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Author Biographies

Claire Branstetter is a senior at the University 
of Kansas, triple majoring in economics, political 
science, and global and international studies. She 
aspires to develop and analyze policy concerning 
migration and community development. After 
graduation, Claire plans to work as a research 
assistant in D.C. before returning to graduate school 
to obtain a Master’s in Public Policy. Her ultimate 
goal is to use research to bridge the gap between the 
privileged and the marginalized. When not studying, 
Claire enjoys spending time outdoors, experimenting 
with new recipes, and laughing with friends in local 
coffee shops.

Joshua DeJoy is a senior at SUNY Geneseo, majoring 
in history and minoring in philosophy. His studies 
focus on labor history and related issues, including 
the development of progressive political thought. 
He is from New York’s Hudson Valley and is looking 
forward to moving to New York City after graduation 
and eventually pursuing a PhD in history.

Christiana Fakhri is a senior from the Elliot T. Bowers 
Honors College at Sam Houston State University in 
Huntsville, TX. She is a biomedical sciences major, 
working toward a career in the medical field. After 
graduation, she plans on completing a MD-MA 
program. Christiana and her co-authors work in a 
research lab that focuses on the study of anatomy 
in both extant and extinct organisms. Her research 
interests include primate muscle morphology, 
dietary specialization of primates, and bacterial 
succession during decomposition. 

Katherine Grosso is a senior at Fairfield University, 
studying nursing. After college, she hopes to work 
in an oncology unit to make a difference in the lives 
of those with cancer. Alongside nursing, she hopes 
to continue to pursue her passion for writing. She 

has a few short stories published in Inkwell, Fairfield 
University’s literary magazine, and is in the process 
of finishing her first young adult novel. In her free 
time, she enjoys reading, writing, and spending time 
with friends and family. 

Lindsey Jones is a sophomore honors student at 
Sam Houston State University, majoring in mass 
communication with a minor in photography. While 
at SHSU, she writes movie, television, and anime 
reviews for the campus newspaper, The Houstonian. 
Lindsey is also the Sam Houston State University ASL 
Club Treasurer. Passionate about solving problems 
and helping people, she hopes to graduate with the 
skills to represent and promote businesses. With a 
love for reading for as long as she could remember, 
she also aspires to work for a publishing house and 
promote the power of reading. Lindsey spends her 
free time reading—and rereading—fiction, listening 
to music, watching films, taking photographs, 
stargazing, and spending quality time with her 
parents, sister, and close friends. 

Sara Krastins is a senior at Fairfield University, where 
she is president of the Nu Tau chapter of Sigma Tau 
Delta and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She majors 
in English creative writing and is pursuing minors 
in management and philosophy. She will attend St. 
John’s University School of Law in the fall. This is her 
first publication.

Luke Lechtenberg is a senior at the University of 
Minnesota Duluth and will graduate with a bachelor’s 
degree in economics and a minor in political science. 
He works as a faculty research assistant in the Labovitz 
School of Business and Economics and serves as the 
Economics Club Treasurer. Luke enjoys biking and 
kayaking and is an avid amusement park enthusiast. 
He will attend the University of Chicago Law School 
in Fall 2017 to pursue a career in corporate law.



Author Biographies

Aisthesis      Volume 8,  201751

Ean Maloney is a first-year student at the University 
of Notre Dame from Canton, Michigan. He is a 
double-major in mathematics and philosophy and 
serves as his resident hall’s Liturgical and Spiritual 
Commissioner. He also works on-campus for 
Fighting Irish Media, the media relations arm of 
Notre Dame’s Department of Athletics. After earning 
his bachelor’s degrees, Ean plans on applying to grad 
school and eventually pursuing a career in higher 
education. His list of favorite things includes Notre 
Dame athletics, his home state of Michigan, and the 
Detroit Tigers.

Brenna Mulhall, from Stamford, Connecticut, is a 
junior in the Honors Program at Fairfield University. 
She is a psychology major and is pursuing a minor 
in women, gender, and sexuality studies. Brenna is 
the student coordinator for the University’s Rational 
Association of Free Thinkers and has conducted 
research in Fairfield University’s Psychology 
Department on the creative arts and the functioning 
of young children. She is passionate about gender 
studies and has worked with Dr. Emily Orlando to 
complete research on the representations of women 
in literature and popular culture. After graduation, 
Brenna hopes to pursue her PhD in clinical 
psychology.

