Class of 2025
Nathan An, also known as Yi An, is a history and economics double major with intended minors in peace studies and linguistics. Born and raised in China, Nathan is passionate about studying Chinese ethnic minorities and various Chinese affairs. Previously, he has conducted ethnographic fieldwork and directed a documentary film for Wa ethnic minority. Nathan is also interested in integrating his multimedia communication skills, such as video and infographic making, and language skills into his research and actions. On campus, he serves as the communication chair of the Chinese Student and Scholar Association, International Ambassador, and travel team member of SIBC international. He also volunteers as a Latin teacher for the Aequora program. In his free time, Nathan enjoys swimming with the Club Swim, hiking, and sailing tallships. In the future, Nathan hopes to travel extensively while documenting his observations through writing and filming.
Colin A. Chalk is a Finance major and plans to minor in Data Science. Colin is a sophomore analyst within the Investment Club and a participant in the Student International Business Council; he has successfully pitched investment ideas within both organizations. On campus, he currently works as a research assistant for Professor Peter Kelly studying behavioral finance and economics. His recent work with Professor Kelly relates to the intersection between behavioral finance and cryptocurrency markets, an area commanding a relatively small body of research. Additionally, he is currently developing a thesis regarding new SEC universal proxy card rules effective September 2022, particularly the effect the rules will have on dissident proxy solicitations.
Rylan Chromy is a 3rd year architecture major, currently studying abroad in Rome. He has minors in both Italian and European Studies. A true passion of Rylan’s, however, is the power he believes sports has on global affairs. He has been studying the way sports can be used as a diplomatic tool on the global stage with a heavy emphasis in college football’s Aer Lingus Football Classic hosted in Dublin, Ireland. On campus, Rylan is an avid performer as a member of both the Humor Artists and Pemco, while also appearing in multiple theatrical shows at St. Mary’s. He’s a member of Morrissey Hall and is constantly participating in every sporting event the Manor has to offer. As for leadership on campus, Rylan has served as a two time member of the Class of 2025 Class Council, Student Union Board member, Morrissey’s St. Andres Committee member, QuestBridge Executive Board Intern, TeamND member, and a Shamrock Leadership Series Participant. After graduation, Rylan either hopes to take his research into a profession or enter the field of architecture somewhere in the mountains.
Dorothy Crumlish, or Dot, is a Mechanical Engineering major with hopes of pursuing minors in Sustainability and Collaborative Innovation. She currently works as a project engineer in the Innovation Lab at Notre Dame’s IDEA Center, where she designs, prototypes, and builds products for students, startups, and community members. Her research interests lie at the intersection of art and engineering, especially regarding applications of origami. She hopes to work on the development of bistable deployable structures to revolutionize areas such as emergency relief in disaster zones and space exploration. On campus, Dot has been working to assemble a new engineering design team, Domer Rover, which will build a Mars rover to compete in the University Rover Challenge. She is also a part of St. André’s Committee, Bee Club, and the Society of Women Engineers. In her free time, she enjoys doing origami, drawing, and building new ideas to help better the world.
Ella Maria Griffith is majoring in Neuroscience and Behavior (College of Science), as well as in German. Her interests include foreign languages and cultures, medicine, and music. She is an avid singer and piano player, passionate about uniting her interests within projects or research. For instance, Ella Maria has researched the cognitive advantages of music training upon non-native language acquisition. She also founded Ella Sings for Le Pretre, a fundraising project that affords critical aid to villagers in Le Pretre, Haiti through benefit concert proceeds and album sales. Ella Maria intends to pursue both on-campus and international research in the biological sciences or neuroscience. On campus, Ella Maria sings in the Liturgical Choir, participates in the Musician’s Network, takes voice lessons, and is President of the German Club. Next semester, she will begin volunteering at St. Joseph’s County Family Justice Center. After graduation, she plans to apply for a DAAD or Fulbright Scholarship in Germany, to later pursue medical school and a career as a dermatologist. Ella Maria is excited and grateful to be a part of the Sorin Scholars!
