Cohort 2020
Dylan is currently in his first year of a DPhil in Engineering Science at Trinity College. Dylan was selected as a 2020 Australian John Monash Scholar and holds a Bachelor of Science (Advanced) (Honours) with the University Medal and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Sydney. Dylan’s research builds on his previous experience as a molecular materials chemist, investigating tailorable nanoscale multifunctional hybrid materials known as Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs). Dylan is also a lawyer, having practiced as a corporate lawyer at Clayton Utz, and an experienced negotiator. Passionate about education, Dylan has been actively increasing access for regional centres to enrichment and STEM programs as a leader of the da Vinci Decathlon and with the National Indigenous Science Education Program. Dylan also specialises in teaching problem solving and creative thinking having founded the workshop program Designing Minds and as a multi-international champion Future Problem Solver. Alongside these pursuits, Dylan is a multi-national champion percussionist, enjoys playing piano and orienteers through seldom seen natural landscapes. Dylan is enthused about reinvigorating the Clarendon community in 2021 and looks forward to working with the 2021 Council to provide a huge range of fresh and unique opportunities for all as we navigate a new world.
Dylan Sherman
College/Degree: Trinity College/DPhil in Engineering Science
Country of Origin: Australia
Cohort: 2020
Ulfat is pursuing a Masters in World Literatures in English, and is residing at Trinity College! She read BA English and History at the wonderful University of Southampton, and was born and raised in Southampton! Ulfat is really interested in exploring literary, visual and artistic representations of migration, movement and ‘displacement’ in the wake of, and in our age of, global climate catastrophes and late-Capitalism! She is so incredibly honoured and so absolutely delighted to be the wonderful Clarendon Council’s Vice President and cannot wait to continue to work with our wonderful team and with all of our fabulous Scholars!
Ulfat Islam
College/Degree: Trinity College/MSc World Literatures
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Cohort: 2020
Chané is a South African Medical doctor currently completing her Part time Masters in Surgical Science and Practice at Oxford while working for the NHS. She is a Kellogg College student! Additionally, she is very proud to be the Clarendon Council outreach secretary for 2020/2021. Chane is passionate about outreach and hope to help my fellow council members make a big difference this year!
Chané Kulenkampff
College/Degree: Kellogg College/MSc Surgical Sciences
Country of Origin: South Africa
Cohort: 2020
I received my Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Edinburgh, and a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Applied Mathematics from South China University of Technology, in 2020. During my undergraduate period, I studied at the University of California, Berkeley in Spring 2018, then visited UCLA in Summer 2019 via CSST and REU research program. Here in Oxford, I conduct research on Graph Neural Networks. I love sports and music. My favourite sports are badminton and table tennis, and I have been playing the piano since the age of three. I also enjoy travelling and taking photos.
Yixuan He
College/Degree: Balliol College/DPhil Statistics
Country of Origin: China
Cohort: 2020
I completed my BA in History of Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art in 2020, receiving The Sam Fogg Prize for my dissertation. I am interested in late-medieval European material culture, devotional texts, and their relationship to the medieval person’s emotions, imagination, and behaviour. I am currently working on English wall paintings and literature after the Black Death, and how both worked together to shape the medieval persons’ understanding of sin and morality. I also love walking in beautiful places, cooking, and reading.
Florence Eccleston
College/Degree: Jesus College /MSt Medieval Studies
Country of Origin: UK
Cohort: 2020
Before studying at Oxford, I completed a BA in Film and Philosophy at the University of Southampton, writing a dissertation on the decline and re-emergence of the sublime as an aesthetic concept in relation to environmental ethics. I am currently researching the intersection between place, culture and ecology, in particular focusing on how film and photography can explore the experience of natural, urban and industrial spaces. I also write and edit articles on a range of social, political and environmental issues for Tru., a non-profit ethical magazine. For leisure, I enjoy walking, cycling, paddle-boarding and drinking green tea.
Jonny Rogers
College/Degree: Corpus Christi College/MSt Film Aesthetics
Country of Origin: UK
Cohort: 2020
I am a medievalist interested in the cult of the saints, early medieval Europe and the movement of people and ideas. Previously I completed my undergrad and MPhil in the ASNC department at Cambridge, where my interest in Latin hagiography and the intersection between the historical and the literary began. In my free time I take a firmly amateur interest in language learning and opera. Before starting my DPhil I spent a year working in the Cambridge University Library.
