Aaliyah Mobley

Project:  Get the word out! Developing a sustainable approach to institutional repository marketing and outreach

Bio: Howdy! My name is Aaliyah Mobley, and I'm a Senior at Duncan College, studying Psychological Sciences. I hail from a small town in Northeast Texas called Hallsville, but Houston has become my home. Academically, and professionally, I care very deeply about Education and promoting access to information. After I graduate, I plan on spending a few years teaching here in Houston, and eventually, I would like to pursue a degree in Library Science. Outside of school and work, I enjoy reading, crocheting, running, going to concerts, and training my dogs. I'm excited to work on the project "Get the word out! Developing a sustainable approach to institutional repository marketing and outreach" because I think that the Rice Research Repository is a really cool resource available to students, and the more people that are aware of it, the more they can contribute, and the better the resource can become!

Mentor: Shannon Kipphut-Smith

Alex Manchester

Project: Voices of Mathematics: Oral Histories as a path to understanding 

Bio: Alex Manchester is a graduate student in the math department working in knot theory and 4-dimensional manifold topology. They enjoy contra biking, and reading. They are excited to contribute to the mathematical community through the Voices of Mathematics project.

Mentor: Debra Kolah

Akpan Ubong-Abasi 

Project: Black Houston

Bio: Akpan Ubong-Abasi is a PhD student in African/African American study's in the Department of Religion, Rice University. He received his M.A. in the Comparative Study of Religions (distinction) from Nigeria's premier University; the University of Ibadan, a PGD-Education from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria and B.A. in Religious and Cultural Studies from the University of Calabar, Nigeria. Akpan is interested in the study of African religions in the diaspora, bringing to the fore issues of religious racism, religious freedom, pluralism, and the negotiation of religious identities in the diaspora. He is very excited to be a Fondren Fellow, mentored by Dr. Portia Hopkins and Maya Reine, and working on the Black Houston(s) symposium project which explores the history of Houston through the Black diasporic experience. This project mirrors my research trajectory on African religions in the diaspora and I can't wait to get started. I look forward to contributing to and creating insights into the dynamic relationships between people, places, and memories of Black communities in Houston through curatorial and story-telling strategy. 

Mentor: Portia Hopkins

Alex Moreno

Project: Investigating the Relationship between University Music Libraries and Music Publishers Since the Advent of Digital Content and Delivery

Bio: Alex Moreno is a senior at Wiess College studying Music Composition at the Shepherd School of Music. Alex is a native Texan and grew up in the Texas Panhandle. He enjoys road-trips, listening and studying music from different cultures, nature, and spending time with his pets. He is particularly interested in studying recent trends in the classical music industry, having previously researched niche American music publishing houses, and now as a Fondren Fellow, studying the relationship between music publishers and university libraries in the digital age.

Mentor: Arthur Gottschalk

Anadaysi Lopez

Project: 50 Years of Rice Design Alliance (1972-2023) 

Bio: My name is Anadaysi Lopez and I am a third-year student majoring in architecture and minoring in environmental studies. In my free time I enjoy to create art, both scupltural and 2D, cycle, and garden. I have recently gained an interest towards books concerning Central American culture and political movements. I am very excited to start the fellowship to help organize and further develop access to academic resources at Fondren Library.

Mentor: Danny Samuels

Devin Von Arx

Project: Exploring and Publicizing the White House Scientist and Science Policy Dynamic Digital Archive

Bio: Devin Von Arx is a sophomore from Hanszen majoring in electrical engineering. She has always been passionate about the intersection between science and politics and is excited to research the White House Scientist and Science Policy Dynamic Digital Archive. In her free time, she loves exploring the coffee scene of Houston and juggling.

Mentor: Kenneth Evans & Kirstin Matthews

Fatima Akilo

Project: Mapping Hispanic Early Modern Theater in Latin America

Bio: My name is Fatima Akilo, and I'm a senior majoring in Chemistry and minoring in Spanish and Portuguese. I am extremely interested in research, so I've gotten involved in chemistry and Spanish research at Rice. I'm super excited to start Fondren Fellows and deepen my understanding of the research process. I'm also looking forward to learning something new! Outside of academics, I love painting my nails and caring for my succulents. 

Mentor: Esther Fernandez

Hai-Van Hoang

Project: Finding and Mapping Archival Images from Historical Plantations of Brazoria County

Bio: Born and raised in Houston, TX, Hai-Van Hoang is a sophomore at Baker College majoring in Health Sciences and minoring in Sociology on the pre-med track. Her academic interests center around the intersectionality between race/ethnicity and health disparities, and addressing environmental and sociocultural determinants of health in Houston. Through her Fondren Fellows project, she hopes to gain a more in-depth insight and perspective into the historical landscape of Brazoria County in order to reframe Texas history. In her free time, she enjoys reading, drawing, and playing with her two cats, Mila and Pockets.

