The Center is home to faculty, graduate students, undergraduate research interns, and post-doctoral scholars. We also host visiting scholars who are carrying out innovative collaborative research with Center faculty affiliates. (For assistance in hosting a visiting scholar for a semester, see here). Meet our Center alumni who have continued on to exciting careers and educational pursuits!
Postdoctoral Scholars
Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Postdoctoral Scholar (2022-23), worked with mentor Deborah Carr (CAS, Sociology). Dr. Whitworth is currently a research scientist for the Sibling Aggression and Abuse Research and Advocacy Initiative (SAARA) at the Crimes against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire. For more information about her current pursuits, visit her website.
Undergraduate Interns
Taelor Anderson, Undergraduate Research Intern (2021-2022), worked with mentor Aarti Bodas (CAS, Psychological and Brain Sciences). She is a rising senior majoring in Psychology and minoring in Statistical Methods in CAS. She has been working in BU’s Child Cognition Lab since the beginning of the Spring 2022 semester as an undergraduate research assistant. At BU, she is music director of the Off Broadway Choir and Director of Administration of Delta Delta Delta.
Avery Bolden, Undergraduate Research Intern (2021-2022), worked with mentor Spencer Piston (CAS, Political Science). Avery graduated in May of 2023 with a BA/MA in Political Science and Government. Avery will spend the 2023 summer as an intern with SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity) and as a Summer Associate with Kirkland and Ellis. In the fall, Avery joins the 2026 class University of Chicago Law School to earn her Doctor in Law. For more information about her current pursuits, visit her Linked In page.
Alex Eduarte, Undergraduate Research Intern (Summer 2022), worked with mentor Meghann Lucy (CAS, Sociology). She is a rising junior from Honolulu, Hawaii, majoring in Behavior & Health and planning to minor in Sociology. Alex is passionate about the sociology of health, particularly disparities within the U.S. healthcare system and the treatment of mental health issues. In the future, she plans to continue her research in sociology and attend medical school to pursue psychiatry.
Nikki Huang, Undergraduate Research Intern (2021-2022), worked with mentor Jonathan Mijs (CAS, Sociology). Nikki is currently a Merchandising Consultant at Rustans Commercial Corporation. She graduated BU with a degree in sociology and innovation/entrepreneurship in 2023. For more information about her current pursuits, visit her Linked In page.
Rebecca Kielar, Undergraduate Research Intern (2021-22), worked with mentor Johannes Schmieder (CAS, Economics). Rebecca is currently finishing her undergraduate studies in History of Art & Architecture and Economics/Mathematics at BU. She was recently selected to participate in an internship at Burns & Levinson LLP for the 2022 summer and looks forward to a career in law. For more information about her current pursuits, visit her Linked In page.
Kasandra Kue-Rojas, Faculty Pilot Grant Research Assistant (2020-21), worked with mentor Makarand Mody. She is a rising senior majoring in Anthropology with a Specialization in Health & Medicine. Ultimately, she would like to serve as a middle ground for negotiating for better conditions for individuals who may be sidelined, undervalued, and facing difficult situations that stem from precarious employment. For more information about her current pursuits, visit her Linked In page.
Carly Mast, Undergraduate Research Intern (2021-22), worked with mentor Jessica Simes (CAS, Sociology). Carly Mast is currently a Social Justice Springboard Fellow at NYU Bronfman Center. She graduated BU in 2022 with a degree in history. For more information about her current pursuits, visit her Linked In page.
Eliana Mugar, Undergraduate Research Intern (2021-2022), worked with mentor Charles B. Chang (CAS, Linguistics). Eliana graduated in May 2023 with a BA in Linguistics and Computer Science. She is passionate about being able to connect the world of digital technology with the humanities. In the future, she hopes to do further research within the fields of computational linguistics and social data analytics while continuing her passion for film. For more information about her current pursuits, visit her Linked In page.
Shraddha Pingali, Undergraduate Research Intern (2021-22), worked with mentor Ian Sue Wing (CAS, Earth & Environment). Shraddha Pingali is currently finishing her undergraduate studies in Environmental Analysis and Policy and Energy and Environment, with a minor in Political Science, and is a Quantitative Analyst at Opinion Dynamics. For more information about her current pursuits, visit her Linked In page.
