Akpan Ubong-Abasi 

Project: Investigating the Historical Black Community of Snipe, TX through Archival Research

Bio: Akpan Ubong-Abasi is a PhD student in African/African American study's in the Department of Religion, Rice University. He received his M.A. in the Comparative Study of Religions (distinction) from Nigeria's premier University; the University of Ibadan, a PGD-Education from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria and B.A. in Religious and Cultural Studies from the University of Calabar, Nigeria. Akpan is interested in the study of African religions in the diaspora, bringing to the fore issues of religious racism, religious freedom, pluralism, and the negotiation of religious identities in the diaspora. He is very excited to be a Fondren Fellow, mentored by Dr. Portia Hopkins and Maya Reine, and working on the Black Houston(s) symposium project which explores the history of Houston through the Black diasporic experience. This project mirrors my research trajectory on African religions in the diaspora and I can't wait to get started. I look forward to contributing to and creating insights into the dynamic relationships between people, places, and memories of Black communities in Houston through curatorial and story-telling strategy. 

Mentor: Molly Morgan

Amanda Nedham

Project: Pilot for Large Scale Analysis of the Impossible: Ethical Research Model Planning for Highly Sensitive Data

Bio: Amanda Nedham is a PhD student in the Religion Department at Rice University. She received her B.F.A. in Printmaking at OCAD University and her M.F.A. in Painting at the Rhode Island School of Design where she taught experimental drawing. Nedham also co-founded a gallery in Manhattan's Lower East Side and continues to do freelance curatorial work. Nedham's studio and curatorial practices have always been research-based, and she has recently extended her inquiry to focus more rigorously on the intersection between art and belief, more specifically looking at drawing as a catalyst, collaborator, and conjurer. Drawing is uniquely equipped to make the invisible visible and Nedham is interested in historical and contemporary theories of vision that have to do with cognitive extension aided through the medium. This research further probes drawing as central to self-formation and as a means to explore the concept of non-verbal humanities.

Mentor: Amanda Focke, Jeff Kripal

Chelsea Burnett

Project: Investigating the Historical Black Community of Snipe, TX through Archival Research

Bio: I am an English major with a minor in Creative Writing. My personal interests include video games, reading, and watching movies. I'm excited to begin the program! I'm looking forward to participating in research for the first time, and this seems like a really interesting project.

Mentor: Molly Morgan

Dru Sanders

Project: Descriptive Enhancement of the Digitized Rice Family Papers

Bio: Dru Sanders is a history PhD candidate at Rice University. He studies the US-Mexico borderlands in the mid-nineteenth century, focusing on slavery and capitalism, as well as contests for local power. 

Mentor: Caleb McDaniel, Amanda Focke

Ishani Kaul

Project: Milestones in Science: 50 years of Natural Sciences at Rice

Bio: Ishani is a junior at McMurtry College studying Health Sciences and History on the pre-law track. She is intersted in combining her passion for healthcare and the law in her future career as an attorney. As such, her undergraduate research is focused on the intersection between science and public policy. Outside the classroom, she enjoys playing basketball and DJing for 96.1 FM KTRU.

Mentor: Lauren Kapcha

J. Tyler Odle

Project: Pilot for Large Scale Analysis of the Impossible: Ethical Research Model Planning for Highly Sensitive Data

Mentor: Amanda Focke, Jeff Kripal

Michael Oppong Asenso

Project: Investigating the Historical Black Community of Snipe, TX through Archival Research

Bio: Meet Michael, a PhD economics student at Rice University. He's passionate about unraveling economic mysteries, particularly those related to development economics and macro-finance, while also exploring Africa's rich history and diving into soccer tactics. With a curious mind and a love for learning, Michael is eager to make his mark in academia and beyond! 

Mentor: Molly Morgan

Sage Lee

Project: Milestones in Science: 50 years of Natural Sciences at Rice

Bio: Sage is a rising junior at Hanszen College, pursuing a double major in Neuroscience and Art History. She is deeply interested in mechanisms of decision-making, moral judgment, and emotional regulation involving the media prefrontal cortex (mPFC) as well as modern art, with a particular focus on the Fluxus movement. Apart from academics, Sage works as an active DJ for KTRU and a photographer for Hanszen College. She is eager to deepen her knowledge of renowned natural science research by Rice University alumni and to connect with a wide range of new people.

Mentor: Lauren Kapcha

William Wang

Project: Understanding data practices in the Soil Sciences in relation to emerging federal Public Access requirements

Bio: William Wang (he/him) is a sophomore at Rice University in the School of Social Sciences, studying political science and economics. He is interested in exploring the intersection of public policy and all aspects of society and is super excited to further his research abilities through the project of "Understanding Data Practices" with Dr. Melissa Cragin. Outside of academics he loves watching hockey and binge-watching TV shows.

Mentor: Melissa Cragin

Xing Chen

Project: Understanding data practices in the Soil Sciences in relation to emerging federal Public Access requirements

Bio: Xing Chen is a graduate student majoring in computational science and engineering, with a special focus on data analysis methods and software engineering methods. His experience as software engineer with the Alibaba Group where he gained qualitative skills and insights in crafting data narratives in complex environments. He is passionate about project management and combining expertise in soil sciences with peers and mentors.

Mentor: Melissa Cragin