Mentor: Molly Morgan

Kendall Lyman

Project:  Brave New Worlds: the Huxleys

Bio: Kendall Lyman is a sophomore at Will Rice College, studying both History and Biosciences. She enjoys learning about History and Science, hence her interest in the History of Science. Kendall is excited to start work on the project "Brave New Worlds"

 Mentor: Luis Campos & Rebecca Russell

Martalisa Fischer

Project: Campus Comics        

Bio: Hello! My name is Martalisa Fischer, and I am a junior at Wiess majoring in Political Science and German. I love literature, and look forward to beginning this Fondren Fellows Comics project to dig into the literary and design elements of comics. 

Mentor: David Messmer

Hong-Ye Wang

Project: Fondren Eco-Rep

Mentor: Lisa Spiro

Nathaniel Nokken

Project: The Desenberg Political Button Collection                

Bio: Nathaniel Nokken is a sophomore at Lovett College majoring in Political Science and History. In addition to his work on the Desenberg Political Button Collection, Nathaniel has served as a research assistant with Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy. He is excited to see the role symbols and slogans play in shaping public opinion. Outside of research, he is involved in intramural sports, and a member of the Campanile Orchestra.

Mentor: Mark Jones

Nithya Ramcharan

Project: Exploring Generative AI Media Tools for Academic Use

Bio: Nithya is a junior at Rice majoring in computer science and English. She would love to explore the intersection between technology, language, and literature. As such, responding to the growth of generative AI and its societal and educational implications is a topic of interest for her. She is excited to delve into interdisciplinary research as part of the Fondren Fellows program!

Mentor: Ian Mellow-Crummey

 

Precious Akinrinmade

Project: Finding and Mapping Archival Images from Historical Plantations of Brazoria County

Bio: Precious Akinrinmade is a junior studying Political Science and minoring in Statistics. She is passionate about the intersections of cultural anthropology, linguistics, and international relations. In her free time, you can find her binge-watching documentaries, listening to Afrobeats, and reading. As a Fondren Fellow, she is excited to gain skills in archival research and work closely in the field of anthropology.

Mentor: Molly Morgan

Rohini Pillay

Project: Finding and Mapping Archival Images from Historical Plantations of Brazoria County

Bio: Rohini Pillay is a freshman at Duncan College majoring in History and Political Science with a minor in Politics, Law, and Social Thought. She is originally from South Africa and has been living in the U.S. for 4 years. She plans to pursue a career in law after graduation. Rohini has an interest in South Asian diasporic history, South African economic policy, Middle Eastern studies, and Human Rights law. Through previous law and research internships, she gained a passion for both international relations and domestic U.S. social policy. In her free time, she enjoys reading, filmmaking, playing guitar, and going to art museums.

Mentor: Molly Morgan

Rose Oyoo

Project: Black Houston

Bio: Hello! My name is Rose Oyoo and I am a Sophomore at Will Rice College. I am studying Psychology and working towards the certificate in Civic Leadership. I am the Diversity Representative at Will Rice and enjoy learning about others and their cultures. Aside from school, I love cooking, baking, dancing, and spending time with my friends. I am so excited to be working on this project and getting to learn about the stories and history of Black Houstonians. 

Mentor: Portia Hopkins

Valerie Elizondo

Project: 50 Years Rice Design Alliance (1972-2023) 

Bio: Hi! My name is Valerie Elizondo, and I am a senior double majoring in Architecture and Art History with a minor in Environmental Studies. I am excited to begin this journey on the 50 years of Rice Design Alliance (1972-2023) project under the direction of Danny Samuels. Through my studies I have gained an interest in the intersection of Architecture and cultural heritage as it relates to the preservation and adaptive reuse of existing structures. Outside of academics, I enjoy traveling, reading, adding movies to my watched list, and leading the architecture student body as President of Rice Architecture Society.

Mentor: Danny Samuels

Elizabeth Myers

Project: Mapping Hispanic Early Modern Theatre in Latin America

Bio: I'm Elizabeth Myers, a Senior from Jones College on the Rice Women's Swim Team. I'm majoring in Computational & Applied Mathematics and Spanish. This year I am continuing a project I worked with my mentor on last year: Mapping Hispanic Early Modern Theatre in the US. I'm excited to expand this project and develop a more extensive database to document the presence of Golden Age theater in the US and it's borders since the 1600s. Outside of this research, my classes, and swim, I'm a part of the athletics program called Team IMPACT and serve as a language consultant for Rice CLIC.

