomposition releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) and therefore contributes to greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Because past research has shown that warming promotes decomposition, climate scientists are worried that increasing global temperatures due to climate change may accelerate decomposition and thus further increase atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. However, many other factors besides temperature affect decomposition rate. These include moisture, nutrient availability, microbial activity, and the chemical properties of the decomposing material, all of which may also be impacted by climate change. Anna will explore the many factors that both directly and indirectly influence leaf decomposition in an artificial warming experiment in the Colorado Rockies.
Anna is a rising senior double majoring in Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity (EEB) and Environment (PitE), as well as minoring in Statistics. Her interest in decomposition began when she worked as a field research assistant at the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab in Colorado and was first exposed to global change research. She has now been working in Dr. Aimée Classen’s lab studying global change and decomposition for over two years. Outside of research, Anna is a member of the UM Graham Sustainability Scholars and the lead choreographer of Léim Irish Dance, a student group on campus.
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“Swallows Under Eaves” is a fifteen-minute historical fiction film that unfolds the self-discovery journey of Wu Yi-Fang, a distinguished Chinese female scholar who was recommended to study at the University of Michigan in the 1920s and later became the first female college president in China. This film follows how her experiences in Michigan led her from intending to pursue research to committing herself to women’s education in China.
When Tianyi was a freshman in college, she read Yi-Fang’s story in an article titled “They Came from Ann Arbor: Barbour Scholarships and Pioneering Chinese Women Students” and learned that the Barbour scholars, who came from different Asian countries to Michigan a hundred years ago, all became outstanding female leaders in their respective fields. She was deeply impressed and encouraged by their journeys. The seed of telling their legendary stories has been rooted in her heart ever since.
Tianyi is a double major in Film, Television, and Media (FTVM) and Psychology, class of 2025. Maintaining academic excellence, she has written, directed, and produced five original short films and one TV pilot at Michigan. “True stories are way more enchanting than any fiction to me,” she says. She is dedicated to capturing real-life stories and translating them into heartwarming screen narratives through the language of film. She excels not only in storytelling but also in eliciting the profound emotional details of these tales, ensuring they deeply resonate with her audience.
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Conversation, as a primary use of language, is essential for human communication and knowledge exchange. Alignment in conversation occurs across both linguistic (i.e., sound patterns, word structures, meanings, and sentence structures, etc.) and nonlinguistic aspects (including nonverbal behaviors and brain activities), implicated in mutual understanding between conversation partners. People naturally tend to adopt each other’s grammatical structures and behaviors such as smiling and nodding during conversations.
Previous studies have used computational methods to quantify how closely individuals align in terms of their word choices, meanings, and emotions in conversation transcripts. They have also measured brain-to-brain synchronizations of participants engaging in oral conversations using hyperscanning techniques that allow simultaneous recordings of different people. Quan’s thesis will analyze naturalistic conversations from both linguistic and nonlinguistic perspectives and explore the potential correlations between them.
Quan is a rising senior studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience and Linguistics with a minor in Computer Science. Her interest in cognition and language initially stemmed from “Arrival,” one of her favorite sci-fi films. She started exploring the research topic of conversation after joining the Computational Neurolinguistics Lab led by Prof. Brennan. Outside of research, Quan enjoys reading and taking walks in the Arb with her friends.
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