James Miller
College/Degree: University College/DPhil in History
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Cohort: 2020
Xiaona has strong research interests in the science studies, internationalization and globalization of higher education. Her doctoral research is going to continue to explore the scientific knowledge networks between China and Switzerland under the influence of geopolitical factors. Before her DPhil, Xiaona obtained her M.A degree (Higher Education) at Graduate School of Education at Peking University, and B.A in the Faulty of Education from Beijing Normal University in China with first-class honour. She also studied at the University of Manchester as an exchange student in the School of Social Science.
Xiaona Wang
College/Degree: St. Antony's College/DPhil
Country of Origin: China
Cohort: 2020
I completed my Undergraduate studies in Geology from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai and I specialized in Stable Isotope Geochemistry during my Masters at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. With my background in Geoscience, I am currently a Graduate student at the Ocean Biogeochemistry Group studying Coccolithophore Cell Biology. I'm interested in learning about how and why Coccolithophores, which are microscopic calcifying phototropic algae, produce tiny calcite plates (called coccoliths) to cover their cell surface.
Nishant Chauhan
College/Degree: St. John's College/DPhil Earth Sciences
Country of Origin: India
Cohort: 2020
Taro Kobayashi, Cultural Secretary, is currently pursuing a DPhil in Music (with a focus on early modern devotional music in Italy) at St. Hugh’s College, having previously obtained MSt. in Musicology also from there. Originally from Japan, he has lived in Hawaii and completed double Bachelors degrees in Physics (comprehensive track) and Music (guitar performance) from University of Washington, Seattle. Previous to beginning his research in music at Oxford, he worked as a physicist working on developing sensors and methods for natural disaster warning and seafloor geodesy.
Taro Kobayashi
College/Degree: St. Hugh’s College/DPhil in Music
Country of Origin: Japan
Cohort: 2020
Nicola is a first year DPhil student in medieval history. He has previously studied at the University of Pisa and at Scuola Normale Superiore, and has been an exchange student at École Normale Supérieure. He is Italian and is currently the external secretary within the Clarendon Council, which means that he will have to foster cooperation between the Clarendon scholarship and other scholarships at both Oxford and Cambridge. Nicola is the TedX representative of his college and the vice representative of my course. He loves rowing, rugby, classical music, reading, collecting coins and stamps, and traveling.
Nicola Carotenuto
College/Degree: St. Hugh’s College/DPhil in Medieval History
Country of Origin: Italy
Cohort: 2020
Kate Friesen is pursuing a DPhil in Oncology working on oncolytic virotherapy at Christ Church. She is originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (fun fact: it can get colder than Mars). In 2020, Kate graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Immunology and minoring in Physiology and Biology. Kate has also undertaken two research internships at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia. She is very excited to be one of the Clarendon Council Social Secretaries this year, and looks forward to meeting everyone!
Kate Friesen
College/Degree: Christ Church College/DPhil Oncology
Country of Origin: Canana
Cohort: 2020
Deland is a 3rd year DPhil student in Sustainable Urban Development from the United States. She has worked professionally as an urban planner before returning to academia. She currently teaches in the Urban Studies Program at Stanford University and is a co-founder of the Stanford Human Cities Initiative to encourage cross-disciplinary approaches to urban challenges. Deland holds a B.A with honors in Urban Studies and an M.A. in Sociology from Stanford University, and a Master in City Planning from the University of California at Berkeley. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, a LEED Accredited Professional, and serves on the San Francisco Planning Commission. She is delighted to be part of the Clarendon Scholars community and looks forward to serving as the Academic Secretary.
Deland Chan
College/Degree: Kellogg College/DPhil in Sustainable Urban Development
Country of Origin: United States
Cohort: 2020
Morgan is the Dining Secretary of the 2021 Council. She is a second-year DPhil student at Hertford College, originally from Colorado in the United States, studying plant immunology and agricultural biotechnology. Aside from her obsession with food and organizing fun dining events for the Clarendons, Morgan loves a good hike, a good book, and is always up for an adventure.
Morgan Wade
College/Degree: Hertford College/DPhil in Plant Immunology & Agricultural Biotech
Country of Origin: United States
Cohort: 2020
Coming from Fujian, China, Dingmin completed his master study at Tsinghua University, and here in Oxford, he is a DPhil student in the department of computer science. Dingmin is really into different kinds of sports activities, among which badminton and swimming stay with him the longest. He looks forward to serving this year’s IT Secretary.