Mentor: Esther Fernández

Wendy Yao

Project: 50 Years Rice Design Alliance (1972-2023) 

Bio: Wendy Yao is a senior architecture student and minor in Anthropology. She is interested in exploring architectural and urbanistic design thinking and problem solving through humanities-based approach.

Mentor:  Danny Samuels

Faizal Arifurrahman

Project: Energy and Climate Policy Credibility Index

Bio: Faizal Arifurrahman is a Fulbright graduate student at Rice University's Materials Science and Nano-Engineering Department. In his current research, Faizal employs the cutting-edge tools of computer vision and machine learning to transform the understanding of 2D materials growth. As part of the Fondren Fellowship program, his responsibilities involve the collection of data pertaining to clean energy and climate commitments. Subsequently, he is tasked with developing a measurement system to assess the credibility of renewable energy resources within a specific region of countries.

Mentor: Jim Krane

 

Arman Saxena

Project: Rice Media Center film and video archive project 2.0

Bio: Arman Saxena is a Sophomore studying Statistics, Business (with a concentration in Finance) and Cinema and Media Studies. His interests lie primarily in the worlds of film, media, data, and data analytics. As a result, the Rice Media Center 2.0 project that intertwines film, media, and data management, is something that he couldn't be more excited to start working on. 

Mentor: Chris Banuelos & Adam Paradis

Mariah Bender

Project: Finding and Mapping Archival Images from Historical Plantations of Brazoria County

Bio: Mariah A.K. Bender, is a second-year doctoral student in the History Department. Their research explores how African peoples negotiated terms of freedom using religious, political, and social means during and in the afterlives of slavery in Latin America and the Caribbean. Mariah is particularly excited to work with the Spatial Studies Lab and learn more about GIS as a tool of mapping historical events. As a returning fellows, Mariah is also excited to continue working with Woodson Research Center and their wonderful archivists and librarians.

Mentor: Molly Morgan

Sophie Gao

Project: Ricketts and Shannon's Queer Artistic World

Bio: Hi! I'm Sophie Gao. Currently, I'm a senior at Sid Rich majoring in biochemistry. My interests primarily lie within the realm of care-work and recognizing alternative forms of care. Outside of that, I adore going to concerts. Excited for the program!

Mentor: Norie Guthrie & Rebecca Russell

Arryana Lyon

Project: Visualizing Catastrophe in Latin America and the Caribbean: Mapping the Photographical Archive of Natural Disasters

Mentor: Luis Duno-Gottberg

Sydney Coldren

Project: Visualizing Catastrophe in Latin America and the Caribbean: Mapping the Photographical Archive of Natural Disasters

Bio: My name is Sydney Coldren and I am a senior from the DC area. I study anthropology with minors in Environmental Studies and Spanish and Portuguese. My research interests involve the intersections and nuances of environmental care and cultural conservation. I am specifically interested in forms of remembrance in the wake of disaster and understanding the complex social transformations engendered by crisis. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, building LEGO sets, baking, and watching reality TV.

Mentor: Luis Duno-Gottberg

Isaac Salazar

Project: Visualizing Catastrophe in Latin America and the Caribbean: Mapping the Photographical Archive of Natural Disasters

Bio: Isaac Salazar is a first-year PhD student in the English department at Rice University pursuing studies in Mexican-American literature and the environmental humanities.

Mentor: Luis Duno-Gottberg

Mingo Almazan

Project: Great Impressions: Creating a Profile for the Book Arts at Rice

Bio: My name is Mingo and I am currently double majoring in Visual/Studio Arts and Studies in Women, Gender, and Sexuality. My personal interests include anime, comic books, and digital art. I am very excited to begin the program! I feel as if I'm helping contribute to the greater international art world through the "Great Impressions: Creating a Profile for the Book Arts at Rice" project. I'm hoping to learn many new ways of artistic printing and letterpress to add to my practice through the program.

Mentor: Christopher Sperandio

Georgia Jensen

Project: Red Book of Houston

Bio: My name is Georgia Jensen and I'm a sophomore from Brown majoring in History and Sociology with a minor in Politics, Law, and Social Thought. I am interested in the history of social movements, particularly related to voting rights, in the United States. After graduation, I hope to attend law school. As part of the Red Book of Houston project, I'm excited to help uncover the stories of Houston's own Black community during the early- to mid-twentieth century and additionally hope to explore any potential political activity, especially among the women in the Red Book.

