Theories in Action 2024
[ April 30 through May 2, 2024 ]
Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center, Petteruti Lounge
Livestream link: http://bit.ly/TiA2024
2024 Presenters & Schedule
Tuesday, April 30th 2024
11:00 am
Margaret (Meg) Nesi ’24
Concentration: Environmental Humanities and Policy; IAPA
Presentation Type: Lightning Talk/Storytelling
Presentation Title: Climate Storytelling for Elementary Students
In my capstone project, I investigate how early childhood education can play a role in combatting the current climate crisis. I explore how my generation can initiate effective climate action by exposing children to “unconventional” understandings of the more-than-human world. I would like to share my climate stories, which prompt children to develop relationship with the natural world based on reciprocity, respect, and gratitude.
At COP28 in Dubai, I learned from climate experts about the importance of individual action, education, and storytelling in cultivating environmentally friendly habits. Between ages eight and ten, children begin to develop skills for critical thinking and independent decision-making. Thus, by creating a medium to educate 2nd and 3rd grade students about climate change and eco-friendly habits, we could help inspire a new generation to care for the planet in a way we have not in the past.
I want to not only encourage the audience to reflect on their current relationship to the more-than-human world, but also see that climate action involves much deeper and more reflective work than simply market-based interventions or degree warming targets. I want others to learn that we need to re-examine our entire understanding of the natural world if we are to address to climate crisis.
11:30 am
Adelle Clark ’24
Concentration: Architecture; Areas of Study: Science Communication, Animation, Art
Presentation Type: Lightning Talk/Storytelling
Presentation Title: Science Communication: Eutrophication SciToons Project
Through the Brown Science Cartoons (SciToons) program, I animated an educational video about Eutrophication/Algae Blooms. The video delves into what algae blooms are, how human activities have impacted them, the destruction they can cause to the surrounding ecosystems, and solutions to try to reduce eutrophication. I created this animation from a script made by a fellow SciToons member, with edits and advice from Dean Oludurotimi Adetunji and other SciToons creation team members. I want to share the video itself (it is around 5 minutes but can be clipped for the talk if necessary) as well as discussing how I tried to engage with storytelling while still accurately explaining scientific subjects–through following a character’s journey learning about eutrophication.
I think there is huge potential in using art and animation to explain complicated and often inaccessible (due to jargon, complication of material, etc) scientific concepts in accessible and engaging ways. Art can make concepts more clear, by visualizing hard to understand concepts. Using the SciToons model, I have collaborated with experts, professors, and other students and artists to co-create and effectively communicate science to a broader audience. Eutrophication, as an example, widely negatively impacts human life and ecosystems. In our video we are able to explain these consequences in an engaging way while also proposing individual to larger environmental solutions that viewers can engage with.
I want others to learn about what science communication opportunities exist for them, within this campus and in general in the world. I want to explain some of my thought process behind developing concept art, storyboarding, character design, and color palettes to create clarity and a sense of narrative. By showcasing the effectiveness of animated videos in simplifying intricate ideas, I hope to introduce and/or add to the conversation of science communication efforts. Ultimately, I want the audience to recognize that effective science communication isn't just about conveying information—it's about fostering engagement and curiosity in everyone, regardless of their background or expertise.
1:00 pm
Pilar McDonald ’24
Concentration: Caregiving and Care Infrastructure in the US
Presentation Type: Lightning Talk/Storytelling
Presentation Title: Wages for Housework on the Ground: Bringing the Theory into Practice
I would like to share a synopsis of my senior thesis, focusing on the Wages for Housework organization, the theory behind their work, and the movement they built. I would also talk a bit about the future of the movement and where the care movement stands now.
In July 2020, my best friend, Lola, and I started Project Matriarchs, an organization working to match our generation's energy and time with the support that so many parents across the country needed. We built Project Matriarchs based on the hypothesis that young people would want to work to help support parents if we presented caregiving as something extremely personal. This hypothesis proved true when we talked to other members of our generation.
Some of us can’t wait to be caregivers—others are apprehensive. Despite the heterogeneity, caregiving is essential, defining even. It is central to what makes us human. While I never expected it, caregiving became a central focus of how I understood the relationships and communities around me. I decided to design my own concentration, an opportunity that I am endlessly grateful I had access to at Brown. My independent concentration, entitled “Caregiving and Care Infrastructure in the US,” prompted an in-depth look at how policies and culture shape narratives and experiences of care in the United States.
1:30 pm
Juliana Merullo ’24
Concentration: Food and Community
Presentation Type: Lightning Talk/Storytelling
Presentation Title: Deep Water: Farming After the Floods
I want to use my lightning talk as a chance to share findings from my capstone project, which is an audio piece on flooding that affected farmers and communities in Western Massachusetts last summer. I hope to share clips from interviews that I did with farmers and local officials on the devastation from the floods and all that has happened (funding, food safety, generosity of the community and other farmers) since then.