Dingmin Wang
College/Degree: Linacre College/DPhil in Computer Science
Country of Origin: China
Cohort: 2020
I grew up in Indonesia and Vermont. After graduating with an honours degree in Applied Mathematics from Brown University, I joined the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. There I developed and applied methods for large-scale analyses of human genetic data and was a teaching fellow for Harvard’s Global Initiative for Neuropsychiatric Genetics Education in Research. At Oxford, I continue to work with genetic data to study disease pathways. Outside of work, I like to run and cook, but not at the same time.
Nikolas Baya
College/Degree: Pembroke College/DPhil in Genomic Medicine and Statistics
Country of Origin: United States
Cohort: 2020
My research is situated on the intersection of sociology, comparative politics, and criminology where I explore the political sociology of developing equitable justice systems. Specifically, my research broadly aims to explore the relationship between police union mechanisms and police abuse. Currently, I work as a researcher in the NYC Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice. Previously, I worked as a researcher at the Vera Institute of Justice and as a data scientist at Campaign Zero. I completed my MPhil in Politics at Oxford.
Abdul Rad
College/Degree: Nuffield College/DPhil Sociology
Country of Origin: USA
Cohort: 2020
My research explores processes of literary composition and archiving in the twentieth century with a primary focus on T. S. Eliot, and is funded by the Clarendon, All Souls College, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council. I received my undergraduate degree in 2019 from Oxford and my Master’s in 2020, for which I received the Marilyn Butler Thesis Prize. My primary areas of interest are poetry and poetic form; writing technology and revision; the role of the literary editor; twentieth century intellectual culture; literature and philosophy. I also write and my work has appeared on stage in the UK and in poetry magazines.
Nicholas Smart
College/Degree: New College/DPhil English
Country of Origin: UK
Cohort: 2020
I completed my undergraduate degree at New College, Oxford, studying French and Spanish; I graduated with a First and was awarded the Arteaga Prize for the highest university-wide performance in Spanish. My year abroad consisted of a semester spent studying at the Sorbonne and a sixth-month internship in Madrid. I am currently undertaking an MSt at The Queen’s College with a focus on modern Latin American political fiction, including Mexican Revolution literature and early 20th-century Indigenismo, while my dissertation will examine family histories and heredity in the novel of dictatorship.
Arthur Wotton
College/Degree: The Queen's College/MSt in Modern Languages
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Cohort: 2020
Abhishek is a DPhil student at the Oxford Department of International Development. He holds a B.A. (with Honours) and M.A. in English from the University of Delhi, and an M.Sc. in Modern South Asian Studies from the University of Oxford. His research interests span intersectional studies of youth, education, language, media and politics in urban South Asia. His doctoral research explores practices of ‘self-making’ among urban youth, focussing on how the discourse and infrastructure of ‘preparation’ (taiyari, in Hindi) in Delhi’s coaching centres animates individual aspirations and propels rhizomatic experiences of mobility and self-realisation. The project aims to unpack ‘self-making’ to highlight its hybridity, instability and discontinuities.
Abhishek Ranjan Datta
College/Degree: Lincoln College/DPhil International Development
Country of Origin: India
Cohort: 2020
I studied for my undergraduate degree in English Literature at Durham University before coming to Merton College, Oxford, for my MSt in English Language and Literature (650-1550). During my undergraduate and masters research, I developed an interest in gender studies and Old Norse literature, and my current DPhil research explores the presentation of women in Old Norse translations of Latin. Alongside my Clarendon funding, I have been awarded an OOC AHRC studentship and the Lincoln College Kingsgate Scholarship. In my spare time, I am a keen writer and a dancer of ballet. I have also worked briefly at a school teaching English as a second language.
Natasha Bradley
College/Degree: Lincoln College/DPhil in English
Country of Origin: Wales
Cohort: 2020
McQueen is currently reading for a DPhil in Education at the University of Oxford. She is a member of the Centre for Global Higher Education. Her research interests include higher education, e-learning, and learning technologies. Prior to coming to Oxford, McQueen completed her master’s degree with a specialisation in media and learning technologies at Teachers College, Columbia University in the City of New York. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the violin and discovering new music.