Mentor: Fay Yarbrough & Norie Guthrie

Allison Bullock

Project: Red Book of Houston

Mentor: Fay Yarbrough & Norie Guthrie

Naidely Parada de la Cruz

Project: Enhancing ILL/Resource Sharing experience for Undergraduate Students

Bio: Hello! I'm Naidely Dela Cruz, a junior at Brown College. I grew up in Oakland, California. The beauty of Northern California drew me into hiking. Those trails and weekend hikes with friends/family became a big part of who I am. Spotting horses and deer was always a huge plus, and it was in these moments, surrounded by the Bay Area's beauty, that pushed me towards film photography. There's just something about film that captures a moment's essence in ways a smartphone can't. Hiking in Yosemite inspired me to start visiting national parks, and very soon I will be taking a trip to Big Bend here in Texas!

I am very excited to begin the Fondren Fellows program and am grateful I get to conduct research under experienced mentors. I am most excited about contributing valuable findings and insights into understanding the low utilization of the ILL services among graduate students at Rice. 

Mentor: Susan Garrison

Tina Li

Project: Enhancing Python Workshops with Effective Teaching Strategies               

Bio: Tina Li is a junior from McMurtry majoring in Statistics and minoring in Data Science. Throughout her time at Rice, she has developed a passion for information accessibility, quality education, and data ethics and literacy. She hopes to apply her skills in statistical computing and data mining to pursue a career in public health. Tina is eager to advance her skill set and make her passion a reality through her Fondren Fellows project.

Mentor: Catherine Barber

Steven Burgess

Project: Rice Media Center film and video archive project 2.0

Bio: Film/Photography, Arts, Music lover, and love concerts. I am so excited to start with Fondren Fellows! I've always wanted to archive film and to receive the opportunity is surreal.

Mentor: Chris Banuelos & Adam Paradis

Lydia Lee

Project: Rice Media Center film and video archive project 2.0

Bio: Lydia Lee is a sophomore from Seoul, Korea, pursuing majors in Film and Photography and Computer Science at Rice. She likes to capture moments and draw stories in them. This idea of archiving has made her passionate about film and photography since young childhood. She is excited to take a look at unknown analog videos and delve into film, media, and data management through Rice Media Center film and video archive project 2.0 

Mentor: Chris Banuelos & Adam Paradis

Waverly Huang

Project: Design, Development, and Delivery of Workshops about the fundamentals of Generative AI

Bio: Waverly is a freshman at Wiess College studying Computer Science and Cognitive Science, with a minor in Data Science. She is particularly interested in exploring the intersection between natural and artificial intelligence. Beyond her academic pursuits, Waverly enjoys spending time in nature, photography, listening to music, and trying different foods. She is excited to craft workshops designed to educate students on the diverse methods of ethically applying Generative AI to enrich their academic endeavors. 

Mentor: Edgar Avalos-Gauna

Diane Moturi

Project: Campus Comics

Bio: Hello everyone! My name is Diane Moturi, and I am a sophomore studying Bioengineering with a minor in German Studies. I love reading, crocheting, going on walks and adventures with friends. I am super excited to be a part of the Fondren Fellows program! Moreso, to explore the editorial inception on comics and be able to share the experience with the Rice student body.

Mentor: David Messmer

Ashley Song

Project: Voices of Mathematics: Oral Histories as a path to understanding 

Bio: Ashley Song is a freshman at Wiess majoring in Statistics and Operations Research. With a keen interest in mathematics, she hopes to introduce to people a deeper understanding and appreciation for mathematics, with a central focus on the narratives of mathematicians involved in the Rice Mathematics Department. Outside of academics, she enjoys reading books, playing volleyball, and hanging out with friends.

Mentor: Debra Kolah

Dionne Babineaux

Project: SlaveVoyages 

Bio: Dionne is a first-year PhD student in history, primarily interested in early African and African-American communities in Texas. Dionne looks forward to participating in a project that recognizes and expands our understanding of the experiences of the enslaved.

Mentor: Daniel Domingues

Hugo Gerbich Pais

Project: Ricketts and Shannon's Queer Artistic World 

Bio: DHello! My name is Hugo Gerbic Pais - I'm a junior at Duncan College majoring in English and European Studies. My primary interest is in comparative literature and culture studies - and I'm interested in how Europe defines itself, and how that definition excludes people. My Fondren Fellow's program is focused on Charles Ricketts and Charles Shannon, who are 19th Century queer artists. I am most excited to improve the visibility of these figures, and increase the accessibility of these archives.

Mentor: Norie Guthrie & Rebecca Russell