Will Regan, Undergraduate Research Intern (2021-22), worked with mentor Jonathan Mijs (CAS, Sociology). Will Regan is currently finishing his undergraduate studies in Computer Science with a minor in Sociology with Boston University. For more information about his current pursuits, visit his Linked In page.
Kate Sandage, Undergraduate Research Intern (2021-22), worked with mentor Wesley Wildman (STH and CDS). Kate Sandage is currently finishing her independent honors thesis research in Sociology with Boston University. For more information about his current pursuits, visit her Linked In page.
Emily Schwartz, Undergraduate Research Intern (2020-21), worked with mentor ?????. She is a rising senior majoring in Sociocultural Anthropology and Spanish with a minor in Latin American Studies. Emily completed an internship with The Intergenerational Literacy Program (ILP) in Chelsea, MA tutoring community members in English, as well as assisting with clerical work for the organization.
Graham Albert, Graduate Intern in the Social Sciences (Summer 2022), is a Ph.D. candidate in the Anthropology Department, focusing on biological anthropology. Albert looks at how facial appearance affects interpersonal perceptions. In particular, he looks at how certain facial characteristics affect dominance perceptions. Albert worked as the Data Analytics Intern for the Boston University Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs, mentor Neena Verma, Assistant Provost for Academic Data and Decision Support (ADDS). As an intern, he strengthen his data science skills, bringing him closer to a career goal as a data scientist conducting research for governments to inform energy and natural resources policy. For more information, visit his webpage. Olivia Britton, Graduate Intern in the Social Sciences (Summer 2022), is a Ph.D. candidate in the Political Science Department. Her research explores the political, social, and economic webs that shape refugee integration experiences on the ground. In particular, she focuses on how integration policies’ legal discourse diverges from the reality of those affected in Southern European countries. Britton worked as a summer intern at BU’s Center for Antiracist Research (CAR). She worked with mentor Dr. Monica L. Wang, Chair of the Narrative Office. As an intern, Olivia will grow her toolkit for best approaches in presenting evidence-based policy correctives accessible to the public, bringing her closer to a career goal as a liaison between academia and NGOs. For more information, visit her webpage. Chawannuch Chaikulngamdee, Graduate Intern in the Social Sciences (Summer 2022), is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Communication, focusing on emerging media studies. Her research examines the intersections of digital technologies and race, specifically how racial attitudes are shaped and expressed in virtual spaces. Chaikulngamdee worked as a summer intern with the Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts. To further their Racial Equity in Corrections Initiative (REICI), she helped to analyze the 1,300 surveys sent out to Massachusetts BIPOC prisoners asking about their experiences with institutional racism. The survey results will be used to advocate for legislation to remedy discrimination in the prison system. Leyla Jafarova, Graduate Intern in the Social Sciences (Summer 2022), is a Ph.D. candidate in the Anthropology Department, focusing on socio-cultural anthropology. She is researching social legacies and consequences of the Nagono-Karabakh war,focusing on the emergence of alternative forms of knowledge as well as gendered experiences of uncertainty. Jafarova interned with the Lynn Racial Justice Coalition, a local grassroots organizing in Lynn, Massachusetts. She worked with the Coalition to develop an alternative to police response to mental health crisis situations. This opportunity offered Jafarova an excellent opportunity to gain experience and skills on the path to becoming an applied anthropologist. For more information, visit her webpage. Monsey interned with Partners in Health (PIH) on an intentional effort to apply interdisciplinary approaches to complex problems in global health. She researched historical moments of change for critical donors in their funding initiatives that pertain to community health workers. By applying the skills she has acquired during her PhD, she is assembling a comprehensive narrative of the past to show that PIH can effectively deploy in service of its universalist mission of health and hope. For more information, visit her webpage. Yunjie Song, Graduate Intern in the Social Sciences (Summer 2022), is a Ph.D. candidate in the Economics Department. Her research interests lie in industrial organization. Song interned with the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, designing a survey to evaluate the Emergency Rental Assistance Program launched during the Covid pandemic. The internship allowed Song to work in the public sector and solve real-world problems, providing her with new insights into policy design and program evaluation. For