Angel Toasakul ’27
Chief Correspondent
Concentration: Neuroscience
Degree Program: A.B.
Research Interests: Neuroscience, Memory, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Healthcare
Bio: My name is Angel, and I’m a member of the Class of 2027 from Bangkok, Thailand. As a neuroscience major with aspirations in healthcare, I am passionate about the brain and its functions, particularly in relation to memory. In high school, I conducted a behavioral study on how recalling positive memories influences creativity, sparking my interest in research. I joined the Computational Memory Lab in my freshman year, where I’ve been helping with utilizing fMRI neurofeedback to understand induce intrusive thought inhibition. Currently, I am doing my independent work in the lab I joined as a first-year and am very excited to contribute to the growing field of memory research.
Recent posts by Angel Toasakul
Gabriel Ascoli ’27
Humanities Correspondent
Concentration: Classics, Molecular Biology
Degree Program: A.B.
Research Interests: Ancient Greek and Roman Literature, History, Philosophy, Oncology, Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences
Bio: My name is Gabriel, and I’m a junior from Northern Virginia. I’m interested in ancient Greek and Roman literature and philosophy to answer philosophical questions about life, love, medicine, and death (think famous physicians such as Hippocrates or Galen, as well as philosophers and poets!). I hope to combine both humanistic elements from such work and scientific research to find answers that will help people at the moments where they most need it. In light of this goal, I’ve pursued a broad amount of research. I’ve worked as part of the Kang lab at Princeton, investigating how we can harness the human immune system and bolster it to attack breast tumors. This past summer, I was involved with clinical research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, working to create more effective and pragmatic chemotherapy treatments for children diagnosed with high-risk leukemia. I’ve also conducted research in microbiology (developing a solution to antibiotic-resistant bacteria), and classics (on topics such as the connection between ancient Roman literature and modern-day white supremacy, the trauma following the death of loved ones in Homer’s Iliad, or determinants of status and worth in Petronius’ Satyricon). In high school, I was also in an oceanography lab, working with endangered trout and benthic macroinvertebrates! At Princeton, you’ll find me jogging, taking excessively long walks, or taking advantage of free coffee somewhere.
Recent posts by Gabriel Ascoli
Haya Elamir ’27
Natural Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Molecular Biology
Degree Program: A.B.
Research Interests: Cellular function and microbiology
Bio: My name is Haya, and I am a part of the Class of 2027. I’m from Buffalo, NY with an unfortunate dislike for the winter. I’m majoring in molecular biology because the intricacy of cells and the details you find in this subject are fascinating to me. My research has always been geared towards immunology, whether cancer or the disease of the gut microbiome. Knowing I can contribute in some small way to the health of others means a lot to me. When I’m not in the lab, I’m usually in and out of coffee shops (my favorite places to study!) or hanging out with my friends.
Rishika Porandla ’28
Engineering Correspondent
Concentration: Astrophysics
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Programs: Engineering Physics, Materials Science and Engineering
Research Interests: Space Plasma Instrumentation, Condensed Matter and Surface Physics, Plasma Diagnostics, Heliophysics, Scientific Visualization
Bio: My name is Rishika, and I’m a member of the Class of 2028 from Dallas, TX, currently studying Astrophysical Sciences. I’m broadly interested in how we design instruments to probe extreme astrophysical environments, particularly in space plasma physics and heliophysics missions. Through my work at the Princeton Space Physics Laboratory and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, I optimize graphene and amorphous carbon foils for time-of-flight detectors (that end up on space missions like NASA IMAP!) and redesign a hemispherical electron energy analyzer for the Department of Energy FLARE experiment. Beyond research, I serve as Princeton’s Student Ambassador for the American Physical Society, a Princeton Science Outreach Fellow, a student advisor for the American Geophysical Union, and the STEM Lead of the Princeton Civic Leadership Council. On campus, you’ll often find me on my daily Nassau Street coffee crawl!
Recent posts by Rishika Porandla
Aishah Shahid ’28
Engineering Correspondent
Concentration: Electrical and Computer Engineering
Degree Program: B.S.E.