Katherine Huang is majoring in Accounting and Economics with a minor in Data Science. She is passionate about harnessing the influence of big business and is interested in how accounting regulations can shape corporate impact. On campus, Katherine enjoys serving as a Band Ambassador Coordinator and playing piccolo in the marching band. As the Co-President of Notre Dame's FFC economics club, she has led national-award winning teams in the College Fiscal Challenge and Up to Us competitions while engaging with sustainable fiscal policy. She also mentors younger students through Building Bridges and is involved with the Business Honors Program, iTREDS Data Science Scholars, Deloitte Scholars for Ethical Leadership, and the Sau Ching Foundation Global Scholars. Post graduation, Katherine plans to continue exploring the intersection of accounting and economics, whether through research or professional work.
Amir Khouzam is a Neuroscience and Arabic double major, with a plan to pursue medical school after college. He is involved in research on campus, having worked with Perkins Lab on Respiratory Syncytial Virus trends and its recent connections with COVID-19 through statistical analysis. He is also a member of the God and the Good Life Fellows program, where he leads students in weekly philosophical dialogues. Amir is a member of the Student Government Department of Health and Wellbeing, working on projects related with mental and physical health on campus. Amir has also published work alongside the University of Tennessee Health Science Group regarding certain cardiac diseases such as atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmias. He is also a member of Keough Hall, in which he plays guitar for the Keough Liturgical Choir. In his free time, Amir loves playing piano and guitar, cooking/experimenting in his kitchen, and watching critically acclaimed movies. Amir hopes to continue research at Notre Dame, particularly within the field of epidemics and pandemics.
Kabir Madan is a Mechanical Engineering major. He has spent his past two summers in IRIS Lab with Dr. Margaret Coad, where he worked to evaluate the accuracy of existing remote orientation mapping methods for everting vine robots, as well as design and fabricate reusable molds for aiding in the assembly of optical fiber sensor bundles. In his free time, he enjoys reading and listening to music, in addition to tinkering with technology and learning about its limitless potential. On campus, he is involved with the Domer Rover club (Notre Dame's entry to the University Rover Challenge). He is passionate about product design engineering and robotics, and hopes to continue to pursue these interests after graduating.
Jeff Mwathi is an Electrical Engineering major looking to pursue the MBA/Engineering dual degree. Jeff is passionate about sustainability and hopes to use his time at Notre Dame to gain a profound insight into energy practices so as to implement them in his home country, Kenya post-graduation. Jeff is currently a research assistant for the Materials Characterization Facility funded by ND Energy. At Notre Dame, Jeff is involved with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), WallStreet Club and is also a member of the African Students Association (ASA). Jeff is also a published author for Fresh Writing after crafting an award winning narrative argument in his Writing and Rhetoric Class. After graduation, Jeff would like to attend graduate school to pursue further studies in Electrical Engineering.
Emma Powers is a Biochemistry major and a Data Science minor. Her research interests lie in the comprehension and treatment development for cancer and other diseases. She hopes to improve patient outcomes and quality of life following diagnosis. Emma is currently working under the guidance of Dr. Laurie Littlepage to analyze breast cancer metastasis in mouse models. On-campus, Emma is part of the Biochemistry Club and the Harper Cancer Research Institute Society, and she is a manager for the varsity volleyball team. After her time at Notre Dame, Emma plans to pursue her Ph.D. and work in a research-based position.
Bennett Schmitt is an Environmental Sciences major with an Earth Sciences concentration and a supplementary major in Applied & Computational Mathematics & Statistics. His research interests lie at the intersection of mathematics and environmentalism, specifically, in the use of geologic proxies to model climate patterns. He currently works in Dr. Antonio Simonetti’s lab on the chemical and isotopic characterization of Earth’s upper mantle through the investigation of carbonatite complexes. On campus, Bennett is a member of Student Government’s Department of Sustainability, where he leads a team analyzing the University’s plan to achieve net-zero emissions. He also acts as the Sustainability Commissioner for Siegfried Hall, is a member of Data Club, and works as a calculus tutor. Following his time at Notre Dame, Bennett plans to pursue graduate studies in geochemistry and ultimately a career in research.
