Project: Building the "Creosote Contamination in Houston's Fifth Ward" Collection

Bio: Hello! My name is Abi-Grace Savizon and I'm a third-year student at Rice University. I am interested in neuroscience and linguistics, and I love to read and try new baking recipes. I love learning anything that helps me understand and connect to other people, whether through language, food, or music. I am excited to join the Fondren Fellows program because I would love to develop my research skills and support such important and illuminating projects.

Mentor: Carrie Masiello, Lisa Spiro

Project: Maintain and Analyze Rice Unviversity Research Repository

Bio: I am Adyasha Swain currently pursuing Master's in Engineering Management and Leadership. My academic interests are in the nexus of energy technology, data science, and machine learning, with an emphasis on using these technologies to address practical problems such as carbon capture and standard optimization. I have a strong creative expression passion and use stand-up poetry to address subjects of mental health and societal awareness. As I embark on the Fondren Fellows program, I am particularly drawn to projects that intersect data science with the unique resources and opportunities offered by libraries and archives. I am eager to contribute to projects that enhance the library's offerings while leveraging my technical skills. This program presents a valuable opportunity for acedemic and professional growth, and I look forward to the collaborative learning experiences it will provide.

Mentor: Arko Barman

Project: Building and Employing New Tools for the Study of US Science Policy

Mentor: Kenneth Evans, Kirstin Matthews

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

Mentor: Amanda Focke, Jeff Kripal, Karin Austin

Project: Building the "Creosote Contamination in Houston's Fifth Ward" Collection

Bio: Catherine Cook is a Junior at Jones College studying Health Sciences and Poverty, Justice, and Human Capabilities. She is deeply interested in social determinants of health and how race and class impact healthcare access and quality. Outside of academics, she enjoys being a DJ for KTRU, being active in Jones College, and playing on the Club Water Polo team. She is excited to learn more about community justice in environmental health in Houston.

Mentor: Carrie Masiello, Lisa Spiro

Project: Building and Employing New Tools for the Study of US Science Policy

Bio: Hey! My name is Devin and I'm an Electrical and Computer Engineering major with a minor in Neuroscience. I love aerial arts, hiking, cooking, and juggling clubs. I think squash is the ideal food. I can't wait to continue being a Fondren Fellow this year and work on creating a dynamic database for the White Houst Scientists Archive. I am excited to help demystify science policy in the government.

Mentor: Kenneth Evans, Kirstin Matthews

Project: Campus Comics: Continuing the Rice Comics Anthology

Bio: Hi y'all! My name is Diane Moturi and I am a junior from Brown College studying Bioengineering. I love crocheting and going on walks while listening to a great podcast. I am super excited to be taking part in the Fondren Fellows this year! I am especially excited to see what new comi ideas the Rice Undergraduates will come up with!

Mentor: David Messmer

Project: The Rice University CatOWLog: A Comprehensive Bibliography of Rice Creators

Mentor: Thumy Webb

Project: SlaveVoyages

Bio: Gabriel Seghetto is a first-year graduate student in a Ph.D program of the Department of History. His studies focus on the Atlantic World in the eighteenth century, with particular interest in the African Diaspora, race relations, miscegenation, and racial classifications, especially for individuals of mixed ancestry. In his free time, he enjoys reading true crime and exploring the city. 

Mentor: Daniel Domingues 

Project: History Project for Rice University's School of Engineering 50th Anniversary

Bio:  I'm an Electrical and Computer Engineering major with minors in Philosophy and Engineering Design! Outside of academics, I'm an avid photographer and spent time working in the university archives here at Rice. I'm so excited to work on a long-term research project and contribute to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the School of Engineering and Computing!

Mentor: Jada Crawford

Project: Open Access publishing at Rice: factors that influence researcher choices and sustainable funding models

Bio: I am a junior, double-majoring in Political Science and Sociology with a minor in African American Studies. My academic interests include international relations, social justice, and exploring the intersections of race, identity, and policy. Outside of my studies, I am passionate about research, communication, and fostering equitable access to education and resources. 