Certificate Programs: Circuits and Systems and Entrepreneurship / Religion
Research Interests: Health Technology, Food Systems, Public Relations, Sociopolitical Structures
Bio: Hey, everyone! I’m Aishah, a first-year student planning to major in Electrical and Computer Engineering. I’m from Houston, TX—home of the Houston rodeo and where there’s always something new to explore (if you’re ever visiting and need recs, I’ve got you!). My research interests live at the intersection of technology and social impact—I’ve worked on projects ranging from microwave cancer detection to understanding how local food systems can better support underserved communities. On campus, I’m involved with the Engineering Council and the Muslim Students Association, both of which have been incredible spaces to connect with others and grow. When I’m not writing or deep in a podcast rabbit hole, you’ll probably find me reading Agatha Christie or hanging out in the Forbes backyard. I’m so excited to be part of PCUR and can’t wait to share the stories behind the amazing research happening at Princeton!
Stanley Stoutamire ’27
Social Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Medical Anthropology
Degree Program: A.B.
Research Interests: Rural Medicine; Healthcare Equity; Neglected American History; Social Implications of Meteorology; Narrative Fantasy
Bio: My name is Stanley and I am a sophomore from the Birmingham, Alabama area. My most recent research has been focused on eliminating inequalities in health outcomes, but I have a variety of interests that I am always glad to talk about! When I’m not working on academics you can find me singing with the Glee club, spending time with the Trenton Youth Orchestra, or enjoying a good book.
Recent posts by Stanley Stoutamire
Mai Tran ’29
Engineering Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Chemical and Biological Engineering
Degree Program: B.S.E
Certificate Programs: Materials Science and Engineering, French
Research Interests: Materials, Energy and the Environment, Catalysis, Computational Chemistry
Bio: Hi! My name is Mai, and I’m a member of the Class of 2029 from Hanoi, Vietnam/New York. My research interests are anything materials science/chemistry related—in high school, I worked on solid-state electrolytes for batteries, and I’m currently working on nanoporous materials for carbon capture while also doing some computational modelling. On campus, I’m involved with Splash!, which hosts a really fun one-day educational conference for local high school students. In my free time, I love stargazing, swimming, and exploring all the tunnels.
Recent posts by Mai Tran
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PCUR Alumni
Good researchers always recognize those who came before them — and we’re no exception. PCUR thanks its former bloggers for their creative and helpful views on independent work:
Ignacio Arias Philippi ’25 – Humanities Correspondent
Concentration: History
Degree Program: A.B
Certificate Programs: Medieval Studies, Roman Language and Culture
Research Interests: Legal history, German language and culture, Polyliteracy, Paleography
Posts by Ignacio Arias Philippi
Abhimanyu Banerjee ’23 – Social Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Economics
Degree Program: A.B.
Research Interests: Monetary policy, fiscal policy, income inequality, financial bubbles, sustainability
Jalisha Braxton ’16 – Natural Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Psychology
Degree Program: A.B
Certificate Programs: Neuroscience
Research Interests: cognition, learning disorders
Ellie Brietfeld ’20 – Chief Correspondent and Natural Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Psychology
Degree Program: A.B
Certificate Programs: Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, Linguistics
Research Interests: Developmental psychology, social neuroscience, language learning
Ryan Champeau ’23 – Social Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Princeton School of Public Policy and International Affairs
Degree Program: A.B
Certificate Programs: Cognitive Science
Research Interests: Public Policy, Decision-Making, Law, Economics
Rebecca Cho ’26 – Chief Correspondent and Natural Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Geosciences
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Programs: Environmental Studies
Research Interests: Biogeochemistry, Climate Science, Reconstruction Modeling, Environmental Science
Virginia Cobbs ’25 – Chief Correspondent and Humanities Correspondent
Concentration: African American Studies
Degree Program: A.B.
Research Interests: Racism in healthcare, Tech mediated bias in criminal justice, bumble bee social behavior, Parkinson’s Disease
Austin Davis ’23 – Humanities Correspondent
Concentration: History
Degree Program: A.B.
Research Interests: History, historical memory, urban studies, post-1900 United States, social stratification and structures, and post-1400 Europe.
Bridget Denzer ’23 – Engineering Correspondent
Concentration: Chemical and Biological Engineering
Degree Program: B.S.E.