more information, visit her Linked In webpage. Wang is interning for The Center for Mind and Culture, a non-profit research organization in Boston. She is using this opportunity to better understand the intersection of sociology of education and sociology of religion. Wang is focusing specifically on the link between change in religiosity and educational attainment across time to gain more hands-on experiences in longitudinal analysis. For more information, visit her webpage. Yibin Yang (he/him/his) is a PhD student in the School of Social Work. His research interests focus on preventing mental health challenges and promoting psychological well-being for school-aged children and youth living in socially disadvantaged situations. He is interested in designing and implementing mental health programs and services for young children and their caregivers from diverse backgrounds. Yang is working with experts in early childhood from the United Way Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley to explore strategies to enhance infants’ and young children’s social and emotional development in the post-pandemic era. This internship opportunity will give Yang valuable insights into implementing evidence-based practices from both researcher and practitioner perspectives. For more information, visit his webpage. Aixin Yi, Faculty Pilot Grant Research Assistants (2021-22), is a PhD student at the Department of History working under Dr. Eugenio Menegon, focusing on Protestant missionary movements in late imperial and modern China. Her research interests also concern the development of Christianity in East Asia and the global history of science and technology. Yi holds a BA in sociology from Beijing Tsinghua University and an MA in East Asian Studies from Duke University. For her master’s project, which focused on the religious experience of rural-to-urban migrant workers in contemporary China, Yi conducted fieldwork in churches and Christian migrant communities in southeast China. Prior to joining Boston University, Yi worked as a food journalist in Shanghai. This work has allowed her to develop a strong interest in food and ethics. For more information, visit her webpage.Graduate Students
Dan Liu, Faculty Pilot Grant Research Assistants (2021-22), worked with mentors Daryl Ireland (STH & CGCM) and Eugenio Menegon (CAS, History). Dan is a Ph.D. candidate at BU School of Theology. He is interested in Chinese Christianity and Chinese Church History, with a special interest in China’s modern encounter with Christianity. Dan used his background and skills to work in Boston-area archives to locate and record more data on Christian missions. For more information, visit his Linked In page.
Rachel Monsey, Graduate Intern in the Social Sciences (Summer 2022), is a Ph.D. candidate in the History Department. She studies seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Great Britain with a focus on intellectual history under Dr. Arianne Chernock.
Leping Wang (she/her/hers) is a PhD student in the Sociology Department. Wang’s research interests include occupational mobility, social inequality and stratification, education, and life course trajectories. As a sociologist trained in quantitative methods, she is interested in leveraging statistical models and mixed methods to inquire into the broad subject of social inequality and stratification, particularly in education, health, occupation, and race and ethnicity.
Visiting Scholars
Shinae Choi, Visiting Scholar (Fall 2022), worked with collaborator Deborah Carr (CAS, Sociology). Dr. Shinae L. Choi is currently an Associate Professor at The University of Alabama. Professor Choi’s research interests center on economic insecurity, financial counseling, the cultural dynamics of financial and healthcare decision-making of families and consumers, psychological and financial well-being, and public policy evaluation. For more information on Dr. Choi’s research and publications, visit her website.
Sigurd Eid Jacobsen is a Ph.D. candidate in Social Sciences at OsloMet. He is member of the research group Health and Welfare Studies at Norwegian Social Research (NOVA) and a collaborator on the project: Socio-spatial Inequality among Families with Children with Disabilities who are Entitled to Cash Benefits and Welfare Services (UPTAKE). Jacobsen is working on his PhD project, “Social Class, Institutional Navigation, and Disability in the Welfare State,” exploring how social inequalities frame how families with disabled children experience the social institutions in the welfare state. Jacobsen holds a MA in sociology (2019) from the University of Oslo, where he also was employed as a research assistant on several projects. After finishing his MA and until 2021, he was a part of the Section for Youth Research at NOVA where he worked with the Ungdata surveys and was particularly interested in social inequality in youth participation in organized leisure time activities. While a visiting scholar at CISS, he worked most closely with Dr, Nazli Kibria, a professor of sociology and member of the CISS Steering Committee.