Xinyan Chen (She/Her)

Hello! My name is Claire Auslander and I'm a rising third-year at Georgetown University. I am studying nursing with the goal of earning my doctorate in midwifery/obstetrics & gynecology. I hope to dedicate my career to advancing reproductive freedom through healthcare delivery, research, and advocacy!  This summer, I worked as a student nurse intern at the Alaska Native Medical Center's Family Birthing Services unit. I delivered culturally responsive nursing care under preceptor supervision on a high-risk, tertiary referral labor and delivery unit within the largest tribally managed health system in the US. My goal was to further elucidate my understanding of how sociocultural and religious influences shape patient decision-making, provider-patient communication, and access to reproductive services. Last summer, I researched the relationship between U.S. contraceptive policy and religiosity. More specifically, I looked at state legislation relating to insurance coverage of contraceptives and the relationship, if any, between religious service attendance. My research builds upon my experience as a research assistant in health policy and maternal health and I'm thrilled to explore the intersection of my interests!  A fun fact about me is that I'm from the San Francisco Bay Area but my family moved around a lot when I was younger. I've lived in Northern and Southern California, Texas, Massachusetts, Switzerland, and Washington, DC! Please don't hesitate to reach out, especially if it's to talk about policy/medical research or share your favorite music! 

I am a rising junior at Columbia University majoring in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science.

Hi everyone! I'm a rising third year student at Columbia University studying History and Political Science, with specialisations in Modern European History and International Relations. I'll be writing my Senior Thesis on the construction of the American world order in the 1990s over this coming year.  This summer, I'll be working at Araminta, a Berlin-based NGO that provides legal support for civil society actors and democratic activists in Eurasia.  Please feel free to reach out! 

I'm a student from Mexico 🇲🇽 who wants to learn more about the world! Love community, cycling, and reading. 

Hello! My name is Anjelica and I'm a student at Columbia University in New York. My current research aims to look into how language shapes the discourse on femicide in the media. In my free time, I make podcast videos with people who I find inspiring, I write (and hunt for banger book quotes on Pinterest), I'm currently planning an initiative in my foundation, and I love improv comedy. A quote that I really love as of now is: "When God had made The Man, he made him out of stuff that sung all the time and glittered all over. Some angels got jealous and chopped him into millions of pieces, but still he glittered and hummed. So they beat him down to nothing but sparks but each little spark had a shine and a song. So they covered each one over with mud. And the lonesomeness in the sparks make them hunt for one another." Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God And yes, I love existential questions.

Hi all! My name is Dylan Carson and I am a rising Junior/third year studying Government and Linguistics. I'm very interested in the factors causing democratic-backsliding , international relations, and how languages influences not only our cultures but our policy making. In my first Laidlaw summer, I traveled to Ecuador as my LiA where I will spend 6 weeks engaging in environmental restoration, intercultural leadership, and learning more about decolonizing theories with the Pachaysana Foundation.  In my second Laidlaw summer, I served as a research assistant in the Sustaining Paradise project led by Professor Chiara Formichi. The project focuses on Bali, Indonesia, where tourism-led development is actively destroying green spaces. We examined how Hindu-Bali religious and spiritual beliefs can be mobilized for environmental restoration in this touristic context. I'm looking to continuing this work in Fall 2026!  At Cornell, I've participated in the Student Government Assembly as a student representative, am part of an Improv theater group and play in the marching band. In the future, I'd like to get more involved in international relations/government related groups and opportunities as I'm interested in a career in foreign relations. I enjoy speaking languages and am currently learning French (advanced) and Spanish (beginning).  For fun, I love taking hikes, going out to new restaurants, playing baseball, watching sit-coms, and reading.  If anyone wants to say hello, feel free to email me at dpc227@cornell.edu! Hoping to meet you all in person! 

I am an undergraduate at Columbia University, currently studying Chemistry & Human Rights.

Hello! My name is Lily, and I’m pursuing a degree in psychology with a minor in music. My first summer research was interdisciplinary in that it included psychology, cognitive neuroscience, behavioral studies, and music. I designed an experiment about how emotional music impacts future perception and imagination. Then, I collected behavioral data to address my research question. For my LiA, I traveled to Cape Town, South Africa with Anjelica Young, Elizabeth Wallace, and Soyu Hong to create programming for kids and child/youth care workers at SOS Children's Villages, with the support of our coordinator: Youness Robert-Tahiri. I taught poetry and developmental psychology; I co-taught visual art, music, and college/career prep workshops. In the future, my goal is to get a PhD in clinical psychology to support the mental health of kids who survived early adversity and continue research. I love making art, playing my violin, and reading and writing poetry. Some of my favorite books are Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke and any poetry by Langston Hughes. 

I work primarily within the field of procedural generation and parametric design. Please talk to me if either of these interest you!

Hi! I’m Kamtoya Okeke (she/her). I’m a junior at Columbia University studying Cognitive Science, focusing on economics and human behavior. My research was focused on destruction myths, stories which depict the end of the world, and I explored how these myths reflect societal values and fears, as well as how they showcase the power of storytelling. I had the opportunity to publish my research poster, and have continued this research with external funding! My LiA project was at Serve the City Paris, a nonprofit which supports refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants, and the unhoused in the city with food, language and culture exchanges, and more. Feel free to reach out if you're interested in literature research and/or narrative forms, or just want to chat!

I'm a current undergrad student at Barnard College pursuing a double-major in Theatre & Human Rights, with a minor in East Asian Studies. I'm often asked why I’m studying such seemingly divergent fields. For me, these subjects go hand in hand: my diplomacy and human rights practice are informed by an empathy uniquely cultivated from my experience in the arts; my acting on theatrical stages is enriched by my understanding of what is happening on the "world stage." Mastering both mediums is my answer to the seemingly unsolveable divisions we face today. My work bridges these fields in an innovative, urgent and radical effort to highlight our shared humanity at a time we need it most.