About Kate Jang
Hello! I am a rising sophomore interested in the intersection between health, environment, and advocacy. During Laidlaw, I am excited to research the impact of radiation on the Pacific Islands, specifically regarding contamination in local fruit and vegetation of Kiribati island.
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Valeriya, reading about your experience at the peace discussion is so inspiring. I'm moved by your commitment to advancing peace in the world and I can't wait to hear about future topics that are debated at Nancy's weekly discussions!
Erica, I really enjoyed reading your summary of Sadako Peace Day; it really takes me back to last week! It was such an amazing day. Your remarks were so inspiring, and I look forward to the work you will do in the future (also love the picture)!
This is amazing! It's wonderful how your trip to Angono became the inspiration for your children's book. CANVAS also sounds like such a great organization, and I really enjoyed hearing about their mission.
I loved reading about the graduation ceremony and all the skills you obtained/applied! All the pictures of your remote workspaces are so lovely as well, from the sunset at Columbia to the library at the University of Pennsylvania.
The street in Edinburgh is so pretty -- I love all the colors! Your time at Serve the City sounds so fulfilling, and I'm excited to read about the coming weeks of your LiA.
During the first week of the program, I spent much time looking into the history of Kiritimati Island. I discovered testimonies of elders who had seen the bombings first-hand, revealing the horrors and consequences of nuclear testing. The focus of my research has been and remains the people of Kiritimati Island, making sure that their food is not contaminated and safe to consume.
My faculty mentor is helpful as I continue my research, as he has prior experience analyzing nuclear levels in the Marshall Islands. His knowledge of the analysis process and procedure is helpful in defining the objectives of this Kiritimati Island project. Additionally, as my research involved coding a data framework to analyze levels of nuclear contamination, I have found coding tutorial websites and my coding files from previous data analysis projects extremely helpful.
As I approach the one-month mark of the Laidlaw program, my immediate expectations for my research on the MHNY project are to contribute significantly to the digitization and analysis of historical data for Queens. This involves gathering and analyzing census data, georeferencing, digitizing historical streets, and contributing to dataset publications. While I am focusing on 1880 Queens, my work is part of a larger study aimed at expanding our understanding of New York City’s urban development across all five boroughs by the 1940 census. I plan to continue this project, possibly through August/September before the big launch along with one of the RA's who is working on some of our case study stories. Along with my efforts to support the project and understand the street network development, I am curating an open-source annotated reference list on Queens (1850s-1940s) to share for the public to view and contribute to. Lastly, I am trying to participate in my version of a case study that emphasizes town(s) in Queens: Astoria (cultural preservation) & Jamaica (industry and transportation).
My research matters because it explores how demographic shifts and industrial changes have shaped the urban landscapes of Queens. This includes the fact that we directly pinpoint residences and populations in the area to inform on urban planning, and future policies, and understand why certain areas looked and transformed in the ways they look today. Some examples include waves of immigration, changes in mobility, and/or a specific focus on a community. Researchers have already benefitted from Brooklyn & Manhattan and we hope to continue refining these details. I am continuously drawn to this project because it allows me to apply my academic interests in urban studies and sustainability practically, while also learning from a historical lens. I can pick up on GIS to see how reliable and beneficial it is as well as reflect on the nitty gritty visual changes I can trace on maps.
Laila, I admire how you're contributing to the effort to understand New York's boroughs through Queens. I am excited to see what you discover through your case study in Astoria and Jamaica – your research will definitely provide much needed insights into the state we live in.
My research this summer can be seen as the first part of a two-step research process. I am currently recommissioning a food radiation detector and writing a data analysis framework, aspects that will prove important in the next summer. During the second summer of Laidlaw, my group and I will travel to Kiribati in person, collecting radiation measurements in-situ. My other labmates are also working on projects that will all intertwine next summer to provide a complete view of the island, from the radioactive state of the food to elevation levels.At the end of the program, my aim is for a paper/poster about findings on the island.
My research on Kiribati – specifically, Kiritimati Island – matter because there are real, actual people involved. We do not know yet whether these people are consuming radioactive food on a daily basis, rendering this study urgent. Whenever there are implications on real people and real communities, it is undeniable that action has to be taken.