Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships

Congratulations to Roni Itkin-Ofer (C’24) who has been selected as a 2024 Fulbright recipient and will be teaching English in Taiwan!

Roni majored in Psychology and minored in Urban Education. In her academic life, she focused her work primarily on developmental psychology and psychopathology as well as exploring teaching and education policy. In her extracurriculars, Roni acted as a co-executive director CityStep, a club that promotes arts education and performance throughout schools in the Philly area. She also served as the secretary for the Penn Undergraduate Psychology Society and volunteers as a Pre-Orientation leader for freshmen through the PennQuest program. In her free time, she played ultimate frisbee for Penn’s club team- Venus. She plans to eventually continue her education and become a child clinical psychologist.

Curious about applying for the Fulbright Program this year? Click the link in our bio to learn more!

Drawn by their interests in art, design, and support for children in Philadelphia, two Penn students are working as interns this summer at the nonprofit ArtWell. Natalie Cheng (C'27) is focusing on communications during the internship and Aled Dillabough (C'25) is working on development. The 10-week internship is one of many conducted through the Summer Humanities Internship Program, which provides a $5,000 award supported by the College of Arts and Sciences and is administered through CURF.

Curious about ArtWell and these internships? Click the link in our bio to read a feature article on Penn Today!

Congratulations to Tyler Kliem (C'24) who has been selected as a 2024 Fulbright recipient and will be conducting research on the European Yiddish avant-garde in Germany!

Kliem majored in comparative literature—concentrating in (trans)national literatures—and design. His research in modernist Yiddish literature, art, and typography had received support from the Department of Francophone, Italian and Germanic Studies (FIGS); the Jewish Studies Program; and the Wolf Humanities Center, where he was a 2022–2023 Undergraduate Research Fellow. In April 2024, he presented his prize-winning design and Jewish studies thesis on a Yiddish type reconstruction to the 2024 Hebrew Type Symposium; and in February 2024, to the annual Farbindungen Yiddish Studies Conference. He served as the design editor for The Daily Pennsylvanian and 34th Street Magazine in 2022; and in 2023, he founded and directed the company’s breakthrough crosswords product. He co-founded the creative non-fiction magazine The Woodlands in 2023 with the support of a Sachs Program for Arts Innovation student grant. He was a poet with The Excelano Project, a leader of Alpha Phi Omega, a figure of the Kelly Writers House, and a Research Peer Advisor (RPA) with CURF. Alongside his studies at Penn, Kliem worked with various Jewish cultural and media institutions, including the Jewish Museum in New York, the Yiddish Book Center, New Voices Magazine, and Ayin Press.

Curious about applying for the Fulbright Program this year? Click the link in our bio to learn more!

Matthew Breier, a rising third-year student in the College of Arts and Sciences, spent a lot of time going through Philadelphia’s 1918 city directory this summer. Through the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program, he is helping professor David Barnes understand the impact of the 1918 influenza pandemic on the city’s Black and immigrant neighborhoods.

Read more about the research and Breier's experience at link in our bio!

Congratulations to William Han (C’24) who has been selected as a 2024 Fulbright recipient and will be teaching English in South Korea!

In his time at Penn, William was a Benjamin Franklin Scholar majoring in Health & Societies concentrating in public health and minoring in chemistry. On campus, Will was involved in medical research, MERT, and Korean Students Association. He has also spent time volunteering at a local health clinic, driving a critical care truck for CHOP and working as a teacher for a local non-profit. Will plans to pursue a career as a physician, utilizing the skills he hones as a teacher in his practice of medicine.

Interested in applying for a Fulbright? Click the link in our bio to register for a virtual information session on 7/19!

Congratulations to Chandni Shah (C’22) who has been selected as a 2024 Fulbright recipient and will be conducting research on the barriers to early diagnoses and interventions for autism in India!

