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Matthew Caren develops computational systems to understand, enable and augment human expression. With a focus on sound and natural language, his research straddles generative AI, cognitive science and digital signal processing. Caren currently researches computational models of how people use their voices to communicate sound at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab and … Read more
Arav Karighattam is a mathematician passionate about algebraic number theory and arithmetic geometry, and seeks to understand the mysteries underlying the structure of solutions to Diophantine equations. In his recent paper, Karighattam determined the ranks of members of a challenging family of elliptic curves using the theory of Heegner points. Karighattam presented his work at … Read more
Albert Qin is a doctoral student at Princeton University addressing questions about the behavior of neural networks — both artificial and biological — using a variety of approaches and ideas from physics and neuroscience. Drawn to the precision, beauty and spirit of physics, Qin earned bachelor’s degrees in physics and mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute … Read more
Ananthan Sadagopan is pursuing a doctorate in biological and biomedical science at Harvard University, focusing on chemical biology and the development of new therapeutic strategies. Sadagopan earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology in three years from MIT, where he led projects characterizing somatic perturbations of X chromosome inactivation in cancer, developing machine learning … Read more
Eric Tao is interested in investigating how neural circuits within the brain give rise to complex behaviors. Starting fall of 2025, they are pursuing a doctorate in neuroscience and physiology at New York University’s Neuroscience Institute. Tao is receiving joint bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in May 2025, with majors in … Read more
Chance Bowman aims to uncover the design principles of biological systems, both to understand how organisms develop and to create advanced cell therapies. A doctoral student in bioengineering at both UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley, Bowman is inspired by the complex biochemical strategies employed during development to precisely regulate cell, tissue and organism-scale biological … Read more
Edward Chen’s research focuses on the applications of redox flow batteries for grid-scale renewable energy storage. Chen hopes to pursue his future interests in investigating the electrochemical properties of various battery electrode and separator materials using equivalent circuit modeling through impedance spectroscopy and coulombic efficiency from charge-discharge performance to develop a real-time electrochemical battery health … Read more
Lillian Kay Petersen aims to reveal the mechanisms of gene regulation by combining high-throughput microfluidic assays and synthetic biology. Petersen is currently a first-year doctoral student in genetics at Stanford University. In 2024, she graduated from Harvard University, where she studied applied mathematics and molecular biology. Petersen has written three first-author papers to date, ranging … Read more
Julie Chen seeks to uncover mechanisms of cellular decision-making and to eventually apply these insights toward engineering cells and tissues to improve human health through regenerative medicine. She plans to pursue a doctorate in cellular and developmental biology at Rockefeller University. As an undergraduate in computer science at Stanford University, Chen worked on a range … Read more
Suraj Chandran develops theoretical and computational methods to probe novel quantum regimes of chemical dynamics and to accelerate the development of efficient, sustainable energy conversion systems. Chandran received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania in 2023. During his undergraduate career, he worked with Dr. Joseph Subotnik to investigate how … Read more
Chu Xin (Cloris) Cheng is a researcher working at the intersection of machine learning and science, developing AI-driven methods to accelerate scientific discovery. Born in Hong Kong, Cheng is pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the California Institute of Technology, where she conducted research on AI for experimental design with applications in protein engineering, exoskeleton gait … Read more
Cade Gordon is completing his master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science at UC Berkeley after completing his bachelor’s degree in two and a half years. Gordon will begin his doctoral research at Stanford University in 2026. With four first-author publications, Gordon’s research at the Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Research Lab focuses on improving the … Read more
Benjamin Lou is a physicist, mathematician and philosopher completing undergraduate studies at MIT. Lou is passionate about finding connections between fundamental truths of the universe. One of his research projects applies symplectic techniques to understand the nature of precision measurements using quantum states of light. Another is about geometrically unifying several theorems in quantum mechanics … Read more
April Qiu Cheng is interested in probing physics through astronomical observations spanning a wide range of scales. As an undergraduate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, April engaged in research on gravitational-wave inference, black hole phenomenology, and the use of fast radio bursts as a statistical probe of large-scale structure. April has been awarded the … Read more
Grace Ra Kim is a doctoral student in aeronautics and astronautics at Stanford University’s Intelligent Systems Laboratory, focusing on decision-making systems under uncertainty for space traffic management and space situational awareness for satellite constellations. Kim graduated cum laude with high honors in engineering sciences from Harvard University. She also holds a master’s degree in advanced … Read more
Born in New York and raised in Accra, Ghana, Isabelle A. Quaye grew up loving mathematics and science from a young age, representing Ghana at the International Mathematical Olympiad in 2018. Quaye completed undergraduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she majored in electrical engineering and computer science and minored in economics. As … Read more
Gianfranco (Franco) Yee is a cancer engineer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he plans to leverage the gut microbiome and immune system to develop innovative therapeutic treatments. Growing up with allergies and asthma sparked the beginning of Yee’s journey in science. He is fascinated by the microbiome’s ability to modulate the immune system … Read more
Soyoun (Soy) Choi aspires to develop proprioceptive robotic hands to advance dexterous manipulation and human-robot interaction. Choi studies at Harvard University, majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in global health and health policy. At Harvard, she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Choi will pursue her doctorate in mechanical engineering at Stanford University. As … Read more
Tuan Anh Nguyen is an experimental physicist interested in leveraging the smallest atom-light interactions to make the biggest impact with precisely controlled quantum many-body systems. He will attend the University of Colorado Boulder for his doctorate, focusing on atomic, molecular and optical physics. Nguyen will graduate from Stanford in 2025 with a degree in physics. … Read more
Jay Davis is president emeritus of the Hertz Foundation. He served as president from 2009–2016.