McQueen Sum
College/Degree: New College/DPhil in Education
Country of Origin: Hong Kong
Cohort: 2020
My main research interests lie in the development of new technologies that employ living organisms to make diverse products in an efficient and environmental-friendly way. I am particularly interested in how interdisciplinary knowledge can be used to translate ground-breaking discoveries in the field of biotechnology into real-world applications. Before starting my DPhil at Oxford, I completed an MPhil in Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge as a Gates Cambridge Scholar, and a BSc in Engineering Physics at the University of Iceland. I´ve also worked with various companies, start-ups and institutions on diverse projects involving research, consulting and business development.
Bergthor Traustason
College/Degree: Lincoln/DPhil in Interdisciplinary Bioscience
Country of Origin: Iceland
Cohort: 2020
I completed my undergraduate at the University of Sydney in Latin, Ancient History, and Neuroscience, going on to do Honours research and work on canine dementia and regenerative medicine. My current research also revolves around using stem cells to better understand cellular vulnerability in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. I also love to teach and have been heavily involved in running the sport of quidditch around the world.
Ajantha Abey
College/Degree: Keble College/DPhil Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics
Country of Origin: Australia
Cohort: 2020
I previously studied for an MSci in Chemistry and Physics at the University of St Andrews. I enjoy studying crossover areas between the two disciplines, in particular, surface science. In my free time I enjoy playing korfball and watching many other sports too.
Elizabeth Jones
College/Degree: Trinity College/DPhil in Materials
Country of Origin: UK
Cohort: 2020
Based in the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Isaac’s research is focused on the clinical genetics of craniosynostosis, a condition in which developing cranial bones fuse prematurely, causing problems with normal brain and skull growth.Isaac previously undertook a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Genetics at Newcastle University and an MPhil by research in Epigenetics at the University of Cambridge. He subsequently worked in Cambridge as a Research Assistant at the Gurdon Institute.Outside the lab, Isaac is a keen climber and musician, and currently works as a Graduate Choral Assistant for the Choir of Keble College.
Isaac Walton
College/Degree: Somerville/DPhil in Medical Sciences
Country of Origin: UK
Cohort: 2020
Hello everyone! My name is Tobi, and I currently serve as the Clarendon Scholars' Council Treasurer. On the academic side, my main interests lie within the realm of models with informational frictions and heterogeneous agents in macroeconomics. I was previously studying Economics at Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, where I have also been the head of the faculty’s student council for almost 2 years.Whenever I am not studying, socializing, or doing council-related work, I usually indulge in either playing handball or in ballroom dancing, which are my two main interests outside of academia.
Tobias Kawalec
College/Degree: Nuffield College/M.Phil. Economics
Country of Origin: Germany + Poland
Cohort: 2020
My two passions in life are cricket and international politics!
John de Bhal
College/Degree: Nuffield College/DPhil in International Relations
Country of Origin: Australia
Cohort: 2020
At Magdalen College, Oxford, Denis is researching twentieth-century travel writing in relation to war, history, and memory. He graduated with a Master of Arts (MA) in English and Comparative Literature from the University of Glasgow, where he was awarded the Thomas Logan Memorial Prize as the most outstanding graduate in the College of Arts. At Glasgow, he also read for a Master of Letters (MLitt) in English Literature: Modernities. His main research interests lie in modernism, with a soft spot for Proust’s Recherche; the essayistic novel; the work of W. G. Sebald; twentieth-century continental philosophy.
Denis Topalović
College/Degree: Magdalen College/English DPhil
Country of Origin: Italy/Croatia
Cohort: 2020
My research focuses on the formation and maintenance of trust within and between groups with different cultural and religious identities in the late medieval Mediterranean. This stems from an interest in how and why group identities were formed, and the ways in which groups interact with “others”.I previously gained a BA in History from Oriel College in 2018 and an MA in Medieval Studies at the Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of York, funded by the centre’s Anniversary Scholarship.
Annabel Hancock
College/Degree: St John's/DPhil History
Country of Origin: UK
Cohort: 2020
xintong-li-zncu.github.io
Xintong Li
College/Degree: Brasenose/DPhil
Country of Origin: China
Cohort: 2020
Before arriving in Oxford, I read English at Gonville & Caius college in Cambridge (2017-2020), where I researched and wrote a dissertation on documentary poetics and ways of reading them. This year, I'm writing my thesis on the modernist 'long' poem, and taking seminar courses on the histories of reading and post-1945 genre theory. Outside of these things, I'm also interested in: archives (and their limits); collage; the 1930s; mid-century prose; contemporary prose & poetry (inc prose poems); postcolonial theory; and photography and photographic theory.