Born and raised in South Korea, Jianna Jihyun 
Park is a senior at the University of Notre Dame 
where she is a member of the Glynn Family Honors 
Program. Majoring in psychology, she is interested in 
promoting mental health and peace in interpersonal 
and intrapersonal relationships. Her creative honors 
thesis is a collection of poems that deal with issues 
of mental illness. When she’s not writing, she enjoys 
reading, traveling, and simply being in nature. She 
will pursue her MFA degree in writing at the Pratt 
Institute this fall.

Noah Petters is a senior at the University of 
Minnesota Duluth. He is in the University Honors 
Program and will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts 
degree in communication with a minor in women’s 
studies. In the future, he plans to attend graduate 
school to study mediated communication and help 
promote gender equal practices in the technology 
or health industries. He is a self-proclaimed video 
gamer and enjoys traveling and listening to music in 
his free time.

Lulua Rawwas is a senior honors undergraduate 
student at the University of Northern Iowa, pursuing 
a B.S. degree in biology and a minor in chemistry. Her 
research involves studying plant cell cycle regulators 
and the correlation between cell proliferation and 
leaf margin development. She is a Presidential 
Scholar and Honors Peer Leader and plans to attend 
medical school upon graduation.

Madison Renner is a senior in environmental 
sociology at Vanderbilt University. Her research 
explores the cultural authority of scientific knowledge, 
particularly as it relates to politically contested 
environmental issues. Madison’s senior honors 
thesis explores the attitudes of U.S. conservatives 
toward the legitimacy of climate science and the 
credibility of scientific research institutions. Her next 
project, supported by a fellowship from Vanderbilt 
University, will examine the energy and climate 
stances of conservative political parties across 
Europe. Madison will pursue a PhD in sociology in 
Fall 2018.

Yusuf Sezer is a freshman at the University of 
Massachusetts Amherst’s Commonwealth Honors 
College. He is majoring in computer science and 
is considering a concentration in cyber security 
or artificial intelligence. In his spare time, Yusuf 
enjoys playing competitive paintball, dabbling in 
photography and cinematography, and exploring 
new ideas. On campus, Yusuf is the President of the 
UMass Club Paintball Team and a member of the 
UMass Turkish Student Association.

Amelia Speight is a senior at George Washington 
University in Washington D.C., although originally 
from Wisconsin. She studies English with minors in 
theatre and sexuality studies. Amelia is passionate 
about stage management and currently serves as 
the President of the GW Student Theatre Council. 
She would like to recognize the University Honors 
Program, especially advisor Catherine Chandler, 
for creating a “home away from home” for nerds at 
GW. Amelia also sincerely thanks Professor Robert 
McRuer for his incredible support and guidance on 
this project and throughout her college experience.



Author Biographies

Aisthesis      Volume 8,  201752

Katherine Stolerman is a senior at the University 
of Massachusetts Amherst, majoring in legal studies 
with a minor in sociology and a certificate in 
criminal justice studies. Katherine has worked as a 
research assistant over two years for three different 
professors and has interned at the DA’s Office in 
Boston, a Juvenile Court Clinic in Cambridge, 
and for Massachusetts Appeals Court Justice Judd 
Carhart. Katherine volunteers as an international 
student mentor through the UMass Russian Club 
and is a founding member of the Legal Studies 
Undergraduate Board, an organization that functions 
as a liaison between students in the program and the 
administration. After graduation, Katherine will 
pursue a J.D. at Boston University School of Law, 
and she hopes to work for the federal government on 
cybercrime issues. 

Hannah Thompson is a first-year honors student 
at the University of Kentucky. She is pursuing a 
Bachelor of Science degree in biology with a minor 
in cognitive science. Hannah hopes to continue 
pursuing regenerative research at the University of 
Kentucky. She is on the steering board committee of 
IAmAWomanInSTEM, an organization at UK, for 
which she created a photographic interview series 
called “Woman of the Week.” This series features 
individuals to encourage the studies of STEM 
students and raise awareness of their experiences. 
She is also a member of Phi Delta Epsilon, an 
international medical fraternity, and the Pre-Med 
Activities Council. She hopes to attend medical 
school in the future.

Kaitlynn Webster is a senior honors student at 
California State University, Fresno. She will graduate 
as an art major with a focus in sculpture. She works 
in combinations of glass, bronze, and found objects. 
Her work largely focuses on the experience of 
cognitive dissonance and encourages the viewer to 
examine that which they believe to be true.


