Class of 2024
Joy Agwu is a member of the class of 2024 at the University of Notre Dame, double majoring in English and Philosophy while minoring in Constitutional Studies. Her passion for education policy and social advocacy has led her to pursue various experiences in those fields. During the Spring of 2022, Joy worked as a research assistant at the Center for Social Concerns, studying moral exemplars at Notre Dame with Dr. Brandenberger. Following that, she spent the 2022 Fall Semester in Washington D.C. interning at Penn Hill Group, an education and workforce lobbying and consulting firm, which has deepened her interest in education policy. On campus, Joy is actively involved in Student Government, serving on the National Affairs and Political Engagement committee as well as the Diversity and Inclusion: Race and Ethnicity committee. She also currently works as a tutor at the University Writing Center. Next year, she plans to do a philosophy senior thesis on Meaning and Happiness. Looking towards the future, Joy hopes to work in the public policy sphere in Washington D.C. before attending law school and becoming an attorney in the city.
Evan Bursch is a Physics and Philosophy major with concentrations in Advanced Physics and the Philosophy of Science and Mathematics. He does research with Professor Kevin Lannon on deep learning neural network particle physics and he also works with Professor Yuhsin Tsai in theoretical particle physics. At Notre Dame he plays trumpet in the Marching and Jazz Bands, he is a Knights of Columbus officer, he is a Tocqueville Fellow with the Tocqueville Program For Inquiry Into Religion And Public Life, he is a Sorin Fellow with The De Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, and he is the co-chair of the Identity Project of Notre Dame and the Edith Stein Project Conference. After graduation, he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in physics.
Ashley Cammiso is a Finance major in the Mendoza College of Business Honors Program with minors in Poverty Studies and the Hesburgh Program of Public Service. She is currently a research assistant for the Kellogg Institute for International Studies’ Initiative on International Economic Integration, as well as a member of the First-Year Undergraduate Experience on Leadership where she serves on the Subcommittee for Sexual Assault Awareness. She is also a member of the Department of Student Empowerment and previously served on the Department of University Policy. Ashley is interested in studying the intersection of poverty, race, and wellbeing for children in urban areas.
Grace Conneely is an Aerospace Engineering major in the College of Engineering. Her research interests lie in the area of space exploration and she hopes to enter the space industry as a part of future space missions. She is also interested in conducting research on the intersection between math and music, specifically the prevalence and impact of mathematical patterns and ratios on what sounds appealing to the human ear. Outside of the classroom Grace is a member of the Notre Dame Symphony Orchestra, the Rocketry Team, and the IrishSat Club. She also serves as the dance commissioner for her dorm, Howard Hall. After Notre Dame, she plans to attend graduate school to study aerospace engineering or computer science.
Juliana Dantas dos Santos de Souza is a Political Science and Economics double major, with a minor in French and Francophone Studies. She is currently a Research Assistant and Country Manager for Brazil in the CoronaNet Research Project, an international research project compiling a database of government policies from more than 100 countries enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During her time at Notre Dame, she hopes to be able to research how non-state actors work to influence the international system and economy. Juliana is also interested in learning more about the impacts of government policies in the private sector. In the future, she wants to help companies and governments understand how public-private partnerships can be better leveraged in order to accelerate development in a sustainable and socially conscious way.
Clara Grillo is a member of Notre Dame’s Class of 2024, double majoring in Economics and Honors Chinese and minoring in European Studies in the College of Arts and Letters. Clara’s passion for international relations and policy, especially among the U.S., Europe, China, and Taiwan, has led her to pursue various related experiences. Clara has assisted Dr. Eva Dziadula with research on the impact of various Chinese policies on family dynamics and worked in Notre Dame’s Lab for Economic Opportunities researching poverty alleviation in the United States. Clara attended intensive language programs in Beijing, China and Angers, France and studied history and international economics in Berlin, Germany. She conducted independent research on migration in China as a Kennedy Scholar while studying abroad in London at Notre Dame’s London Global Gateway and presented her research to professors at Durham University. Clara wrote her Senior Honors Thesis on Taiwanese author Wu Ming-yi’s The Man With the Compound Eyes under the supervision of Dr. Michel Hockx.