Ultimately my story is one of climate change, and a glimpse into how more intense and frequent natural disasters will affect our food systems in the future. My IC is aimed at understanding how communities form and are formed by the food system, and this story in particular shows the importance of a community in helping farmers recover after a major flooding event. It also looks at the shortcomings of that support, and how those communities will only be more important in a climate extreme future. I think that centering voices and experiences at the center of the climate storytelling movement is critical to spread awareness, humility and understanding.
I hope that people will leave with a better understanding of some of the difficulties farmers face because of climate change, and how the economics of our current food system is rigged against farmers (of all sizes!). I also hope they will feel like they better understand the nuances and complexities of these issues, the ways that these stories go beyond headlines and can't be easily categorized.
2:30 pm
Michael OuYang ’26
Concentration: Public Health and Medicine
Presentation Type: Lightning Talk/Storytelling
Presentation Title: Mental Health Awareness, Suicide Prevention, and Student Led-Nonprofits
I have had my own experiences with depression and anxiety, and because of that, I felt very inclined to make sure no one would feel the same way I have in the past. I created No Empty Seats (NES) a student-led mental health nonprofit based on sharing stories and students being vulnerable about their issues. Since then I have become very passionate about mental health awareness, raising thousands of dollars for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and even collaborating with over 100 individuals, teams, and clubs to show their support for mental health. I also teach and instruct my own mental health outreach class, inspiring other students to increase their mental health fluency and take care of themselves and the communities around them.
Because of my extensive conversations with over a thousand young individuals about mental health experiences, I feel that I have a unique perspective to offer that no other therapist or psychiatrist holds. As a Gen Z individual, I understand what it is like to struggle in our generation and I realize the importance of peer-to-peer connecting and shared struggle. I have developed a strong sense of mental health fluency with my classmates and friends, and I would love to share my knowledge and thoughts on our generation's mental health crisis along with my unique public health/social action/clothing brand nonprofit endeavors.
3:00 pm ROUNDTABLE
Daniel Solomon ’26
Concentration: IAPA; Urban Studies
Presentation Type: Roundtable
Presentation Title: Culture, Educators, and Community Schooling
Description goes here
Jon Zhang ’24
Concentration: Political Science; Biology
Presentation Type: Roundtable
Presentation Title: Interstate Variation in Medicaid Unwinding Enrollment Outcomes and Policy Decisions
I've been interested in the Medicaid program for quite some time now. One of the first ballots I ever cast after I turned 18 was for Medicaid expansion when my home state (Missouri) expanded Medicaid in 2020. I maintained this interest when I interned with Centene, the largest Medicaid managed care organization in the US. I then took "Healthcare Politics and Policy" during my junior year, where I studied interstate variation in Medicaid expansion under the ACA for my final project. This current project, the subject of my political science senior honors thesis, represents an extension of previous work into the current moment: Medicaid unwinding. Right now, states are redetermining eligibility for millions of enrollees who received Medicaid during the pandemic, and millions are losing their coverage, largely due to administrative errors. It has been a tumultuous period, and states have gone about it in very different ways, to different consequences on beneficiaries.
I am passionate about Medicaid because of its important and socially valuable role in the US healthcare system. It is the largest single insurer in the country, covering nearly 90 million Americans, and provides a lifeline to coverage for low-income Americans, pregnant women, children, and other vulnerable groups. Any policy development affecting the program affects the health, livelihoods, and financial security of a significant share of the population. And I am particularly interested in Medicaid unwinding because it is a timely issue that we can study to get a better sense of how states implement and can improve their procedures for renewing.
I have learned about the political influences that shape the overall trajectory of the Medicaid program and how they have evolved/remain relevant to this day. Specifically, I find that party control strongly influences enrollment outcomes and policymaking surrounding the program, a finding that reflects the reality of our current hyperpolarized and partisan political environment and is consistent with the recent trajectory of the program (e.g., Medicaid expansion under the ACA). I also find, however, that certain enrollment outcomes are less driven by partisan variables and serve as stronger reflections of a state's administrative capacity, independent of political influences. I want listeners to understand that Medicaid unwinding, a herculean logistical process, presents administrative burdens on current enrollees and that certain policies can alleviate these burdens on citizens. States can engage in these actions to improve participation with social programs BUT these decisions are largely influenced by politics.
Myles Ringel ’25
Concentration: Empathy in Practice
Presentation Type: Roundtable
Presentation Title: Empathy through Otherness
I vividly remember the young mother’s tears that streamed down her face when the doctor I shadowed told her that her eight-year-old son might drop dead without any warning. The doctor waited a beat, offered a word of condolence and a tissue, and promptly moved on with the appointment as if nothing had changed. The appointment was a case study of clinical empathy--that is, synthesized empathy (in medical education, doctors are taught how to put aside their feelings and instead tailor their affective response to something that the patient would recognize as empathy). This experience was largely responsible for my decision to create my independent concentration, Empathy in Practice. Through this concentration, I study the experience and importance of empathy in everyday life in modern American culture, with a specific focus on the dynamics of empathizing across differences.