Chandni graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences with a degree in Neuroscience and minors in Chemistry and Healthcare Management. As an undergraduate student, research was at the core of her academic career. Chandni was selected to be a University Scholar, which enabled her to complete her own independent research study, which focused on measuring the effectiveness of trait mindfulness as a protective factor against developing chronic insomnia in college students. In tandem with behavioral sleep medicine research, Chandni also was a clinical research assistant at the Brodkin Lab, where she helped to execute Autism research studies. Chandni served as Chair for the Penn South Asian Women’s Space, a board member and leader in the Penn Association for Gender Equity (one of the 7 minority coalitions on campus), as well as Jain and Seva and Spirituality Chair in the Penn Hindu Jain Association. Currently, she is working as a Clinical Research Coordinator for the Autism Program of Excellence (ASPE) at Penn Medicine.

Interested in applying for a Fulbright? Click the link in our bio to register for a virtual information session on 7/19!

Congratulations to Steven Chen, who has been selected as a 2024 Fulbright recipient and will teach English in Taiwan!

During his time at Penn, Steven majored in health and societies, concentrating in race, gender, and health, with minors in gender, sexuality, and women’s studies and chemistry. As a q***r Chinese American from a first-generation low-income background, he is interested in eliminating health disparities within the Asian American and LGBTQ+ community in the clinic and through community-based participatory action research. Exploring his passion for LGBTQ+ health equity, Steven is the coordinator of the Netter Center for Community Partnerships LGBTQ+ OurSpace, which works to help solve the limited safe spaces for q***r youth, the challenges of fostering inclusivity within Philadelphia schools, and the lack of q***r-inclusive and comprehensive health education. As the coordinator, he has spearheaded multiple initiatives around sexual and mental health, aiming to improve the health and wellness of local LGBTQ+ youth. He has conducted research on LGBTQ+ health disparities, HIV, and Asian American health with the Asian American Studies Research Fellowship, Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative, Penn’s Nursing School, and the Perelman School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Family and Community Health. Chen hopes to attend medical school as an aspiring family medicine physician. In his free time, Steven enjoys cooking with his friends, exploring cafés in Philadelphia, and playing the flute.

Interested in applying for the Fulbright? Click the link in our bio to register for the next CURF Fulbright Info Session on 7/1 from 3:30-4:30pm!

Congratulations to Caroyln Grace (C’16) who has been selected as a 2024 Fulbright recipient and will be pursuing a Master of Philosophy degree in creative writing at Trinity College Dublin, concentrating in creative nonfiction!

Carolyn Grace graduated magna cm laude with a double major in history and French studies and a minor in journalistic writing. As a freelance writer in New York City, she publishes personal essays, literary criticism, and human-interest stories for Medium, Culture Trip, Food52, and other digital outlets. Carolyn has also worked as a copywriter for large independent advertising agencies and boutique design firms in New York. During that time, she developed $20,000 worth of communications pro bono for nonprofits fighting to end youth incarceration and human trafficking in the United States. Passionate about community writing programs, Carolyn volunteers as a copyeditor at the youth literacy nonprofit 826NYC and is an active member of NY Writers Coalition. Upon returning to the US, she plans to publish a collection of personal essays.

Interested in applying for the Fulbright? Click the link our or bio to register for the next CURF Fulbright Info Session on 7/1 from 3:30-4:30pm!

Congratulations to Cody Eskandarian (C’24) who has been selected as 2024 Fulbright recipient to study and will conduct research on metastasis in mouse cancer models to characterize cancer cell resistance as intrinsic or acquired in Austria!

Cody majored in physics, biophysics, and biochemistry, and is submatriculating in chemistry. As a pre-med, Cody researched the role of the lymphatic system in pancreatic cancer in Dr. Ben Stanger's lab and volunteers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Outside of class, Cody advocated for students on campus as the Class of 2024 Executive Vice President, in addition to serving on the Undergraduate Assembly for 2 years. Cody also served as a co-president of the Armenian Students Society, camp counsellor for Camp Kesem, vice president of the Pickup Soccer Club, and was a volunteer college application tutor for Matriculate. In his free time, Cody enjoys playing the guitar, bass, and drums across two bands, and is a classically trained pianist and organist. Upon returning from Austria as part of his Fulbright grant, Cody plans on pursuing an MD degree and hopes to be an oncologist one day.

