OCF Fellows

Helena Heiberger (She/Her) is a PhD student in the Plant and Microbial Biosciences program within the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences. Helena earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of North Alabama in 2025, where she was awarded the Outstanding Senior Award in STEM and the Keller Key for academic excellence. […]

Sophie Davis is a PhD student in late medieval and early modern history. She graduated with her BA from Florida State University, where she majored in English Literature with minors in French, History, and Medieval Studies. Her undergraduate Honors Thesis focused on the ritual act of the oath in Le Roman de Silence, a 13th […]

A first-generation college graduate and master’s student in landscape architecture, Shannon Callahan is aiming to combine her background in restoration ecology from the University of Illinois with her interest in native landscape design to combat the ongoing biodiversity crisis. Having served as the conservation ecologist for the St. Louis Audubon Society, Shannon is well-versed in […]

Kyra Betts is a PhD student in the Public Health Sciences program. She earned her Masters degree from Webster University, where her capstone focused on culturally relevant childbirth preparation programs for Black families. Kyra has worked extensively at the intersection of policy, community health, and maternal well-being. Her passion for advocacy led her to roles […]

Anna Jaeggi-Wong is a PhD student in the Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis (MMMP) program. She graduated from Brandeis University in 2023 with her Bachelor’s in Biochemistry and Biology. She then completed a two-year postbaccalaureate fellowship in the Laboratory of Viral Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, where her research focused on regulation of […]

Tongyao Jiang (she/her) is a PhD student in the accounting department at Olin Business School. She previously completed her master’s degree at Columbia University and worked as a research analyst at financial institutions and NGOs. Her research interests include the effects of accounting information on capital markets, labor economics, municipal finance, and ESG issues. Tongyao is […]

Cara Kirby is a PhD student in the Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis program. They graduated from the University of Georgia in 2018 with a BS in Biology and in 2021 with an MS in Comparative Biomedical Sciences. Their master’s research characterized variability in mumps virus glycoproteins between vaccine and outbreak strains and tested recombinant viruses in mouse models to improve […]

Brendan Pagan is a PhD student in the Marketing department at Olin Business School. He studies consumer behavior and is specifically interested in consumer well-being and health-related judgments and decision-making.  

Caitlin Johnson is a Computer Science PhD student in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science in 2025 from Amherst College, where she began researching machine learning with a focus on deep learning for voice cloning and 2D/3D computer vision, primarily using convolutional neural network models. In Summer […]

Fengwei “Jerry” Liu is a PhD student in the Medical Physics PhD program housed within the Department of Radiation Oncology. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2025 with a degree in Nuclear Engineering. While pursuing his bachelor’s degree, he concurrently worked on a radiopharmaceutical research project utilizing Monte Carlo Simulation to investigate the […]

Aja Anh Phan (she/they) is a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering. Her research interests lie in mechanobiology, with a focus on how mechanical forces contribute to disease progression, including cancer and fibrosis.   She graduated with honors from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Mathematics. As […]

Morgan Van Vleck is a PhD student in the Social Work program at the Brown School. In their PhD studies, Morgan will focus on research that aims to improve the care continuum and patient experiences from serious illness through end-of-life. Morgan is interested in research focused on digital innovations for end-of-life and aging, and their […]

Rasheda Pippens is a PhD student in Nursing Science. She is a graduate of University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Following graduation, she worked as a nurse in various inpatient settings, as an adjunct faculty member, and in outpatient office/clinics.  She […]

Shikha Shrestha is a PhD candidate in the Division of Computational & Data Sciences (DCDS). She graduated from Swarthmore College with a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science and Mathematics. Her research interests lie in machine learning, with a focus on continual learning, out-of-distribution detection, and domain generalization. She is particularly interested in applying these […]

Steele Stewart is an MFA student in the Illustration & Visual Culture program at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. Having graduated from USC’s Film & Television BA program, he seeks to integrate his cinematic background and illustration practice to create experimental, yet narratively driven multimedia art. As someone who believes in the […]

Josep Campoy is a dual-degree Master of Architecture and Master of Urban Design student at WashU. Originally from Cusco, Peru, he earned his undergraduate degree in architecture in the United States, where he developed a deep passion for architecture as a cultural, social, and material practice. Prior to graduate study, Josep contributed to large-scale architectural […]

Jannah Moussaoui is a PhD student in the Clinical Psychological Science program and a fellow in WashU’s Artificial Intelligence Advancements and Convergence in Computational, Environmental, and Social Sciences (AI-ACCESS) National Research Traineeship program. She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Oregon State University in 2023 and then spent a couple years coordinating clinical trials […]

Forrest Whiting is a PhD student in the Neurosciences within the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (DBBS). He earned degrees in Neuroscience and Dance from Washington University, where he was MARC-uSTAR research scholar exploring the therapeutic potential of movement-based interventions—particularly dance—in alleviating symptoms of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.  Currently, his research centers […]

Steven Myers Jr. is pursuing a PhD in Statistics. Steven graduated from Indiana University (South Bend) with a BS in Mathematics with highest distinction. During his time at IU, he received the Distinguished Alumni Service Scholarship and was inducted into the Distinguished Alumni cohort. Earlier this year, he was selected to be a Research and […]

Thomas Schodl (they/he) is a second-year Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology (BBSB) PhD student in the laboratory of Dr. Natalie Niemi. Thomas is broadly interested in how cells maintain homeostasis, with a specific emphasis on mitochondrial function. Thomas earned their BS (summa cum laude) in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Truman State University in 2024, […]