I conducted semi-structured interviews with male Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) physicians to better understand how they navigate and understand their empathy for their patients despite their distinct lack of ability to share experiences. I found that they are able foster a sense of empathy with patients by harnessing and centering a sense of otherness. I hope that listeners gain a broader sense of what empathy is, what it can be, and how they can use feelings of disconnection to understand one another.
Wednesday, May 1st 2024
11:30 am
Indigo Mudbhary ’26
Concentration: Ethnic Studies; History
Presentation Type: Lightning Talk/Storytelling
Presentation Title: Toward Intersectionality: What Three Case Studies Reveal About the State of Scholarship on Nepali Out-migration and Its Impact on Gender Dynamics
By looking at three works of scholarship on Nepali migration, I will explore how Nepali gender dynamics are changing due to the relatively recent rise of out-migration beginning in the 1990s, and will situate the experiences of Nepali women — both those who migrate themselves and those who are impacted by migration — at the center of this discussion. Through this exploration of changing gender dynamics, I will simultaneously analyze the scholarship itself by examining each text’s distinct approach to including caste, ethnicity, religion, and class within its analysis. Ultimately, I seek to demonstrate that an intersectional approach to understanding how Nepali gender dynamics are impacted by migration is profoundly necessary, and that a lack of consideration toward caste, ethnicity, religion, and caste greatly hinders scholarship on Nepali diaspora. Moreover, without an intersectional approach, scholars of Nepali migration run the risk of perpetuating the harmful idea of a normative Nepali citizen who is high-caste, Hindu, and Nepali-speaking, a narrative which marginalizes communities that don’t meet these parameters.
I am drawn to this topic because of my personal background and my belief that it would be incredibly valuable to study. First, as a product of Nepali diaspora myself, I have noticed that my family's migration story has not been studied. However, it is more than just representation for the sake of representation that pushes me to study this topic — I believe that the study of Nepali migration and diaspora can contribute to our understanding of the contemporary U.S., expand the scope of South Asian Studies, explore how social boundaries transform across diaspora, and diversify Ethnic Studies and Migration and Diaspora Studies. Therefore, I am drawn to this topic/subject not just because I believe in fighting underrepresentation but because I believe the implications of this study could be valuable for multiple fields, which is why I hope to share these findings in that interdisciplinary conversational space that Theories in Action provides.
I hope to challenge how Nepal and other smaller South Asian countries are aggregated under a larger “South Asian” or “Indian” label within South Asian Studies and Ethnic Studies, as this aggregation leads to the marginalization and erasure of our voices and experiences. I would want people to leave my talk understanding that Nepal-specific research is important in its specificity and demands to be studied despite its current underrepresentation in the Academy. Additionally, this talk would explore how Nepalese out-migration affects not only those who migrate themselves but also those who stay behind, so hopefully others would learn from this talk that migration studies must not just focus on those who physically migrate but also those who remain. Lastly and most importantly, I hope that others would be able to see that there is a promising, intersectional direction in which this scholarship should be headed and this talk would be a platform for me to advocate for it.
12:00 pm
Angela Qian ’24
Concentration: Literary Arts
Presentation Type: Lightning Talk/Storytelling
Presentation Title: Endless Fashion
My literary arts thesis is an experimental short story collection that addresses themes of mass experience; language as slippery, contingent, and reticent; and virtual/textual space. My project is interested in what text/language as a medium can and can't do.
I am drawn to this topic by a recent interest in 1960s minimalist art and related contemporary/avant-garde art movements and how they theorize subjectivity, media, collectivity and space has given me a vocabulary to describe the attempt in literature to thematize the same questions in a different medium. I'm drawn to experimental, contemporary writing styles because I'm excited to consider how the formal aspects of writing work after an education that mainly concerned craft and the representational/styles of psychological realism that may not apply anymore to the world of today. If we are theorizing language as a withholding, slippery, and unreliable tool, how do we move forward in the literary world, where our medium *is* language, this now-unstable thing? How do we incorporate that into our practice?
12:30 pm
Jennora Blair ’24
Concentration: Modern Culture & Media; Storytelling / Narrative Studies
Presentation Type: Lightning Talk/Storytelling
Presentation Title: Dreaming the Art-Chive: Black and Indigenous Community Memory-Keeping Through Storytelling
I would like to share my capstone project for my independent concentration in Storytelling / Narrative Studies. I am in the midst of creating an audio-visual archive of Black and Indigenous artists and art-chival practices in Providence. Given the violent and extractive history of archives involving Black and Indigenous communities, I am considering a new way to archive that isn't institutional, and is rather communal. A counter-archive of sorts, an art-chive, that centers art as a form of memory-keeping. Turns out, many communities have been doing art-chiving for a while, preserving art as a way of keeping cultural and spacial memory alive, in Providence, particularly. I want to share my capstone art-chive of BIPOC artists and their art in Providence, while also showcasing the root efforts and the work that has always been done. And all of the resources and dreams along with it.