Mentor: Cynthia Pierard, Lisa Spiro, Shannon Kipphut-Smith, Scott Vieira

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

Bio: Before coming to Rice, J. Tyler Odle served his community as an arts funding and education advisor for the City of Tampa as well as managing grant funding for medical research at the University of South Florida. Since then, as a PhD student he has been conducting research in the areas of Ufological studies and religious experience through ethnographic and historical examinations. This is the second time he will be a Fondren Fellow working with the Woodson Research Center on analyzing the John E. Mack archive.

Mentor: Amanda Focke, Jeff Kripal, Karin Austin

Project: Understanding Rice's Historical Energy Use to Inform the University's Climate Policy

Bio: Hi! I'm Jadyn, a senior majoring in History and Religion and minoring in Environmental Studies! I love all things nature, which is why I plan to attend law school and pursue a career in environmental law after graduation. Outside of academic interests, I love to travel, horseback ride, hike, and ski! I'm thrilled to start the Fondren Fellows Program and learn about Rice's energy use and how we can use this information to inform Rice's climate policy!

Mentor: Richard Johnson

Project: The Red Book of Houston

Bio: My name is Jae'la Solomon and I am a PhD student in the English Literature department. My academic research interests include African American Literature, Black feminist theory, and the medical humanities. My personal interests include watching tv shows, exercising, and playing with my dog. I am very excited to begin working with the program, and learning more about the Houston Red Book and the place making work of African American Houstonians. 

Mentor: Norie Guthrie, Fay Yarbrough

Project: History Project for Rice University's School of Engineering 50th Anniversary

Bio:  Lexi is a freshman at Hanszen College majoring in computer science. With a background in computational chemistry, she is greatly interested in the intersections between natural sciences and computation and very excited to further her exploration into interdisciplinary topics. Outside of academics, she enjoys playing tennis and reading or watching historical fiction. As a Fondren Fellow, Lexi is enthusiastic about combining her passion for STEM and history to highlight the accomplishments of Rice Engineering, as well as furthering her academic writing and communication abilities through the program.

Mentor: Jada Crawford

Project: Exploring Pedagological Research at Rice and Beyond

Bio:  Lucy Hu is a second-year Master in Data Science passionate about applying data-driven solutions to real-world challenges. With a background in International Relations and Statistics, she brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her work. Lucy is excited to begin the Fondren Fellows Program, where she looks forward to deepening her research experience and making impactful contributions

Mentor: Catherine Barber

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

Bio: Hello! My name is Magdalena Whelley, and I'm currently a sophomore studying Physics and French. I absolutely love everything math and science, and I hope to pursue a research degree in Physics after graduation. Originally from New York, I also enjoy reading (especially poetry!) and have a huge love for dogs. I'm thrilled to be joining the Fondren Fellows program, where I'll have the chance to celebrate the rich history of the Natural Sciences at Rice at Rice and hopefully be able to share my love for science.

Mentor: Lauren Kapcha

Project: Enhancing Graduate Student Support for Digital Humanities

Bio: Mariah A-K Bender is a third-year doctoral student in the History Department. Their research centers on free Black communities in Nueva Granada and Tierra Firme (modern-day Panamá and Colombia) in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Their inquiry considers how, in the Spanish Americas, these free Black community's social, religious, and political landscapes were informed by centuries of diverse legal histories from their Upper Guinea origins. Mariah is thrilled to be a returning fellow and excited to begin working with Fondren to support humanities and graduate student's digital needs.

Mentor: Lisa Spiro, Sean Smith

Project: Teaching Text Analysis

Bio:  My name is Melissa Mar, and I'm a senior at Duncan College majoring in Statistics with a minor in Data Science. I'm passionate about data science, education, and how they intersect. After graduating, I plan to pursue graduate studies in STEM Education with a focus on Data Science to improve educational opportunities and outcomes in STEM, particularly for students from under-resourced communities. I'm excited to join the Text Analysis Fondren Fellows Project to learn more about text analysis and its impact on the world of data science. This experience will help me refine my skills and better understand students, which will be invaluable in my future career, where I hope to combine data science and education to drive meaningful change.

Mentor: Sean Smith

Project: History Project for Rice University's School of Engineering 50th Anniversary

Bio:  Hello, my name is Patrick, and I am a Junior Bioengineering student. I am excited to start my project and learn more about the engineering school and its rich history.