Certificate Programs: Materials Science, Sustainable Energy
Research Interests: Materials science, nanotechnology, energy technology, sustainability
Amaya Dressler ’25 – Social Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Anthropology
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Programs: Humanistic Studies, Global Health and Health Policy
Research Interests: Menstrual Health and Dysfunction, Endocrinology, Cognitive Science, Nutrition, Medical Institutions and Health Disparity
Dylan Blau Edelstein ’17 – Humanities Correspondent
Concentration: Spanish and Portuguese Languages and Cultures
Degree Program: A.B
Certificate Programs: Latin American Studies, Theater, Ethnography
Research Interests: languages, Latin America, theater, culture, gender and sexuality, social movements
Advik Eswaran ’27 – Natural Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Geosciences
Degree Program: A.B
Research Interests: Glaciology, Paleoclimate, Climate Science, Machine Learning, Earth History
Mahya Fazel-Zarandi ’25 – Natural Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Molecular Biology
Degree Program: A.B
Certificate Programs: Quantitative and Computational Biology, Applications of Computing
Research Interests: Computational biology, Genetics and genetic engineering, Biological chemistry
Ella Feiner ’22 – Engineering Correspondent
Concentration: Chemical and Biological Engineering
Degree Program: B.S.E.
Certificate Programs: Quantitative and Computational Biology
Research Interests: Developmental biology, bioengineering, history of biology, history of medicine
Shanon FitzGerald ’20 – Humanities Correspondent
Concentration: Religion
Degree Program: A.B.
Research Interests: Religion and political theory, American cultural and political history, intellectual history
Alison Fortenberry ’26 – Social Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: African American Studies
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Programs: Religion, American Studies, and English
Research Interests: African American History, 20th-Century American History, American Religious History
Elise Freeman ’19 – Humanities Correspondent
Concentration: French and Italian
Degree Program: A.B
Research Interests: International affairs, culture, francophone countries
Yodahe Gebreegziabher ’22 – Natural Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Chemistry
Degree Program: A.B.
Research Interests: Applications of Computing, Global Health and Health Policy
Posts by Yodahe Gebreegziabher
Alec Getraer ’19 – Natural Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Geosciences
Degree Program: A.B.
Research Interests: Ecology, geology, biogeochemistry, geomorphology, climate science
Taylor Griffith ’18 – Social Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Sociology
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Programs: Creative Writing, Gender & Sexuality Studies
Research Interests: Authors, creative writing, gender, sexuality, media, television
Stacey Huang ’16 – Engineering Correspondent
Concentration: Electrical Engineering
Degree Program: B.S.E.
Research Interests: laser spectroscopy, applied physics, photonics, circuits
Alec Israeli ’21 – Humanities Correspondent
Concentration: History
Degree Program: A.B.
Research Interests: Labor history, intellectual history, 19th century America, Jewish studies, political theory
Kavi Jain ’18 – Engineering Correspondent
Concentration: Operations Research and Financial Engineering
Degree Program: B.S.E.
Certificate Programs: Statistics and Machine Learning, Applications of Computing
Research Interests: data science, nanotechnology, clean energy, biomimicry
Xander Jenkin – Natural Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Astrophysics
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Programs: Medieval Studies
Research Interests: Theoretical Astrophysics, Data Analysis, Computer Simulation, Galaxies, Optics, Byzantine Art
Emma Kaeser ’18 – Chief Correspondent and Social Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Princeton School of Public Policy and International Affairs
Degree Program: A.B
Certificate Programs: Program in French Language and Culture, Program in Urban Studies
Research Interests: Public policy, women and children’s rights, maternal and child health, human rights law
Cecilia Kim ’23 – Natural Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Chemistry
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Programs: Global Health, Materials Science
Research Interests: Drug discovery, translational research, health
Alexandra Koskosidis ’20 – Engineering Correspondent
Concentration: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Degree Program: B.S.E.
Certificate Programs: Robotics and Intelligent Systems, Applications of Computing
Research Interests: Engineering (chemical/biological, mechanical/aerospace), energy, robotics
Isabelle Laurenzi ’15 – Inaugural Chief Correspondent
Concentration: Religion
Degree Program: A.B
Certificate Programs: Creative Writing and Humanistic Studies
Research Interests: religion, ethics, and politics, philosophy of religion, expressions of religion and ethics in contemporary literature
Rafi Lehmann ’20 – Humanities Correspondent
Concentration: History
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Programs: Urban Studies, Environmental Studies
Research Interests: Indigenous Studies, Marxism, Post-colonialism, Yiddish
Yubi Mamiya ’26 – Engineering Correspondent
Concentration: Computer Science
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Programs: Engineering Biology, Global Health and Health Policy
Research Interests: Artificial Intelligence, Neurotechnology, Disease and Disorders, Mental Health, Reproductive Justice, Healthcare, Educational Equity, Sustainability, Music and Art in Social Movements
Sandeep Mangat ’24 – Natural Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Molecular Biology
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Programs: Neuroscience, History and the Practice of Diplomacy, Contemporary European Politics and Society
Research Interests: Neuroscience, bioenergetics, metabolism, mitochondrial genetics
Bennett McIntosh ’16 – Natural Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Chemistry
Degree Program: A.B
Research Interests: biochemistry, protein folding, protein design
Nathan Nguyen ’27 – Engineering Correspondent
Concentration: Chemical and Biological Engineering
Degree Program: B.S.E.