Katie Coggeshall Myers is Senior Director of Development at the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation. In this role, Coggeshall Myers will oversee all aspects of fundraising, including development strategy, donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship to secure funding in support of the foundation’s strategic plan. Katie was previously the Director of Leadership Giving and the Director … Read more
David Hoyos is a physicist addressing complex questions in viral and cancer evolution with the quantitative language of statistical mechanics and information theory. He is a doctoral student in Dr. Benjamin Greenbaum’s laboratory in Computational Oncology at the Tri-Institutional Program in Computational Biology and Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering and Rockefeller University. … Read more
Zoë Marschner seeks to develop methods for the basic computations at the core of solving geometric problems on new and emerging representations of 3D shape, with the hope of making these representations capable of enabling fundamentally better algorithms for solving geometric problems across science and engineering. She is a doctoral student at Carnegie Mellon University … Read more
Zijian (William) Niu is interested in the intersection of structural biology and machine learning. Specifically, he aims to develop novel methods for imaging proteins and other biomolecules in their native cellular environments, and leverage that data to build computational models for predicting their dynamics and molecular interactions. In fall 2024, he will start a doctoral … Read more
Virginia Canestraight plans to study sustainable electrocatalytic systems to accelerate the decarbonization of carbon intensive chemical syntheses. She will attend Harvard University to pursue a doctorate in materials science and mechanical engineering. She will receive her bachelor’s in chemical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in spring 2024. There, she studied the effects of … Read more
Rupert Li is a fourth-year dual bachelor’s and master’s student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, majoring in mathematics as well as computer science, data science and economics, and minoring in business analytics. He will begin a doctoral program in mathematics at Stanford University. Li has written twelve math research articles, primarily in combinatorics, but … Read more
Owen Dugan researches at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and physics, working to develop AI that enables breakthroughs in physics and to use physics techniques to design more capable and safer AI systems. Dugan will attend Stanford University to pursue a doctorate in computer science. He earned a bachelor’s in physics in two and … Read more
Kaylie Hausknecht hopes to make novel contributions to research at the intersection of physics and machine learning by developing new computational tools for building simulations and analyzing data in the physical sciences. She is currently a senior at Harvard University studying physics and astrophysics. She will start her doctoral program in physics at the Massachusetts … Read more
Jason Yang is interested in understanding the biological processes that underlie human health and disease. Yang is a genetics doctoral student at Stanford University. He received his bachelor’s in biology with a minor in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). At MIT, and subsequently at Massachusetts General Hospital, he worked on the … Read more
James Roney is interested in developing computational models of protein structure, function and evolution and using those models to engineer novel proteins for applications in biotechnology. Roney received his bachelor’s degree in computer science and master’s degree in statistics from Harvard University. He is currently working as a machine learning research engineer at D.E. Shaw … Read more
Ivan Specht builds mathematical models for analyzing, predicting and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. He is pursuing his doctorate in Computational and Mathematical Engineering at Stanford University, where he aims to create the preeminent epidemiological toolkit for stopping pandemics. Specht has written four first-author papers to date, two of which have been published in … Read more
Emmy Blumenthal is a Physics PhD student at Princeton University, researching emergent phenomena in biological systems through theoretical approaches drawn from statistical physics. They graduated from Boston University with a bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics, where their research applied geometric and statistical physics methods to explore models prevalent in community ecology. Emmy’s current interests … Read more
Elijah Lew-Smith is a theoretical physicist with broad intellectual interests focused around effective field theory (EFT). EFT is the study of systems with many interacting degrees of freedom, and it reveals how to extract the relevant, long-distance behavior from complicated microscopic rules. He will graduate from Brown University with a bachelor’s in physics. In 2023, … Read more
Drew Langford’s research focuses on applications of dynamical systems theory to understand the natural behavior of orbits and enhance spaceflight capabilities in multi-body gravitational environments. He intends to use his expertise in astrodynamics to contribute toward a sustainable cislunar presence and deliver scientific and economic opportunity to Earth. He is a doctoral student in astrodynamics … Read more