As a multimedia artist, I am passionate about storytelling as a way to express and keep myself whole. I'm in love with the power of storytelling, and how it is shared across different mediums and transformed through different people. Given my background as an African American, I am drawn to Black and Indigenous traditions of storytelling that are as old as my ancestors – my inclination to do art had to have started from there. And so I'm dedicated to discovering the roots and foundation of such practices that have formed the communication and cultural knowledge in my communities, but also the ways in which they translate and connect to all forms of storytelling in all communities.
I want others to learn about the Black and Indigenous artist narratives in Providence, and thus, learn more about the Black and Indigenous communities in Providence. I want them to learn about their dreams and the reimagined spaces in their histories and narratives filled with hope and aliveness. I want people to understand the power in reclaiming the ability to memory-keep, in a way that is accessible, inclusive, emotional, experiential, and better representative of communal experiences. I want people to understand that memory revival is possible, and that art is a powerful tool to revisit, reimagine, fill gaps in the narratives, evoke, communicate and remember. It also a beautiful way to move forward, in reflection of the past.
1:00 pm
Sophia Ghauri ’24
Concentration: Human-Centered Design for Healthcare Systems
Presentation Type: Lightning Talk/Storytelling
Presentation Title: Advanced Machine Learning Algorithm for Diabetic Retinopathy Detection Using Retinal Fundus Imaging
This project aims to build upon the RETFound algorithm and tailor the algorithm for the use of detecting diabetic retinopathy and severity classification according to the International Clinical Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale. This new iteration will then be tested and compared to the old iteration of RETFound to determine if there was an improvement in the algorithm accuracy to do its training on a larger and more diverse dataset.
Artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine has seen rapid development and progress in recent years due to the advancement of deep learning techniques and computational advances. Ophthalmology specifically has seen the development of a variety of algorithms across a wide spectrum of ophthalmological diseases and this is in part due to the field's use of imagining in the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. Despite these recent advances these algorithms still rely on large amounts of labeled data which requires expert assessment and is a laborious process. Due to the scarcity of experts with domain knowledge, this leaves vast amounts of medical data unlabelled and unexploited.
Recent advancements in artificial intelligence, particularly within ophthalmology, have been propelled by the evolution of deep learning techniques and computational capabilities. Despite this progress, the reliance on extensive labeled data remains a challenge, limiting the exploitation of vast amounts of medical data due to the scarcity of domain experts. This project's aim to enhance the RETFound algorithm for diabetic retinopathy detection and severity classification demonstrates a proactive step toward addressing this challenge. By leveraging a larger and more diverse dataset, the potential for improved accuracy in algorithmic performance is promising, marking a significant stride towards more effective AI-driven healthcare solutions in ophthalmology.
1:30 pm
Elise Herbert ’24
Concentration: Biology EEOB
Presentation Type: Lightning Talk/Storytelling
Presentation Title: Hunting Genes in the Sea Urchin's Spine Pattern
I’d like to share my research into spine growth and patterning genetics in the sea urchin. Urchins are a familiar reproductive and embryonic model system, but I study them as adults, tracking down the genes they use to control the size of their spines. If you look at an urchin, you’ll see two distinct “ranks” of spines: large primary spines, and the small secondaries that surround them. How is this distinction set and maintained? I began my project by acquiring a comparative transcriptome of primary vs secondary spines to pinpoint genes of interest. Now I’m using RNA hybridization to light up these genes in use in the living cells. This technique makes cool images that I would love to show in a presentation format!
You wouldn’t believe it just from looking at them, but urchins are some of our closest invertebrate relatives. Despite this underlying connection, they have innovated a high degree of evolutionary novelty, which leaves them with vastly different forms and lives. The adult urchin has a radial, modular body plan that grows and regenerates continuously, adding new elements to the pattern and replacing damaged ones. To me, it’s an intriguing question: how do these animals deploy molecular tools to organize ongoing growth as precisely as they do? I also find it quite beautiful. Spine size is only one element of the urchin pattern. You can find dozens of symmetries, divisions, and hierarchical groupings if you look at one of their shells. When we think of animal beauty, we usually picture vertebrates or insects, things with faces; I hope we can all take a moment, too, to consider the urchin.
3:00 pm POSTER SESSION
Catherine Yang ’24
Concentration: Visual Arts; Industrial Food Systems
Presentation Type: Poster
Presentation Title: Waste to Wonder: How can we mitigate failures within industrial agriculture?
My poster aims to highlight the necessary work to be done within the field of industrial agriculture in order to reduce waste and environmental harm. It will first describe/introduce the issue of waste created by industrial agricultural systems (how, why, where) and then address this problem through the outline of a waste management business. This will include multiple streams of waste reduction as well as uses for agricultural waste, namely composting on an industrial scale. It will include qualitative data (based on interviews/case studies) and diagrams demonstrating how the company plans to recycle waste effectively.