Interested in applying for the Fulbright? Click the link our or bio to register for the next CURF Fulbright Virtual Info Session tomorrow (6/20) from 12-1pm!

Congratulations to Masha Morozov who has been selected as a 2024 Fulbright recipient and will teach English in Taiwan!

Masha is a recent graduate of the Penn Master of Public Health Program on the Global Health track with a concentration in Epidemiology. A first-generation, q***r and non-binary student, they have become a strong advocate for the HIV community in Philadelphia through their work with the Penn Center for AIDS Research Community Advisory Board, something they continue to do even after graduating and moving back home to New York. During their time at Penn, Masha served on the boards of the Penn Public Health Society, the Penn Global Health Society, and the MPH Service Corps, and worked as a Graduate Assistant at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Center for Injury Research and Prevention and as an Epidemiology Teaching Assistant for the MPH program. They took first place in the Healthcare Barriers Hackathon in 2023, hosted by Sidney Kimmel Medical College, and were awarded the Shiriki Kumanyika Award for Public Health Leadership at their program commencement in 2023. Masha is currently a Research Program Coordinator at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, managing several neurosurgery clinical trials. Upon returning to the U.S., they plan to pursue a PhD degree in Epidemiology and build a career in academia.

Interested in applying for the Fulbright? Click the link our or bio to register for the next CURF Fulbright Virtual Info Session on 6/20 from 12-1pm!

Congratulations to Chonnipha (Jing Jing) Piriyalertsak (C '23) who has been selected as a 2024 Yenching Scholar! The Yenching Scholarship provides recipients with full funding to pursue an interdisciplinary master’s degree in China studies at the Yenching Academy of Peking University in Beijing.

Piriyalertsak is among the 106 scholars chosen from 39 countries and regions to enroll in the program in September. She is the seventh scholar affiliated with Penn to be awarded the scholarship since the program’s inception in 2015.

Piriyalertsak, who is from Bangkok, earned her bachelor’s degree in international relations with minors in classical studies, comparative literature, and history. She has worked at an intellectual property law firm in Bangkok, an artificial intelligence startup in Singapore, and a trade advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. At Yenching Academy, she will pursue a master of law in China studies (politics and international relations) with plans to research the intellectual history behind China’s foreign investment decision making and crisis management processes.

At Penn, Piriyalertsak was a Benjamin Franklin Scholar, and she received a 2022 Franklin Opportunity Fund award for working to bridge the gap between global policy and narrative writing. She was a Perry World House Student Fellow, conducting research on international technology regulations. She was a two-time recipient of the Perry World House Summer Grant and a 2021 winner of the Perry World House Undergraduate Essay Prize, for her essay on China’s hydropower activities in the Mekong River. She also was the co-editor-in-chief of the Pennsylvania Punch Bowl, Penn’s oldest satire magazine; the founder of , a humor page about international relations; and a member of the Gryphon Senior Society.

Congratulations again to William (Zijian) Niu!

Congratulations to the Penn students and alumni that have been offered over 100 fellowships and major prizes this year! We are so proud of all that you have accomplished and cannot wait to see what comes next.

Congratulations to thirteen University of Pennsylvania students and alumni who have been offered Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants for the 2024-25 academic year, including seven fourth-year undergraduates. They will conduct research, pursue graduate degrees, or teach English in countries including Argentina, Austria, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, and Tuvalu.