On campus, Clara has played violin in the Notre Dame Symphony Orchestra for four years, promoted campus diversity as Senior Fellow in the Office of Multicultural Students Programs and Services, and tutored elementary students at the Robinson Community Learning Center. Clara has lived in Walsh Hall for four years, where she plays music at Mass as a member of the liturgical music ministry and served as Diversity Commissioner on Hall Council. Clara was recently named a Fulbright Scholar and will be teaching English in Taiwan next year. On return, Clara plans to attend law school.
Katherine Hill is an Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics (ACMS) major with minors in Data Science and Science, Technology, & Values (STV). She currently conducts research with the Cybercrimes, Investigations, Research, and Education (CIRE) Initiative on gunshot detection using machine learning models from smartwatch data. She has previously been involved in cybersecurity research with the Center for Research Computing (CRC) on trusted AI, technological ethics research with the John. J. Reilly Center on the ethics of AI, and astrophysics research with the Department of Physics and Astronomy on cataclysmic variable stars. She is a member of Army ROTC, Notre Dame Right to Life, and is a proud Flaherty bear. After graduation, she will be working in cybersecurity in Washington, D.C. while serving as a Cyber Officer in the U.S. Army Reserves.
Eva Homberger is studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Energy Studies. Passionate about mitigating climate change, Eva plans to pursue a career in sustainable energy and work to facilitate rapid global transition to net zero carbon emissions. In line with this goal, Eva worked as a lab assistant in Dr. Peter Burns’ research group in the Actinide Laboratories from 2021-2023, where she studied the properties of uranyl peroxide cage clusters. In summer 2022, Eva had the opportunity to do a DAAD RISE research internship in Ingolstadt, Germany, where she studied solar thermal collectors. Most recently, Eva completed a Summer Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), where she worked with the Experiment Engineering group at the Advanced Test Reactor. She will continue her internship with INL remotely for her senior year at Notre Dame. On campus, Eva is pursuing her interest in energy as a member of the Core Student Energy Board and has served as Sustainability Commissioner for Cavanaugh Hall. In addition, she dances with the Ballet Club and the Notre Dame Dance Company. After graduation, Eva will likely attend graduate school, possibly abroad, to further her studies in sustainable energy and approach climate change mitigation from a global perspective.
Anastasia Matuszak is double-majoring in Studio Art and Psychology, with minors in Theology and Data Science. She is interested in exploring art and art therapy, specifically how artistic symbolism and expression relate to mental health and happiness. Anastasia hopes to research art as a topic of cultural, personal, and religious significance, as well as a means of communication and treatment during therapy, especially for children with disabilities or mental illnesses. On campus, Anastasia is part of Right to Life ND and served as Director of Spirituality during the spring semester of her first year, and the Divine Mercy Apostolate commissioner her second year. She is the Social Media Manager for the Ukrainian Society of ND, and dances in Ballet Folklórico Azúl y Oro (BFAYO). She works as a God and the Good Life fellow and dialogue leader, as well as a cataloging assistant at the Visual Resources Center. Her post-graduation plans include the ACE program at Notre Dame and graduate school for art therapy.
Richard McManus is an Electrical Engineering major intending to minor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Richard’s passion for solving problems led him to catch entrepreneur fever. He is actively involved with IDEA Center, both coaching student startups and running his own venture, Mound Power, a baseball technology company aiming to equip pitchers of all levels with the tools they need reduce injuries while continuing to increase performance. Richard has competed in numerous venture competitions across the country and was chosen to represent Notre Dame in the 2021 ACC Inventure Prize Competition. This summer, Richard will be attending the IDEA Center’s Race to Revenue Internship with the goal of launching his company from South Bend. Richard is excited about the near endless possibilities nanotechnology opens and intends to research nanotechnology through NDnano in the future.