Food plays a central role in shaping individual and cultural identities, as well as providing opportunities for economic growth and social development. Across diverse cultures, cuisines reflect unique histories, traditions, and values, fostering a sense of belonging and connection to one's heritage. Moreover, access to nutritious food is fundamental to human health and well-being, serving as a cornerstone for educational attainment, workforce productivity, and community resilience. However, within the food industry, pervasive issues such as food waste undermine these opportunities. The staggering amount of food wasted at various stages of production, distribution, and consumption not only squanders valuable resources but also exacerbates hunger and environmental degradation. Addressing food waste presents a significant opportunity for improvement, offering the potential to alleviate hunger, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance economic efficiency. By implementing innovative solutions, we can mitigate waste while simultaneously advancing equity, sustainability, and prosperity within the food system.
My goal is to encourage listeners to adopt a more critical perspective on their engagement with the industrial food system. I aim to spark reflection on the personal and collective contributions to food waste, both at an individual level and within the broader context of local food systems. By fostering awareness of the environmental, social, and economic implications of food waste, I hope to inspire listeners to reconsider their consumption habits and make informed choices that prioritize efficiency and sustainability. I aspire to empower individuals to play an active role in reducing waste and fostering positive change within their communities. Together, by questioning the status quo and embracing mindful consumption practices, we can work towards a more equitable, resilient, and environmentally conscious food system.
Daniel Ramirez-Minaya ’24
Concentration: Comparative Black Economics, Politics, and Development
Presentation Type: Poster
Presentation Title: Transcending Hemispheres: Unveiling the Universal Black Immigrant Experience
My Senior Capstone is a piece that investigates and depicts how the black immigrants in NYC, mainly composing of Black Caribbean people, are extremely similar to the West African Immigrants in Paris in experience, societal impact, and oppression. Visually, I wish to show pictures of each group and their cultures, and in doing so, validating this idea of Pan-Africanism. I think having this visual guide, alongside a handout with an abstract of my paper, will help people envision Pan-Africanism and the universality of the Black Struggle, something of which that is often overlooked or simply forgotten.
With my concentration being Comparative Black Economics, Politics, and Development, I have always distinctly investigated the systematic oppression of Black people. With that in mind, I wanted to use my experience abroad in Paris as an intern at an African organization and then compare that to my personal experience in NYC from a Black Immigrant family. The organization gave me so much insight and knowledge on how migration, arrival, and integration works for Black Immigrants and I began to note many similarities with the Black immigrants of NYC. With my personal experiences, and with the vast amounts of research and learning in class, I’m able to create this comprehensive and hopefully tangible image. Of course with such a complicated and nuanced topic, it would be easy to bite off more than I can chew. For that reason alone, I’ve decided to restrict myself to a few questions: How do these diasporas compare? Who makes up each one of them? How do they shape the countries they arrive in? Do they enjoy the same rights as the other citizens/residents? What is the white colonial machine to them? How do they interact with it and how are they exploited?
I think the most important thing I’ve learned is that there has been a lot of erasure, especially when it comes to the narrative surrounding these immigrants. The white colonial machine benefits from removing the nuance, interconnectedness, and humanity from these people and their experiences. I want people to know that this wave of immigrants isn’t because of failed states abroad, or that the poverty that usually haunts them is from their own volition, but rather comes from being hexed by these hegemonic powers all because of their blackness.
Hyunjee (Erica) Nam ’24
Concentration: Food, Media, and Culture; Social Analysis and Research (Organizational Studies)
Presentation Type: Poster
Presentation Title: Korean Cookbooks
My project explores whether and how Korean recipes/cookbooks in the U.S., from the early 20th century to now, impacted and shaped Korean transnational subjects' cultural identity development. The poster will describe key sections of my thesis and arguments. I hope to display newspaper ads and cookbook pages visually.
For as long as I can remember, I had the greatest passion for all things food. I knew that I wanted to academically study food as well, but not something like food science, but focusing on foods' cultural roles in life. I have engaged with my interest in food a variety of ways such as going to culinary school and through extracurricular commitments.
I learned about the dynamics and tensions of Korean transnational subjects' exercise in agency in shaping and defining their identities, and how this is reflected through Korean recipes/coookbooks.
Thursday, May 2nd 2024
10:00 am
Cecile Schreidah ’24
Concentration: Infectious Epidemiology
Presentation Type: Lightning Talk/Storytelling
Presentation Title: Beyond Mosquitoes: The Malaria Story
For my project, I will be presenting the capstone documentary I created last fall called Beyond Mosquitoes: The Malaria Story. This documentary will not only educate the audience about malaria but also demonstrate how my major has equipped me with a comprehensive understanding of infectious diseases, the tools to analyze them, and the skills to address them comprehensively—a testament to my readiness to contribute to the field of public health and medicine. Viewers will learn about the history of the disease and its public health implications while discovering more about my lab research at Brown.