Lauryn Anderson
College/Degree: Hertford/MSt in English (1900-Present)
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Cohort: 2020
My research focuses on the literary connections between Ireland and Italy in the Romantic Period, the Byron-Shelley Circle, and poetics of exile and national identity. I graduated from the University of York in 2018 with a BA in English and Related Literature and read an MSt in English Language and Literature (1700-1830) at Oxford the following year. I then worked as a teacher in a state school in London in 2019-20, before returning to Oxford to start my DPhil. I love hiking, painting, deciphering forgotten manuscripts in dusty archives, and practicing photography (often combining a few of the above!)
Elisa Cozzi
College/Degree: Queen's/DPhil English
Country of Origin: Italy
Cohort: 2020
Sophie received her BSc in Life Science & Technology at the Delft University of Technology and Leiden University, before specializing in Virology by graduating cum laude from the Research Master in Infection & Immunity at Erasmus University, Rotterdam. Here, she enjoyed internships at leading virology research groups of Dr. Haagmans in Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam and Dr. Sanyal at the HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, Hong Kong. Her research interest is to understand the arms race between virus and human, specializing in Zika and COVID-19. Outside of her academic work, she is involved in the Graduate Student Association of the Sir William Dunn School and enjoys skiing, playing tennis, hiking and baking.
Sophie van Leur
College/Degree: Somerville/DPhil in Molecular Cell Biology in Health and Disease
Country of Origin: The Netherlands
Cohort: 2020
I am a medical doctor and computer scientist interested in the development and application of novel artificial intelligence methodologies to improve health care outcomes in a variety of global settings.
Gabriel Davis Jones
College/Degree: The Queen's College/DPhil in Women's and Reproductive Health
Country of Origin: Australia
Cohort: 2020
Vasile is currently pursuing a DPhil in Law, working on valuation issues in financial restructurings in France, England and the US. He was born and raised in the Republic of Moldova and moved to Paris after high school. Vasile holds degrees in law (Sorbonne, Sciences Po, Columbia Law School), philosophy (Sorbonne) and logic (Sorbonne), and is qualified to practice law in Paris. He keeps a healthy interest in philosophy, economics and history, and enjoys hiking and playing chess.
Vasile Rotaru
College/Degree: The Queen's College/DPhil in Law
Country of Origin: Republic of Moldova
Cohort: 2020
I'm working on optimization algorithms, mainly in mixed integer SDP & Scalable SDP. My hobbies are cooking, playing basketball and hiking.
Yuwen Chen
College/Degree: Lincoln/DPhil in Engineering Science
Country of Origin: China
Cohort: 2020
Oluwasegun completed medical school at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria in 2019, finishing as the best graduating student.A budding clinician-scientist with interests in tumor immunology, he wants to contribute to leading efforts to position Africa as a key player in knowledge generation and development of new therapies.He also has keen interests in expanding access to education. He is co-founder at the The Ganglion Initiative, providing career guidance, mentorship and scholarship opportunities to Nigerian youth. He was named a 2020 Young Innovation Leadership fellow in recognition of his demonstrated track record of excellence and leadership. Segun enjoys music, history, traveling and climbing.
Oluwasegun Afolaranmio
College/Degree: Green Templeton College/MSc Integrated Immunology
Country of Origin: Nigeria
Cohort: 2020
I am a DPhil student at the Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics and Department of Statistics, Oxford. My primary research interest is in Bayesian method development for application in human genetics. Before Oxford, I completed my bachelor's and masters in electrical engineering from IIT Bombay, India.
Hrushikesh Loya
College/Degree: Balliol College/DPhil in Genomic Medicine and Statistics
Country of Origin: India
Cohort: 2020
I am an aspiring chemist with dreams of exploring next generation solid state materials with novel properties and applications. I am intrigued in finding new efficient materials because they can be the solution to many existing global problem such as global warming or energy crisis. I have completed my undergraduate (R.K.M.R.C) and postgraduate education (IIT Kharagpur) in chemistry in India. I am a silver medal holder in my university in undergrad. I love watching movies and football.