Daniel O’Brien is majoring in Philosophy and Theology with a supplemental major in Classics, concentrating in Greek. His research interests lie in the texts and world of the New Testament, particularly in the context of Judaism(s) in the Greco-Roman world. In 2022, he presented his papers “That All Shall Agree: Romans 5:18-19 and David Bentley Hart’s Universalism,” at the National Undergraduate Theology Research Conference and “Render What Unto Caesar? Denarii, Roman Judea, and the Gospel of Mark” at the Von Hügel Institute at St. Edmund’s College, Cambridge. He has also served as a research assistant with Professor David Lincicum, working with 4th and 11th-century Greek manuscripts of the important second-century non-canonical Epistle of Barnabas, and with Professors Anthony Pagliarini and Joshua McManaway, participating in group research on the Epistles to the Galatians and Romans for an upcoming commentary. He is currently writing his senior honors thesis on the Gospel of Mark, supervised by Professor Nathan Eubank. On campus, Daniel plays bass guitar in the band Whisk and serves as Vice President for the Notre Dame Glee Club. After graduation, he plans on pursuing a Master’s degree and later a Ph.D. in New Testament or a closely related field.
Olivia Rosenlund is a Mathematics and Economics double-major and plans to minor in either Data Science or Computational and Digital Technologies. On campus, she works as a mathematics tutor for TutorND and regularly volunteers with the Riverbend Math Circles. She is also an active member of both the Math Club and the Women in Economics Club. Olivia is interested in cybersecurity research—she questions whether the influx of virtual activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic has further eliminated our online privacy and plans to analyze the current dangers to children’s safety in cyberspace. After Notre Dame, Olivia hopes to pursue graduate studies in Economics and potentially a research-based career.
Sean Santos is a freshman studying finance, data science, and poverty studies. He is interested in everything finance, especially banking and investment management. He wants to combine his growing knowledge of business with his interests in new technology, like blockchain, to create impactful change. He is currently developing a thesis and implementable plan for impoverished communities to utilize blockchain’s smart contract capabilities in order to receive more opportunities, and another chance to better their lives. He is involved with many clubs at Notre Dame, such as Notre Dame Investment Club, Wall Street Club, and the Men’s Boxing Club. He was able to intern with two different hedge funds this past winter break, Southeastern Asset Management and Vector Partners. He is always trying to challenge himself and gain new perspectives and knowledge wherever he can
Seunghoon "Sunny" Sun is a Science-Business major on the pre-med track in the College of Science. He is interested in biomolecular research and understanding the biological mechanisms in which cancer cells become metastatic. Sunny works in Dr. Zachary Schafer's lab and currently studies the effects of chemotherapeutic-induced senescence on normal cells. On campus, Sunny is involved in the Asian American Association, Korean Student Association, and the Men's Boxing Club.
Stephanie Swegle is a biology major with a specific interest in the microbiome. She is currently helping the Archie Lab with their research related to female baboon pregnancy, microbiome composition and hormone changes. She is a writer and associate editor on the design team for Scientia; this has been a great way for her to use her love of writing and graphic design to communicate complex scientific ideas in an engaging way. Stephanie is also a health and well-being commissioner for her hall, so she plans events to help the residents of Breen-Phillips Hall de-stress and take care of their health. Stephanie also loves to backpack and hike in her free time. In the future, Stephanie plans to continue her research on campus and beyond, hopefully looking deeper into the connection between the immune system, microbiome changes and hormone production. She also hopes to continue to use her love of art to engage others in science.
Cara Tinson is an Architecture major minoring in Peace Studies and Real Estate. She will be researching the impact of the built environment on physical and mental health, especially within hospitals. On campus, Cara serves on three Executive Departments, writes for the STOA Architecture magazine, plays on the club ultimate frisbee team, and is one of the directors of the new LGBTQ+ Domers project. After graduation, she plans on going to graduate school for architecture, continuing her research, and later working to help others through design and the built environment.