Constance Kraay uses a multidisciplinary approach to study the dynamic conformations of biomolecules and their interactions. Her research provides insights into the regulatory mechanisms and functions of biomolecules, which are crucial for targeting them in drug discovery. She is focused on developing innovative computational tools to identify molecules that modulate protein-protein interactions. Constance is a … Read more
Calton Kong is interested in clean energy and public policy. He aims to work toward the science and policy that will transform our grid and chemical manufacturing. He plans to craft policy to ensure that the benefits of new technologies are shared by all through a robust and organized labor force and public investment/redistribution. Kong … Read more
Anna Sappington aspires to build methods to predict evolutionary events. In particular, she plans to draw connections among machine learning, biology and chemistry to develop reinforcement learning models inspired by evolutionary biology. Sappington hopes to utilize these improved predictive models to make fundamental discoveries about evolution, as well as to monitor pathogenic outbreaks, and improve … Read more
Andrew Laeuger is a theoretical physicist who aims to predict the gravitational signatures of undiscovered physics. Such predictions will enable future searches for those phenomena in gravitational wave observations; if detected, an awareness of the underlying physics could open an entire new realm of technological possibilities. He is a doctoral student in physics at the … Read more
Amani Maina-Kilaas is a first-year doctoral student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he is pursuing research in computational psycholinguistics in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences. Supported by the School of Science Dean’s Fellowship, he is excited about using artificial intelligence as a scientific tool to study how the mind works, … Read more
Andye Daley is the Executive Assistant to the President and Office Manager at the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation. As a seasoned Executive Assistant, Andye navigates the corporate whirlwind with humor and unparalleled talent. Andye excels in calendar juggling, mastering travel logistics, and orchestrating events with the precision of a conductor. In her past role … Read more
Aleza Stein is the Community Program Manager at the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation. Aleza is responsible for managing a portfolio of programmatic offerings and supporting the engagement of our community of 1,200+ Hertz Fellows. Serving as a critical touch point for the Hertz community, Aleza accelerates connection and collaboration among Hertz Fellows and enhances … Read more
Madeleine Urbanek is interested in exploring the intersections between neurodevelopment, aging and epigenetics to uncover cellular interactions that drive neurological disease. A doctoral student in biomedical sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), she is particularly curious about how changes at the cellular level translate to system-wide effects across neuronal networks. Urbanek received … Read more
Vaibhav Mohanty works at the intersection of theoretical physics, chemistry, and evolutionary biology to develop mutational “traps” to combat the rapid evolution of proteins in infectious pathogens and in cancer. As a student in the Harvard University-Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) MD-PhD Program, Mohanty is pursuing a PhD in chemistry while working with Professor Eugene … Read more
Philip Kocheril seeks to use advanced spectroscopic techniques to characterize the photophysical dynamics of biochemical systems. Kocheril is a doctoral student in chemistry at the California Institute of Technology. Kocheril’s twin interests in chemistry and jazz developed early and continued into his undergraduate studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Kocheril started doing … Read more
Liyam Chitayat aims to build cells inside cells, exploring the compartmentalization of information in living systems and evolutionary roads not taken. Liyam is a PhD student in the computational systems biology program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a member of the Synthetic Neurobiology Group led by Professor Ed Boyden (Hertz Fellow). She was … Read more
Jeffrey Brown II wants to develop novel computational and biological tools for seeing and controlling biological systems and create new computational methods to find the hidden principles within the data. He is a doctoral student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in electrical engineering/computer science and a member of the Synthetic Neurobiology Group led by … Read more
Sahil Pontula is an applied physicist who aims to harness light-matter interactions in novel ways. He is working to enable discoveries in fundamental physics leading to next-generation technologies in energy, sensing and communication. Pontula will begin a doctoral program in electrical engineering and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in fall 2023. … Read more
James Sunseri studies the formation of our universe, on scales ranging from stars to galaxies, using numerical simulations in tandem with higher-order statistics and morphological analysis algorithms. Sunseri will start a doctoral program in astrophysical sciences at Princeton University in fall 2023. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2022 with a bachelor’s … Read more
Isabel Orlanes Gallegos is interested in the fairness, explainability and transparency of artificial intelligence systems. She will start her computer science doctoral program at Stanford University in fall 2023. She is a joint bachelor’s and master’s student at Stanford University majoring in computer science with a focus on artificial intelligence and minoring in education. She … Read more
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