Gracie Simoncic is an American Studies major with minors in Digital Marketing and Collaborative Innovation. She has many interests, but she is particularly passionate about fashion design, cultural studies, and intersectional feminism. At Notre Dame, Gracie is involved in Strike fashion magazine, Americana student research journal, Farley hall council, and works for ND Listens. One of her previous research projects compared the fast and slow fashion supply chains to demonstrate the industry's environmental impact. During her time at Notre Dame, Gracie would love to research the intersection of fashion, cultural sociology and social media. Following her time at Notre Dame, she wants to attend fashion school to pursue a design degree. Afterward, she plans on entering the fashion industry in New York City.
Jane Stallman is a Psychology major with minors in Data Science and Italian. She works under Dr. Gerald Haeffel in the Cognition and Emotion Lab, researching how to best conceptualize, quantify, and alter cognitive vulnerabilities that underlie depression. She is also a part of the iTREDS program, an NSF-funded traineeship for socially responsible and engaged data scientists. On campus, Jane is heavily involved in Active Minds, Notre Dame’s largest mental health advocacy organization, and is their Spring Vice President. She is also Spring Vice President of Flaherty Hall, so you can catch her repping the bears wherever she goes. Jane is also thrilled to be spending Fall 2023 abroad in Rome! After graduation, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and a research-based career that helps understand and assist those suffering from mood and anxiety disorders.
Grace Steffen is a Biological Sciences major in the College of Science with an Accounting minor and a Compassionate Care in Medicine minor. Her research interests lie in global diseases and the way in which measures can be taken to prevent further spread of such pathogens. She is currently working in Dr. Jason Rohr’s lab, where she is studying the effects of a vaccine on amphibians through methods of both DNA extraction work and hands-on experience with live specimens. In addition, she is working in Dr. Nicole Achee’s lab, where she plays a role in gathering data on the trajectory of arthropod-borne diseases. On campus, Grace is involved with Student Union Board, Baraka Bouts Boxing Club, and a myriad of medical related clubs such as Harper Cancer Research Society, American Medical Women’s Association, and Preprofessional Society. In her free time, Grace works as an ND tour guide. After graduation, she plans to go to medical school.
Hananiah Tangpuz, also known as Niah, is an Aerospace Engineering major with an intended minor in innovation and entrepreneurship. Currently, she is working in Dr. Sakaue’s Aerospace laboratory to study Pressure-Sensitive Paint (PSP). This optical measurement method provides a pressure measurement without introducing disturbing flow probes on surfaces. In addition to this, it also helps measure pressure without affecting the model's surface. She hopes to use her experience in research to come up with an invention in the Aerospace industry that can help conserve the ozone layer and lessen the risk of worsening global warming. On-campus, she is part of the ND rocketry club and the production team of the annual Show-Some Skin series. For next year’s Show Some Skin cast, Niah will be one of the acting coaches who will be helping during workshops. She enjoys giving back to her community by taking part in numerous volunteer activities such as being an Associate Director of Mentorship in CAUSE Philipines and the President of her own established non-profit organization. At CAUSE she mentors low-income achieving Filipino students who wish to pursue their undergraduate studies in the United States of America. Last year they were able to help multiple students and were able to accumulate $15 million in scholarships and financial aid for underprivileged students from the Philippines. On the other hand, during the pandemic despite the limitations, Niah’s NGO was able to accumulate 1500+ donated subject book materials to be given to a local orphanage in their community. After graduation, Hananiah plans to work in the US for a short while to improve her innovative skills. Later on, she temporarily plans to go back to the Philippines and help improve their newly developed space agency PhilSA. After two to three years of working she plans to pursue her graduate studies in Aerospace and Nuclear Physics where she wishes to publish her original research which would be focusing on creating advanced aerospace technologies which can benefit the environment. After all, Hananiah’s ultimate goal is to make a breakthrough in the Aerospace Industry.