The Fulbright Program is the United States government’s flagship international educational exchange program, awarding grants to fund as long as 12 months of international experience. Penn consistently ranks as a “Top-Producing Institution,” among those with the highest number of candidates selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

Penn affiliates offered 2024-25 Fulbright grants include: (top row) fourth-year Luke Campo, fourth-year Cody Eskandarian, 2016 graduate Carolyn Grace, (second row) fourth-year William Han, fourth-year Roni Itkin-Ofer, 2020 graduate Kolby Kaller, (third row) fourth-year Tyler Kliem, master’s student Nissim Lebovits, 2022 graduate Chandni Shah, (bottom row) fourth-year Alexandra Shank, and fourth-year Vernon Wells.

Click here to reach more about the accomplishments of each Fulbright recipient: https://curf.upenn.edu/node/11413

Congratulations to Zijian (William) Niu (C'24) who has been awarded a 2024 Hertz Fellowship in applied science, engineering, and mathematics by the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation!

Considered one of the most prestigious doctoral fellowship programs, the Hertz Fellowship provides five years of funding, up to $250,000, and the “research freedom to pursue innovative ideas with real-world impact.” Niu is among only 18 to receive the fellowship this year. In addition to financial support, Hertz Fellows have access to lifelong programming, such as mentoring, events, and networking.

Niu is majoring in biochemistry, biophysics, and physics as a Roy and Diana Vagelos Molecular Life Sciences Scholar in the College of Arts and Sciences. He recently received a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, a merit-based program that provides graduate school funding for immigrants and children of immigrants to the United States. He was among the 30 chosen as a 2024 PD Soros Fellow; each receives as much as $90,000 for graduate studies. Niu also received the Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship, as well as the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

Niu is interested in the intersection of structural biology and machine learning. Specifically, he aims to develop novel methods for imaging proteins and other biomolecules in their native cellular environments and leverage that data to build computational models for predicting their dynamics and molecular interactions. At Penn, Niu works with Arjun Raj in the Raj Lab for Systems Biology to develop new computational methods for biomedical image analysis, including a deep learning algorithm for detecting tiny diffraction-limited spots in fluorescence microscopy images obtained from spatial transcriptomics. For this work, he was awarded the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship in 2023.

Niu is the sixth Penn affiliate awarded the fellowship since they were first awarded in 1963.

Read more about William's research and accomplishments here: https://curf.upenn.edu/node/11410

Congratulations to Joey Wu, a third-year student studying bioengineering and environmental science in the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER) program, who has been named a 2024 Udall Scholar by the Udall Foundation. Wu is among 55 second-year and third-year students selected from 406 candidates nominated by 192 colleges and universities nationwide. He is the 10th student from Penn to be named a Udall Scholar since Congress established the foundation in 1992 to honor Morris and Stewart Udall for their impact on the nation’s environment, public lands, and natural resources and for their support of the rights and self-governance of American Indians and Alaska Natives. Each scholar will be awarded as much as $7,000.

Read more about Joey's accomplishments here: https://curf.upenn.edu/node/11395

Margot Schneider (C’26) combined her passions in music with her interest in cognitive science to research how the brain comprehends music. Margot was mentored by Dr. Jianjing Kuang and this research was supported by the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring (PURM) Program. Margot says, “Though there were some bumps along the way, the connections I formed with my mentor and my research partner were rewarding and valuable… Dr. Kuang was amazing. She was a fantastic educator and supporter of our interests and encouraged us to take control of what we wanted to learn and investigate.”

Click the link in our bio to read more about Margot’s experience!

Mia McElhatton (C’26) researched how conservation policy and its impacts raise moral questions surrounding our responsibility to nature and other humans. Mia was mentored by Dr. Kok-Chor Tan through the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring (PURM) Program. Of this experience, Mia says, “Being a part of PURM also gave me the opportunity to build relationships with my peers on campus in a new way. Though we were all doing very different types of research, PURM brought us together and encouraged us to learn from each other.”

Image by Ta'Liyah Thomas. Click the link in our bio to read more about Mia’s experience!