I've been extremely involved in malaria research and advocacy since my sophomore year at Brown. I've been doing research in Dr. Jeff Bailey's lab at the Center for International Health since my sophomore year, looking at how mutations in the malaria parasite cause drug resistance in regions of Rwanda, and am in the process of publishing a first author paper on my work. However, beyond my research, I've been involved in advocacy efforts and just recently spent a few days lobbying for increased malaria research by meeting with MA/RI members of congress on Capitol Hill. I've always been passionate about infectious diseases, and that's what brought me to my IC. However, since learning more about malaria through my research, it has become my main scientific interest--something that I hope to continue to study and work to address as an infectious disease clinician in the future.
By creating a documentary centered on malaria, I have bridged together the various dimensions of my independent concentration in infectious epidemiology. This documentary shows my understanding of biological intricacies with epidemiology and a holistic recognition of the socio-economic factors influencing health outcomes. By delving into the molecular biology of the malaria parasite and showing off my lab research, I hope that viewers can see the research being done on the parasite while learning from members of my lab to see the impact of this work. Additionally, by examining the historical context of malaria outbreaks and control efforts, and shedding light on the ongoing impact of social determinants such as poverty and healthcare accessibility, the documentary shows the holistic approach embedded in my major. It is a testament to the interdisciplinary nature of infectious epidemiology, emphasizing how microbiological insights inform epidemiological investigations and the resultant public health interventions.
10:30 am
Angie Yang ’24
Concentration: Psychology
Presentation Type: Lightning Talk/Storytelling
Presentation Title: Youth of Color, Mental Health, and School Resource Officers: A Qualitative Evaluation
I have been involved in a research project investigating the impact of school resource officers' presence in Providence public high schools on BIPOC students' mental health. While the project is in the beginning stages (we are just now submitting it to the IRB for approval) I've done a lot of work leading up to this. Since I'm graduating and leaving the lab I wanted to summarize the work I've done for the project so far. I'd need to give an overview of the project, but focus on talking about my specific contributions (e.g. preliminary research, survey testing and evaluations, writing research documentation.) However I'd like to take an angle where I talk about how I've done 'community based participatory research' through these contributions (e.g. how we tried to involve the community through focus groups, through attending the community partner's organizational meetings, etc.) I'd like to evaluate the ways in which I tried to engage the community partner and think of ways in which my lab team could continue/improve interactions.
I took an EDUC course on Community based participatory research and got to know the principal investigator of this research through that. I'm looking to go into applied research and was fascinated by this mode that sought to create equity where academics weren't exploiting local communities for advancement of knowledge but rather helping community partners gain necessary insight for their practices. I'm passionate about helping historically marginalized groups wield the valuable resource of research to create a more equitable society.
I want others to learn about Community Based Participatory Research and how it could be implemented but also how it can be difficult to implement as academia-based researchers. I'd also like to raise awareness about my particular research project's idea, which is advocacy for better mental health resources in Providence Public Schools as well as for the removal of SROs.
11:00 am
Lucas Gelfond ’24
Concentration: Computer Science; Art and Technology
Presentation Type: Lightning Talk/Storytelling
Presentation Title: Information Theory and Design at IBM
I'd like to present about the rise in popularity of information theory around the second half of the Cold War, and its impact on design and art in the following decades. The most interesting way into this, I think, is through IBM’s corporate identity; few companies before it truly thought about cohesive brand identity or ‘design language’ across all of their products, and IBM needed to partially because of the complexity of its products. IBM, too, needed to be creative in its self-presentation to explain otherwise obscure metaphors of computing.
I’ve been studying versions of this throughout my time at Brown! In addition to my IC I study computer science, and am most interested in depictions of technology (specifically computing) in art and design. Much of this has come through in my coursework, with echoes across disciplines, like HIAA 0820: Modern Architecture, RISD 0750B: History of Industrial Design, CSCI 1951V: Hypertext/Hypermedia, and several other courses. It’s also come up frequently in a lot of my writing I’ve done beyond Brown, in venues like Dirt, VICE, and a magazine I co-founded with my friend Anabelle called Syntax (http://syntaxmag.online).
I hope people come to see and understand what information theory is, and how it has inflected so much of the way we talk about data, computers, and see the world. I also hope to pinpoint some of the ways the discipline has escaped disciplinary boundaries and worked its way into other fields; to give a high-level view of cybernetics, and the ways it has impacted many contemporary disciplines, particularly in how we think about artificial intelligence.
11:30 am
Jeffery Tao ’24
Concentration: Human-Computer Interaction
Presentation Type: Lightning Talk/Storytelling
Presentation Title: Redefining Tab Management for Digital Well-being
My project aims to rethink tab management in web browsers by addressing the challenges users face when organizing and navigating multiple tabs. The poster will visually depict the common struggles users encounter with excessive tab hoarding and how my design offers a solution to alleviate overwhelm and stress. Elements such as user personas, user journey maps, and conceptual designs of the tool will be showcased to illustrate the design process and the intended impact on users' digital well-being.
