This past summer (2023), I was selected to be an intern and work in the Yale Social Cognitive Development Lab under Yarrow Dunham.

While there, I got to work on a number of exciting projects investigating the specific socio-cognitive mechanisms that allow children to "master the dizzying complexity of the social world." I collaborated closely with my mentor, Aaron Baker, to investigate the development and application of a cognitive framework in children. This framework extends beyond the established realms of Theory of Mind, encompassing a conceptualization that accommodates the complexities of navigating a world where agents attribute various institutional roles and norms. Through a statistical approach, we were also able to develop a statistical model which accurately predicted children's and adult's behavior.

You can read more about my work in my presentation here or watch it here. 

In close collaboration with Professor William C. Keel, I conducted astrophysics research utilizing data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and radio sources.  See our preprint here!

Our focus was on the identification and study of rare galaxies, employing a multi-faceted approach that combined HST imagery analysis with radio data, including Very Long Baseline Array Sky Survey (VLASS) data. I presented the results at the Undergraduate Research and Activity Conference (URCA) at the University of Alabama, and our manuscript, in which I am the third author, is currently under review for publication. This research underscored the value of teamwork and advanced technology in advancing our understanding of the cosmos.

As part of a prestigious national program, I had the honor of representing the Midwest team as the designated physics specialist. Alongside 11 other talented undergraduates, we collectively spearheaded a significant initiative. Together, we meticulously crafted, submitted, and presented a comprehensive 130-page mission concept proposal to a distinguished NASA advisory committee. Our collaborative effort was met with exceptionally positive feedback, and we harnessed specialized software tools such as JMARS and CAD to enhance the technical depth and presentation of our proposal.