Thomas Christaldi (C’23) conducted research at the intersection of wrestling and communication under the mentorship of Dr. Perry Johnson. This research was supported by the College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant. Of this experience, Thomas says, “Perhaps my favorite part of doing this research was the opportunity it gave me to introduce others to one of my passions.”

Click the link in our bio to read Thomas’ full reflection!

Shiny Shen (C’26) spent last summer synthesizing microchips to detect and measure human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral load under the mentorship of Dr. A. T. Charlie Johnson and through the support of the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring (PURM) Program. Of this experience, Shiny says, “I feel like most people going into a lab for their first time experience some degree of imposter syndrome; I came in feeling the pressure to emphasize what I did know and conceal what I didn’t. This group of people is one that I can say I feel comfortable being lost and confused around– able to learn from.”

Click the link in our bio to read more about Shiny’s PURM experience!

Dhivya Arasappan (C’24) conducted research on how healthcare providers are responding to the health impacts of climate change. Dhivya is mentored by Dr. Andi Johnson and this research was supported by the College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant. Of this experience, Dhivya says, “The chance to see a research project through from the early days of conceptualization to its very end is fascinating. Even more so when it’s an opportunity for you to harness your innate curiosity to understand what the puzzle pieces even are and how they might fit together—I know if offered the chance to do it all again, I would say yes every time.”

Click the link in our bio to read more about Dhivya’s research experience!

Ysabella Perez (C‘26) researched the interplay between physical activity and cognitive health in the older Latino population through a multilevel clinical research study called Tiempo Juntos Por Nuestra Salud. Ysabella was mentored by Dr. Adriana Perez and this research was conducted through the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring (PURM) Program. Ysabella said, “I was able to connect with the study participants, whose diverse cultures and backgrounds enabled me to engage with them on a personal level. I was able to empathize with their stories, which helped me to further understand the importance of the research. This part of my experience was the most rewarding since it allowed me to get to know both my community and coworkers.”

Click the link in our bio to read more about Ysabella’s PURM experience!

Congratulations to Min Jae Kim and Zijian (William) Niu who have each received a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, a merit-based program that provides graduate school funding for immigrants and children of immigrants to the United States.

Kim is a graduate student pursuing an M.D./Ph.D. in neuroscience at the Perelman School of Medicine; and Niu is a fourth-year undergraduate majoring in biochemistry, biophysics, and physics as a Roy and Diana Vagelos Molecular Life Sciences Scholar in the College of Arts and Sciences.

They are among the 30 chosen as 2024 PD Soros Fellows from 2,323 applicants. Each Fellow receives as much as $90,000 for graduate studies. Kim and Niu are Penn’s 23rd and 24th Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow since the fellowship program was founded in 1998.

Clink here to read more about Kim and Niu's achievements: https://curf.upenn.edu/node/11381

Congratulations to College of Arts and Sciences students Annabelle Jin ('25), Claire Jun ('25), Johana Munoz ('26), and Destiny Uwawuike ('25) who have been chosen for a Kathryn Wasserman Davis Projects for Peace grant for their community health care project in Philadelphia addressing reproductive justice and menstrual equity. The grant provides $10,000 in funds to pursue “innovative, community-centered, and scalable responses to the world’s most pressing issues” during the summer.

Theirs is among 129 projects nominated by 94 partner institutions chosen for the Projects for Peace program this year and is the 17th team from Penn since the award was founded in 2007. The program aims to encourage student initiative, innovation, and entrepreneurship focusing on conflict prevention, resolution, or reconciliation.

Click here to read more about their project: https://curf.upenn.edu/node/11380

Congratulations to third-year students, Aravind Krishnan and Tej Patel, who have received Harry S. Truman Scholarships! The Truman Scholarship is a merit-based award of as much as $30,000 for graduate or professional school to prepare for a career in public service.