Mentor: Jada Crawford

Project: The Red Book of Houston

Bio: Rohini Pillay is a sophomore majoring in History and Art History with minors in French Studies and Politics, Law, and Social thought. After graduating from Rice, she intends to further her education by attending law school, where she hopes to focus on human rights law. Her research interests include decolonization movements in Southeast Asia and Southern Africa, identity formation in South Asian diasporic communities in the Caribbean, and the influence of African modernism on 20th-Century art and architecture. She is excited to work on 'the Red Book of Houston' where she will contribute to documenting and analyzing the historical narratives of Houston's Black communities through archival research.

Mentor: Norie Guthrie, Fay Yarbrough

Project: Campus Comics: Continuing the Rice Comics Anthology

Bio: Roxanna Mendez is a senior from Will Rice College and studies Architecture. She is interested in environmental work and sustainability in the field of architecture, and would like to explore that in relations to preservation and conservation. In her free time, she prefers reading comics and novels. Her interests led her to apply for the Fondren Fellow project. She is excited to get started on work to create a comic book anthology

Mentor: David Messmer

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

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

Bio: Hi! I'm a freshman studying Astrophysics and English. I'm really interested in astronomy research, aerospace engineering, and all forms of writing. Beyond academics, I love to stargaze, write poems, hike, practice photography, play tennis, and swim. I'm incredibly excited to be beginning the Fondren Fellow Program - it's a perfect opportunity for me to combine my love for science and writing, and I can't wait to work alongside a team of fellow students and professors to produce meaningful research.

Mentor: Lauren Kapcha

Project: SlaveVoyages

Bio: I am majoring in Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations, History, and Medieval & Early Modern studies. I love studying interfaith relations in medieval Europe, the history of the Catholic Church, and Catholic Theology, informed in part by my interest in applying to join the priesthood in the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter. I am honored to continue my work with Professor Domingues, bringing such relevant and crucial information on an abominable mark on human history to the public.

Mentor: Daniel Domingues 

Project: Building the "Creosote Contamination in Houston's Fifth Ward" Collection

Bio: Sharon "Shay" Olaifa is a junior at Martel College pursuing a double major in Political Science & Social Policy Analysis with a minor in Political Law,  & Social Thought on the pre-law track. She is extremely passionate about civil rights and its intersection with healthcare policy and is dedicated to addressing the structural racism and advancing justice for marginalized communities, especially in the healthcare sector. She is extremely excited for the opportunity to do so on the "Creosote Contamination in Houston's Fifth Ward" project.

Mentor: Carrie Masiello, Lisa Spiro

Project: Comics without Borders

Bio: Sofia Adams-Giron is a sophomore at Sid Richardson College who is currently pursuing a double major in Art and Art History. Her interests are not far from her academic pursuits, however, as she holds a deep-rooted passion for drawing, storytelling, and history that thrives both in the classroom and beyond, hoping to use her Rice education to fulfill her dream of becoming a self-illustrating author and museum curator. Outside of the classroom, she also enjoys reading, cycling, and learning facts about the American Revolution, Korean, and Guatemalan-Mayan culture, all of which she holds connections to through her heritage. Her love of storytelling and drawing led her to pursue the position as a Fondren Fellow and she looks forward to helping create a new record of Fondren's growing comics collection and help share her passion for storytelling, art, and history through the comics she will help catalogue.

Mentor: Christopher Sperandio

Project: Maintain and Analyze Rice University Research Repository

Bio: Tianyue "Terry" Chen is passionate about natural language processing and large language models. With a strong academic background in these fields, Mike is eager to apply his skills to help make Rice University a better place. Joining the Fondren Fellows program marks an exciting new chapter in his journey to contribute to the university community.

Mentor:  Arko Barman

Project: Curating Rice's Environmental Research

Bio: Hi! My name is Yimo Gao, and I am currently pursuing my master's degree in Applied Bioengineering. My research focuses on protein and enzyme engineering, as well as their structural modifications. After graduation, I would like to apply my knowledge to enhance production methods in the biopharmaceutical, CDMO, or clean manufacturing sectors.

Mentor: Shannon Kipphut-Smith

Project: Building and Employing New Tools for the Study of US Science Policy

Bio: Computer science and open source software development - Excited and looking forward to working on the database system

Mentor: Kenneth Evans, Kirstin Matthews