Project: Open Data, Open Knowledge: Rice University Python-Based Solutions for Enhancing Access and Literacy in AI Era

Bio: Coming Soon!

Mentor: Xinjie Lan, Anna Xiong, Lorenzo Luzi

Project: The Red Book of houston

Bio: Coming Soon!

Mentor: Norie Guthrie, Fay Yarbrough

Project: Computing Cultural Heritage: Processing Physical and Born-digital Data in the White House Scientists Archive

Bio: Coming Soon!

Mentor: Kenneth Evans, Kirstin Matthews

Project: Expanding Access to Images in the Archives of the Impossible Letters

Mentor: Amanda Focke, Jeff Kripal, Karin Austin

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

Bio: Coming Soon!

Mentor: Carrie Masiello, Lisa Spiro

Project: Readers’ Marks: tracing the past in Fondren’s Rare Book Collections

Bio: Caroline is a native Houstonian and a sophomore at Sid Richardson. Planning to major in History, she has a special interest in early modern European history. Caroline is a member of the Dean of Humanities Student Advisory Council and is involved in several faith-based and community service-oriented extracurricular groups on campus. As a voracious reader, Caroline’s favorite author is William Shakespeare. She loves spending time with friends and enjoys creative writing, visiting museums, being outdoors in nature, and watching performances on the screen or on the stage. Caroline is honored to be a Gruber Fellow working on the Readers' Marks project this year.

Mentor: Rebecca Russell, Philip Mogen, Aysha Pollnitz 

Project: 65 Years of SEL: A Research Archive Project

Bio: My broader interests are in technologies of communication, metaphoricity in legal and theological discourse, the cognitive underpinnings of creative language, and digital media. I am also a creative writer and artist, with work anthologized in Best New Poets 2025 (forthcoming from University of Virginia Press) and published in SmokeLong Quarterly, Dizzy Magazine, and elsewhere. Looking forward, I plan to pursue a profession that is research-, writing-, and ideation-intensive, with a focus on the legal, editorial, education, or media sectors.

Mentor: Kelly McKisson, Amy Huseby

Project: Building a History of Industrial Accidents and Disasters in Houston

Bio: Cindy Yan is a sophomore at Lovett College studying the intersection of Integrative Biology, Chemistry, and Medical Humanities. This year, she is looking forward to playing piano in the Campanile Orchestra, consuming media more intentionally, and doing science research in various capacities. In her Fondren Fellows project, she aims to reevaluate health risks often taken for granted by analyzing historical data on industrial accidents and environmental and human impacts. 

Mentor: Weston Twardowski, Sean Smith

Project: Analysis of Medical Humanities Research Resources, Strategies and Tools at Fondren Library

Bio: Clara is a second-year PhD student investigating the history of biology, with a focus on evolutionary biology, astrobiology, and eugenics. Her research examines how the cultural conceptions of the human/non-human boundary have evolved alongside the scientific advancements of the early 20th century. Her goals for the medical humanities project are to comb through the archival materials at the Woodson Research Center and create a Libguide for students and scholars interested in the Medical Humanities. She hopes to help establish Rice as a hub for medical humanities scholars!

Mentor: Melissa Bailar

Project: Open Data, Open Knowledge: Rice University Python-Based Solutions for Enhancing Access and Literacy in AI Era

Bio: Coming Soon!

Mentor: Xinjie Lan, Anna Xiong, Lorenzo Luzi

Project: Teaching Qualitative Data Analysis Research Tools

Bio: Felicity Phelan is a mixed-methods social scientist passionate about the communication and presentation of data. She supplements her formal training in economics with keen interests in sociology, ethnic studies, and gender studies, and looks forward to improving on-campus support for qualitative research through this project. Felicity is also an avid language learner and a Muay Thai kickboxing practitioner.

Mentor: Sean Smith

Project: Readers’ Marks: tracing the past in Fondren’s Rare Book Collections

Bio: Coming Soon!

Mentor: Rebecca Russell, Philip Mogen, Aysha Pollnitz 

Project: Building a History of Industrial Accidents and Disasters in Houston

Bio: Coming Soon!

Mentor: Brian Riedel

Project: 65 Years of SEL: A Research Archive Project

Bio: Jenna Perrone is a sophomore at Baker, majoring in History and Political Science with a minor in Politics, Law, and Social Thought. Outside of academics, she enjoys reading, writing short-form content for the Rice Journal of Public Policy, and serving as Opinions Editor for the Rice Thresher. She is looking forward to learning more about the history of SEL and tracking the evolution of its editorial practices. 