Research Interests: bioengineering, biomolecular engineering, chemical reaction engineering, renewable energy, machine learning and AI
Yuem Park ’15 – Natural Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Geosciences
Degree Program: A.B.
Research Interests: geosciences, geology, structural geology, geochemistry, tectonics
Melissa Parnagian ’17 – Chief Correspondent and Social Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Princeton School of Public Policy and International Affairs
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Program: American Studies
Research Interests: politics, race, media, representation, mass culture
Shane Patrick ’24 – Humanities Correspondent
Concentration: Near Eastern Studies
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Program: Medieval Studies, Hellenic Studies, Ancient Roman Language and Culture, Arabic Language and Culture
Research Interests: Religious Communities in the Medieval Middle East, Christian-Muslim Relations, Translation, Numismatics
Andrea Reino ’20 – Social Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Princeton School of Public Policy and International Affairs
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Program: Spanish
Research Interests: international relations, human rights law, immigration law, criminal justice, prison reform, politics, public policy
Saira Reyes ’21 – Engineering Correspondent
Concentration: Chemical and Biological Engineering
Degree Program: B.S.E.
Research Interests: Metabolic engineering, material science, nanotechnology
Agnes Robang ’23 – Engineering Correspondent
Concentration: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Degree Program: B.S.E.
Certificate Programs: Robotics and Intelligent Systems, Applied and Computational Mathematics
Research Interests: Propulsion, aircraft/spacecraft design optimization, computational modeling and simulation
Kamron Soldozy ’22 – Natural Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Neuroscience
Degree Program: A.B
Certificate Programs: Gender and Sexuality Studies, German
Research Interests: Neuroprosthetics, Motor disorders, Learning/Memory, Gender Studies, Sex/Gender Research in Neuroscience
Vidushi Sharma ’17 – Humanities Correspondent
Concentration: Philosophy
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Programs: Neuroscience, Humanistic Studies
Research Interests: cognitive science, interdisciplinary learning, classical languages, culture
Nanako Shirai ’21 – Chief Correspondent and Natural Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Molecular Biology
Degree Program: A.B.
Research Interests: Structural biology, epigenetics, biomedical ethics, evolutionary biology, public health
Zoe Sims ’17 – Natural Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Program: Environmental Studies
Research Interests: ecology, environmental science, acclimatization, climate change
Raya Ward ’21 – Social Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Human-Computer Interaction and Design
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Programs: Visual Arts, Technology and Society
Research Interests: Art history, cognitive psychology, media, design, user experience, human-computer interaction, technology
Kate Weseley-Jones ’25 – Humanities Correspondent
Concentration: Art History
Degree Program: A.B.
Research Interests:ancient art, heritage conservation, behavioral science, gender studies
Annie Woehling ’15 – Social Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Anthropology
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Program: Global Health and Health Policy
Research Interests: sexual health and wellness, life sciences, health policy
Alexis Wu ’25 – Engineering Correspondent
Concentration: Computer Science
Degree Program: B.S.E.
Research Interests: Applications of Computing, Machine Learning, Computer Systems, Public Policy, Game Theory, Ethics, Art History
Nicholas Wu ’18 – Social Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Princeton School of Public Policy and International Affairs
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Programs: Program in American Studies and East Asian Studies Program
Research Interests: Politics, public policy, migration, race, Asian American studies
Shannon Yeow ’26 – Engineering Correspondent
Concentration: Computer Science
Degree Program: B.S.E.
Research Interests: rtificial Intelligence, Human-Computer Interaction, Robotics and Autonomous Systems, Avionics and Spaceflight Software, Quantum and Emerging Technologies, Technology and Society, Climate Change, Environmental Sustainability, Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technologies, Food Systems and Agriculture
Soo Young Yun ’22 – Humanities Correspondent
Concentration: English
Degree Program: A.B.
Research Interests: Minority literature, politics, international relations, history, race in East Asia, gender and sexuality, media