My interest in this work stems from personal experiences of feeling overwhelmed by a cluttered browser interface. As a frequent internet user, I recognize the importance of efficient tab management for productivity and mental well-being. Additionally, my background in Human-Computer Interaction has equipped me with the skills to tackle this problem effectively, driving my motivation to engage with this subject area and make a meaningful contribution.
Through research and exploration, I've learned about the detrimental effects of excessive tab hoarding on users' digital well-being. I aim to educate listeners about the significance of this issue and demonstrate how my design can mitigate these effects by providing a tailored solution for effective tab management. Ultimately, I hope to inspire others to consider the impact of digital clutter on mental health and encourage the adoption of tools like mine to promote a healthier online experience.
12:30 pm
Annie Wang ’24
Concentration: Cognitive Science; Public Health
Presentation Type: Lightning Talk/Storytelling
Presentation Title: Examining the UK’s COVID-19 Vaccination Response through Behavioral Science to Improve Pandemic Policies to Augment Compliance & Vaccine Acceptance
The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented public health event, presenting numerous worldwide challenges. Vaccination remains the key to mitigating transmission and lifting lockdown restrictions, but vaccine hesitancy remains a major hurdle to vaccine coverage. Understanding the underlying behavioral dynamics behind vaccination and policy compliance is crucial for informing effective policy decisions. This study examines behavioral science methods, namely social norms, defaults, loss aversion, and information-based interventions, to maximize COVID-19 vaccination compliance. Due to the UK’s vaccination success and history of employing behavioral science strategies to inform public policy, the study investigates the UK’s government response as a case study for the US.
The U.S. possesses unique obstacles to boosting vaccine uptake due to the politicization of COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination by conservative government leaders (Ruiz et al., 2023). This challenge is further exacerbated by the internet’s rapid propagation of misinformation and deep-rooted distrust in the government, stemming from a history of mistreatment towards marginalized groups (Friedhoff et al., 2022; Jaiswal & Perlman, 2020). A fundamental component in boosting policy adherence is that people must trust that the policy is effective (van den Broek-Altenburg & Atherly, 2021). Within this context, existing literature reveals gaps in customizing behavioral science tools to COVID-19 policy, as there are limited studies applying behavioral science specifically to the context of pandemic preparedness.
As a consequence of these challenges, the U.S.’s COVID-19 response has been met with widespread criticism, with less than half of Americans believing that the response sufficiently supported quality of life, economic growth, or public health (Nadeem, 2022). With widespread consensus that the U.S.’s pandemic response fared worse than that of most developed countries, it is essential to study ways to bolster pandemic preparedness and vaccination by drawing upon interdisciplinary lessons of public policy and behavioral science.
Notably, the UK’s emphasis on collective action and community support through its centralized healthcare system contributed to higher initial compliance rates than the US, which faced challenges in political interference. Lessons from the UK response underscore the importance of clear communication, trust-building, and culturally sensitive policies. By integrating insights from behavioral science, policymakers can tailor strategies to overcome barriers to compliance, ultimately enhancing public health outcomes and resilience in the face of future pandemics.
1:30 pm ROUNDTABLE
Carter Moyer ’24
Concentration: Computational Neuroscience
Presentation Type: Roundtable
Presentation Title: Predicting Later-Life Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis from Early and Mid Life Social and Cognitive Features
My interest in Alzheimer's disease, and specifically the potential for early prediction, is deeply personal. My grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and I witnessed the devastating impact it had on both him and our family. The way it gradually stole his memories, his personality, and ultimately his sense of self was heartbreaking.
Beyond that personal connection, I also spent time volunteering at an Alzheimer's day care facility. There, I connected with patients and saw firsthand the challenges they and their loved ones faced. These individuals, once vibrant and full of life, struggled with even the simplest tasks, even as they were full of life and memories. The experience fueled a sense of urgency within me.
I believe that machine learning holds tremendous potential to unlock patterns in data that we may not readily see. It can help us analyze a wide array of cognitive and social factors from early and mid-life that might indicate a higher risk for Alzheimer's disease. The goal is not merely prediction, but timely intervention. If we can identify those at higher risk earlier on, proactive measures could be put in place. These measures might potentially delay onset, slow progression, or improve quality of life for those affected.
Adult Factors as Strong Predictors: My research strongly suggests that cognitive factors recorded in adulthood (around age 35) are significantly more predictive of Alzheimer's risk biomarkers at age 65 compared to childhood measurements. This finding potentially challenges assumptions about Alzheimer's being primarily determined at young ages.
The Importance of Cognitive Variables: Across all biomarkers, cognitive variables appear to be the most powerful indicators of Alzheimer's risk. This underscores the potential of regular cognitive assessments as crucial for early prediction.
Chinazo Onyema ’24
Concentration: Infectious Disease and Economic Development
Presentation Type: Roundtable
Presentation Title: Water, Wellness, and Wealth
I will talk about my findings on where specifically resources should be allocated, based on geographic data, to reduce the burden of water-borne diseases in sub-Saharan Africa.