Mentor: Kelly McKisson, Amy Huseby

Project: Computing Cultural Heritage: Processing Physical and Born-digital Data in the White House Scientists Archive

Bio: From Las Vegas, Nevada, Jeslyn Cho is pursuing a B.A. in Political Science at Rice University and plans to attend law school after graduation. She currently serves as the University Court Representative for her residential college and captains the Rice Mock Trial team. Jeslyn is interested in the intersection of science and policy. As a Fondren Fellow, her project involves processing and analyzing hundreds of records related to U.S. presidential science advisors in the White House Scientists Archive at the Woodson Research Center.

Mentor: Kenneth Evans, Kirstin Matthews

Project: The Red Book of Houston

Bio: Hello there! My name is Jesse Muñiz, and I am a sophomore at Duncan College. I am enthusiastically passionate about understanding race and equity as it intersects with history and public policy. My research project focuses to continue the visualization of the middle-class African American community in Houston during the early twentieth century through detailed biographical narratives of individuals featured in The Red Book of Houston. Outside of Fondren Fellows, I am involved in HACER and the Center for Civic Leadership, where I am co-leading the development of Civic Immersion: Late Departure. Personal interest include building Legos, taking photos on my digital camera (especially the natural world), and being a music enthusiast.

Mentor: Norie Guthrie, Fay Yarbrough

Project: Open Data, Open Knowledge: Rice University Python-Based Solutions for Enhancing Access and Literacy in AI Era

Bio: I am a junior at McMurtry College studying computer science with data science minor. I am interested in software engineering, data engineering, and machine learning. Besides academics, I enjoy watching and playing basketball.

Mentor: Xinjie Lan, Anna Xiong, Lorenzo Luzi

Project: Investigating Chinese American Aging Through the Decades 

Bio: Karis is a senior studying history with a strong passion for public-facing multimedia storytelling. From photobooks to podcasts, Karis is dedicated to exploring the nuances of the human condition through many angles. Time is Gold: Chinese American Reflections on Aging explores the lived experience of aging within the Chinese American community through oral interviews, writing, and photography. 

Mentor: Sidney Lu

Project: Building a History of Industrial Accidents and Disasters in Houston

Bio:  Coming Soon!

Mentor: Weston Twardowski, Sean Smith

Project: Readers’ Marks: tracing the past in Fondren’s Rare Book Collections

Bio: Coming Soon!

Mentor: Rebecca Russell, Philip Mogen, Aysha Pollnitz 

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

Bio: Hi, my name is Shay, and I’m a senior at Martel College, majoring in Political Science and Social Policy Analysis on the pre-law track with a focus on public health. I am deeply passionate about civil rights and its intersection with healthcare policy, and I aspire to become a health lawyer and public health policymaker. My work is driven by a commitment to addressing systemic inequities and advancing justice for marginalized communities, particularly within public health. This is why I am eager to continue the creosote contamination project for a second year, amplifying the community’s fight for justice in response to the environmental racism and cancer clusters caused by creosote contamination. Outside of academics, I enjoy upcycling and designing sustainable fashion pieces, skating, reading, and discovering new music!

Mentor: Carrie Masiello, Lisa Spiro

Project: Comic Art Teaching and Study 

Bio: Hello! My name is Stella Shrinsky-de Armas, and I am a sophomore at McMurtry College. I am currently double-majoring in Visual Arts and Art History, and I am in the process of acquiring my certificate in Spanish. Outside of academics, I am very passionate about fashion, cinema, music, and design—interests that often intersect with my academic work. Within the Fondren Fellows program, I will have the pleasure of working with select archival comics from the Woodson Research Center and producing written content that explores how comics can be utilized in academic settings and beyond. Throughout this project, I am excited to delve into the intersection between my scholarly and personal interests while gaining hands-on experience with historical artworks in a professional context.

Mentor: Christopher Sperandio

Project: Developing a Framework for Enhancing Teaching with AI

Bio: Hi, I’m Vani! I’m a junior studying Psychology and Sociology with a minor in Latin American and Latinx Studies. My academic interests center on higher and early education, IO psych, immigration, and maternal health. After graduation, I hope to build on my experiences to pursue a career in education policy, research ethics/admin/analysis, or somewhere in between. Outside of academics, you’ll usually find me exploring new matcha pop-ups, curating my 500+ hr Spotify playlist, or passionately yapping about the color pink. Whether at Rice or beyond the hedges, I aim for my work to reflect my love of learning!

Mentor: Catherine Barber

Project: Building a History of Industrial Accidents and Disasters in Houston

Bio: Coming Soon!

Mentor: Brian Riedel

Project: Building a History of Industrial Accidents and Disasters in Houston

Bio:  Coming Soon!

Mentor: Weston Twardowski, Sean Smith