2013 - 2014 Graduate Fellows

Forsberg, Carl

Carl Forsberg

History of American Foreign Relations
Previous degree from Yale University
UT Austin: Department of History

Carl Forsberg studies patterns in 20th century American foreign policy. He has a particular interest in the ambiguity of U.S. relations with allied and client states in the Middle East and South Asia, and in cases in which alliances have developed, or U.S. power has been manipulated, in ways ultimately contrary to American interests and intentions.

Gursoy, Ayse

Ayse Gursoy

Information Science
Previous degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
UT Austin: School of Information

Ayse Gursoy is interested in exploring the realm of digital archives with respect to video and computer games. She wants to investigate existing practices in preservation of games as cultural artifacts, current industry standards of institutional memory, as well as how digital games represent the experience of navigating the information space of the archive.

Hao, Xinying

Xinying Hao

Quantitative Marketing
Previous degree from Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
UT Austin: Department of Marketing

Xinying Hao studies marketing analytics using statistical tools, such as semi-parametric methods, Bayesian estimation, and data mining approaches. She is particularly interested in big data research related to social networks and online marketing.

Jiang, Tengfei

Tengfei Jiang

Materials science for advanced microelectronics
Previous degree from Ohio State University
UT Austin: Department of Mechanical Engineering

Tengfei Jiang’s research is focused on the effects of material and processing on the stress and reliability of 3-D integrated circuits, an emerging technology for high-performance microelectronics. In her thesis research, she explores the potential of applying advanced techniques, including synchrotron x-ray microdiffraction, to investigate the material properties and stress characteristics in 3-D integrated circuits with the goal of improving the performance and reliability of the circuits.

Kaya, Celil Refik

Celil Refik Kaya

Music Performance
Previous degree from Mannes College The New School of Music
UT Austin: Butler School of Music

Celil Refik Kaya was the 2012 winner of the most prestigious guitar concerto competition, the JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition. Among other awards and competitions, he was awarded first place in the 2013 Philadelphia Classical Guitar Competition; second prize in the most prestigious solo guitar competition—the 2012 Guitar Foundation of America's International Concert Artist Competition; and second prize in the Louisville Guitar Festival Competition.Kaya will perform his debut at New York City's Carnegie Hall as a featured artist in the D’Addario Foundation Concert Series on October 17, 2013. He currently studies guitar performance with internationally recognized concert artist and teacher, Professor Adam Holzman of UT Austin.

Kemp, Addie

Addison Kemp

Physical Anthropology
Previous degree from Mount Holyoke College
UT Austin: Department of Anthropology

Addison Kemp is interested in the evolution of and relationship between morphology and biological function. She is particularly interested in hand morphology and arboreal locomotion and approaches these topics from evolutionary, biomechnical, developmental and comparative perspectives.

Kenkel, Carly

Carly D. Kenkel

Adaptation in Reef-Building Corals
Previous degree from State University of New York at Stony Brook
UT Austin: Section of Integrative Biology

Carly Kenkel is interested in how broadly dispersing marine organisms adapt to local environments and in integrating knowledge of local adaptation into conservation management strategies. Her dissertation research is focused on identifying the physiological and genetic mechanisms that enable corals in the Florida Keys to inhabit reefs of variable environmental quality.

Lee, Yongjin

Yongjin Lee

Computational Materials Science
Previous degree from Seoul National University, Korea
UT Austin: Department of Chemical Engineering

Yongjin Lee is interested in how to design new materials for renewable energy, including thermoelectric waste heat recovery. He has focused his research particularly on developing a predictive computational tool and using it to investigate the fundamental mechanisms underlying thermal transport in various nanostructured materials and their composites for thermoelectric applications.

Leimberger, Kara

Kara Leimberger

Biological Anthropology
Previous degree from Duke University
UT Austin: Department of Anthropology

Kara Leimberger studies primate behavior and ecology and is broadly interested in questions surrounding group living, cooperation, and how animals navigate their social environments. She intends to approach these topics by examining the social dynamics of lemurs in Madagascar.

McElroy, Kathleen

Kathleen McElroy

News Media Studies
Previous degree from New York University
UT Austin: Department of Journalism

Kathleen McElroy is interested in the intersection of reader engagement (especially comments) and news media coverage, potentially focusing on less-scrutinized productions like obituaries, food reporting and cultural reviews.

Needham, Brittany

Brittany Needham

Microbiology and Vaccine Development
Previous degree from Brigham Young University
UT Austin: Department of Molecular Biosciences

Brittany Needham is studying the Gram-negative bacterial surface, which is covered with a complex molecule called lipopolysaccharide (LPS) that stimulates a potent immune response during infection, but can potentially be adapted to for use in vaccines.

Schank, Cody

Cody Schank

Biogeography and Conservation
Previous degree from University of Virginia
UT Austin: Department of Geography and the Environment

Cody Schank is interested in using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to model habitat suitability for endangered species based on satellite imagery, climate data, and topography. He will explore a variety of field techniques and modeling frameworks to determine the best methods to use when studying rare species for which limited prior information exists.

Strauss, Stephanie

Stephanie Strauss

Mesoamerican Archaeology, Epigraphy, and Art History
Previous degree from Yale University, George Washington University
UT Austin: Department of Art History

Stephanie Strauss' research explores the interconnectedness of text and image in early Pre-Columbian art, specifically the ways in which motif construction, deconstruction, and isolation catalyzed the invention of hieroglyphic writing in the New World. Her work builds upon an interdisciplinary background in archaeology, linguistic anthropology, and art history, and aims to situate early Mesoamerican hieroglyphic writing systems into their greater social context.

Turner, Mike

Michael Turner

Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures
Previous degree from University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
UT Austin: Department of Middle Eastern Studies

Michael Turner studies the language and culture of the Middle East and North Africa, with a focus on the Arabic dialects and Amazigh (Berber) languages of the modern-day Maghreb. He seeks to understand their respective development as a product of language contact and population movements.

Van Winkle, Kathryn

Kathryn Van Winkle

Performance as Public Practice
Previous degree from Swarthmore College, National University of Ireland - Galway
UT Austin: Department of Theatre and Dance

Kathryn Van Winkle is studying audience response and developing an ethnography of theatre audiences, informed by her work as a performer, director, and dramaturg. She is also interested in the effects of globalization on theatre and in contemporary productions of Greek drama.

Yi, Han-Gyoi

Han-Gyol Yi

Communication Sciences and Disorders
Previous degree from Northwestern University
UT Austin: Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

Han-Gyol Yi is interested in using neuroimaging technique to discover the biological correlates of cross-cultural and linguistic experiences.

Zhang, Xinyu

Xinyu Zhang

Accounting
Previous degrees from Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands;
Bocconi University, Milan, Italy; and Fudan University, Shanghai, China
UT Austin: Department of Accounting

Xinyu Zhang is interested in the influence of various accounting mechanisms on human behavior. She uses experiments to study how people’s judgment and decision-making are influenced by accounting regulation, incentives and control systems.

Contact: Dr. Marvin L. Hackert