In the realm of economic development, the adage "Water is Life" has echoed throughout time, taking on various interpretations. Yet, my empirical investigation challenges the conventional wisdom, revealing that the mere existence of water does not assure optimal human health. Distinguishing between perennial and non-perennial water bodies, my presentation delves into a nuanced analysis of the interplay between perennial water bodies and life. Contrary to common assumptions, the data presented herein contends that it is the perennial water bodies, not their non-perennial counterparts, that exhibit a significant and positive correlation with the burden of waterborne diseases. In this research proposal, I’ll unravel the intricate interplay between perennial water bodies (PWB), WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) Deaths, and economic development across diverse African regions.
Overall, my interest in infectious diseases and economic development in sub-Saharan Africa draws me to this topic. Moreover, my experience volunteering in a General Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria during the cholera outbreak in 2017 makes me particularly interested in addressing the root-cause of such a preventable yet awful disease: that is, water. By coming up to solutions to tackling this disease through empirical research, we can use our understanding of biology, public health, and economics to improve patient quality of life across Africa. An economic report titled “unlock trillions of dollars with clean water, decent toilets and hygiene, WaterAid,” published in July 2021 stated “our research shows that investment in water, sanitation, and hygiene is incredibly cost-effective: it can unlock trillions of dollars of value in the global economy. Prioritizing water, sanitation and hygiene is mission-critical in ending this pandemic, preventing the next, and in fueling our own economic recovery.
Sierra Bornheim ’24
Concentration: Human Evolution; Biology
Presentation Type: Roundtable
Presentation Title: Inferring environmental conditions at an important Lower Paleolithic site using avifauna
This summer, I spent six weeks doing fieldwork in Spain, three of which were at Cueva Negra del Estrecho del Río Quípar, a late Early Pleistocene rock shelter site. This site is known for having the oldest biface handaxe and oldest evidence of intentional combustion in Europe, which makes it an extremely important site for the region. We know that humans utilized this cave because of the considerable amount of lithics recovered, but our understanding of the habitat they lived in remains limited. One group that is well-represented in this assemblage is birds. Many birds are specialized for specific habitats and food sources, and their presence can give us clues to what this environment looked like.
I want listeners to understand the possibilities for using non-human animals for understanding how humans evolved and to think more deeply about human evolution.
3:00 pm
Benjamin Wendelstadt ’24
Concentration: Philosophy, Politics & Economics
Presentation Type: Lightning Talk/Storytelling
Presentation Title: Protecting the Human Experience: AI, Human Plurality and Democratic Decay
In exploring the implications of AI and digitization on human plurality, democracy, and societal structures, this capstone presents a multifaceted analysis that integrates philosophical concerns with tangible societal impacts. The work delves into the erosion of a shared reality and the emergence of "digital worldlessness," highlighting the dangers these developments pose to democracy and political order. Drawing from Arendt's concept of "natality" and the essential human capacity for action and beginning anew, the research underscores the potential of AI to obscure the relationship between means and ends, thereby threatening the human experience and the very foundation of freedom as articulated by Arendt.
The capstone critically examines the narratives of legitimation surrounding technological progress and scrutinizes the collective loss of a shared reality and the subsequent political and ontological crises, suggesting that AI's seductive power lies in its ability to replicate human abilities, potentially surpassing them in efficiency but at the cost of diminishing human judgment and ethical deliberation.
The very essence of my interest in this topic lies in my fascination with Hannah Arendt's body of philosophical and politico-pyschological works. Moreover, what connects all of her books and articles, from deconstructing Totalitarianism to validating the unique nature of the American Revolution, is her profound concern with the loss of the human experience. That, too, is my largest fear and if I were to attribute one academic/intellectual to have had the largest effect on me during my 4 years at Brown, it would quite clearly be Arendt. Even without the connection to Arendt, I have always been concerned with the human experience - socially, individualistically, economically, psychologically. In this capstone, I aim to blend philosophy, politics and economics, relevant to the interdisciplinary mode of analysis I have practiced through my Independent Concentration, to more holistically investigate the effect of AI (which I claim is an unprecedented technology with regard to its interaction with humans) on the human experience, from the private individual to the public realm – the social and the political.
Primarily, I want others to learn about PPE’s intellectual value and unique angle in analysis and investigation of massive, complex and often convoluted issues in society. While perhaps sacrificing the depth that is afforded when analyzing public issues within one discipline, PPE offers clear throughlines that sometimes only make sense and are only provided through an end-to-end explanatory model that meshes the political with the economic and philosophical paradigms. This capstone aims to crystallize that and uncover the lesser intellectually investigated intersection of human experience amidst the AI revolution. Secondly, I want the audience to recognize how these technological advancements are not merely tools but actors in reshaping the fabric of our shared reality. The ultimate goal is thus for listeners to leave with a nuanced understanding of the stakes involved in the digitization and AI-ization of our world and to inspire a commitment to preserving the human elements that define our humanity in the face of these technological transformations.