Krishnan and Patel are both majoring in molecular and cell biology, as well as health care management and policy and statistics, in the Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management, a dual-degree program in the Wharton School and the College of Arts and Sciences.

They are among 60 Truman Scholars from 54 U.S. colleges and universities selected this year from 709 candidates nominated by 285 institutions. They are the 31st and 32nd Truman Scholars from Penn since the first awards in 1977.

Click here to read about Krishnan and Patel's accomplishments: https://curf.upenn.edu/node/11379

Congratulations to third-years Hayle Kim, Kaitlin Mrksich, Eric Myzelev, and Eric Tao who have received 2024 Goldwater Scholarships! The Goldwater is awarded to second- or third-year students planning research careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering. From an estimated pool of over 5,000 college sophomores and juniors, 1,353 students were nominated by 446 academic institutions to compete for 438 Goldwater scholarships. Each scholarship provides as much as $7,500 each year for as many as two years of undergraduate study. The students applied for the Goldwater Scholarship with assistance from CURF. Penn has had 63 Goldwater Scholars named since Congress established the scholarship in 1986 to honor U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater.

Click the link in our bio to read more about this year's recipients!

Sydney Sun (C'24), a University Scholar, has conducted independent research in the Emotion, Development, Environment, and Neurogenetics (EDEN) lab run by Rebecca Waller, an assistant professor of psychology and Sun’s supervisor. By transcribing 100 hours of audio recordings of parents playing with their child, she is studying whether the games affected the language the children used, and whether this effect might carry in children with behavioral problems. Sun says, "It was really surprising and astounding to see how the social context radically changes the way parents and children interact with language. If we want to develop treatment plans or find ways to elicit dialogue between parents and children, it’s important that we figure out the best context in which children will be most responsive."

Read more about Sydney's research at the link in our bio!

Current Research Peer Advisor Aravind Krishnan (COL/WH '25) is working to find an alternative to horseshoe crab blood, which is used to test for pathogens in vaccines and on medical devices. He started this work when he was just 14. Krishnan says "there’s numerous problems that we see in our society today and numerous inequities we see and we often feel powerless to address them. But I think that this journey shows that just by beginning with small steps, those small steps can snowball into large effects and large movements."

Read more about Krishnan's research journey here: https://whyy.org/articles/blue-blood-horseshoe-crabs-bloodletting-penn-student-aravind-krishnan/

Photo credit: Emma Lee/WHYY

Second-year wrestler Adam Thomson (SEAS ’26), spent last summer assisting with Melissa Teixeira’s research on a project on hyperinflation in Brazil in the 1980s and 1990s through the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring (PURM) Program. Thomson had previously taken a Benjamin Franklin Scholars seminar with Teixeira in spring 2023 entitled “Inflationary Times: Money, Currency, and Debt in History.”

Read about Thomson’s unique path to Penn and how he balances athletics and academics: https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/adam-thomson-seas-wrestling-academics

Sarah Katz was a beloved student at the University of Pennsylvania who tragically passed away in September 2022 as a third-year undergraduate. The Sarah Katz Award honors the legacy of Sarah, an integral member of SCUE who played a pivotal role in advocating for health literacy and heart health within the Penn community. The goal of the Sarah Katz Award is to provide funding to select students who are actively involved in, or are interested in pursuing, projects designed to improve health literacy with an emphasis on heart health.

In order to be eligible for the Sarah Katz award, the student must be a full-time undergraduate expecting to graduate in May 2025 and beyond enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania. Awards can be used for ongoing research, individual projects, or community outreach initiatives that are to be initiated within one year of receiving the award. Examples of such initiatives include, but are not limited to, performing research in the intersection of cardiovascular health literacy, initiating outreach efforts, and creating informational resources that can be distributed, among others. Award recipients may receive up to $5,000 in funding towards their proposed budgets.

Read more about the award here: https://curf.upenn.edu/sarah-katz-award