Sheena Finnigan

PhD student, History

Sheena’s research focuses on the history of motherhood among non-elite women in classical Rome.

Cortney Anderson Kramer

PhD candidate, Art History

If you’ve ever driven by a roadside concrete art park – think sculptures, grottos, or even houses – and been intrigued, art history PhD candidate Cortney Anderson Kramer is the person to ask. Kramer studies and writes about this unique art style in the Midwest.

Karen García Escorcia

PhD student, Spanish

Karen studies debt as a literary motif and a protagonist that has the power to actively impact literary characters, their ideologies, and their interpersonal relationships.

Kurt Kuehne

PhD student, Sociology

Kurt’s dissertation research studies the politics of low-wage labor migration in the modern, global economy. Using a comparative case study in Southeast Asia, he discusses the hidden costs for migrant workers that come with temporary guest worker programs.

Brianna Lafoon

PhD student, History and Educational Policy Studies

Brianna’s research examines how schooling intersected with nation-building and expansion in the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, specifically regarding African American, immigrant, and colonial subjects.

Steffen Silvis

PhD student, Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies

Steffen studies the role that Japanese Noh theatre played in the development of American modernist drama and dance.

Laura M. Alexander

PhD candidate, Microbiology

As a member of Dr. Jan Peter van Pijkeren’s probiotics lab, Laura focuses on the development of the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri as a biotherapeutic delivery vehicle.

Dylan Schmitz

PhD student, Mechanical Engineering

Dylan studies how wearable robotic exoskeletons change the forces on the tendons and ligaments inside the body.

Mónica Rodríguez Morris

MS student, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Mónica’s research focuses on sustainability and life cycle assessments. Specifically, she works on the impact of bioplastics on solid waste management infrastructure and the environment.

Alexander Cole

PhD student, Physics

Alexander Cole is pursuing a PhD in physics, performing research at the intersection of string theory, cosmology, and data science. Cole is interested in connecting string theory to our universe.