Souvik Giri
College/Degree: Exeter college/D.Phil
Country of Origin: India
Cohort: 2020
Sumali is interested in using statistical and mathematical models to understand the spread of infectious diseases with a focus on mosquito borne viral diseases for her DPhil. She holds a masters in Biostatistics from Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health as a presidential scholar and B.Sc in Statistics from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, India. She has worked on modelling of HIV and Alzheimer's disease as a research assistant at Imperial College London. She is a part of the W1 Badminton squad at Oxford and is excited to be trying rowing.
Sumali Bajaj
College/Degree: St Edmund Hall/DPhil in Environmental Research (NERC DTP)
Country of Origin: India
Cohort: 2020
Sven is a trained economist from Mannheim (Heidelberg), and previously worked at the Center for European Economic Research (ZEW). Sven’s research interest lies between machine learning & market design, as well as public good algorithms.
Sven Giegerich
College/Degree: Keble/MSc Social Data Science
Country of Origin: Germany
Cohort: 2020
I am innately curious and passionate about science; always happy to learn and share with others. While completing my BSc in Medical Physics at McMaster University, I undertook several diverse research projects including developing diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals at TRIUMF (Canada), and studying interactions between endothelial, tumour, and immune cells at the DKFZ (Germany). Now during my MSc, I will be developing radionuclide-based imaging agents to enable non-invasive, systemic visualisation of antigen-specific T-cells. I am pursuing an interdisciplinary PhD and research career in radiation oncology, to improve our understanding and application of radiation in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Jenasee Mynerich
College/Degree: St. Peter's College/MSc Radiation Biology
Country of Origin: Canada
Cohort: 2020
Sarah is an MSc candidate in Integrated Immunology with a particular interest in inflammation and rheumatic disease. Sarah holds a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of British Columbia, where she graduated with honours as a Wesbrook Scholar. Originally from the West Coast of Canada, Sarah enjoys the outdoors, ballet, and sharing her passion for science through outreach. She is honoured and grateful for the opportunity to attend Oxford as a Clarendon Scholar and to be an elected member of the Scholar's Council.
Sarah Bowers
College/Degree: Linacre College/MSc in Integrated Immunology
Country of Origin: Canada
Cohort: 2020
I completed a BA (Hons) in Classical Studies (First Class) at Royal Holloway, University of London, and my MPhil in Greek and/or Roman History (Distinction) at Oxford. In my thesis, I intend to produce a survey of the various interactions with and cultural attitudes towards animals in the pre-Islamic Arabian Peninsula (c. 1000 BC–7th century AD). I am interested in human-animal interactions, North Arabian epigraphy (particularly Safaitic), landscape archaeology in Roman Syria and Arabia, and pre-Islamic Arabian rock drawings. I am an editor for the Online Corpus of the Inscriptions of Ancient North Arabia (OCIANA).
Josef Bloomfield
College/Degree: Lady Margaret Hall/DPhil in Oriental Studies
Country of Origin: UK
Cohort: 2020
I received my BSc in Geography and MSc in Physical Geography from the University of Tübingen. During both degrees my studies focussed on geoinformatics and satellite remote sensing. My DPhil builds on that methodology as well as my interest in dryland dynamics: I am applying satellite imagery and geoinformatics methods to research desert dunes. Before coming to Oxford I was involved in research projects across many sub-disciplines of Geography for various research institutions. For the University of Heidelberg I investigated deforestation and vegetation succession around mines in southwestern China. During an internship at Harvard University I worked on a project dealing with earthquakes and structural geology in southern California. An internship and my MSc thesis at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz lead me to Central Asia and introduced me to a topic so exciting that I stuck to it ever since: aeolian landforms, particularly desert dunes. Concurrent with my profession requiring to showcase field work skills such as long-term camping, hiking in rough terrain, or abseiling I like to spend my free time outdoors.
Maike Nowatzki
College/Degree: Hertford/DPhil Geography and the Environment
Country of Origin: Germany
Cohort: 2020
Sameer is a DPhil in Public Policy candidate at the Blavatnik School of Government. His doctoral research focuses on domestic counterinsurgency policies and international law.Before his DPhil, Sameer read for the MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy (2019-20) and the Master of Public Policy (MPP) at University of Oxford on the Rhodes Scholarship. Prior to Oxford, he obtained an undergraduate degree in law from Gujarat National Law University, India and is qualified to practice law in India.Sameer takes a keen interest in photography and Urdu poetry.
Sameer Rashid Bhat
College/Degree: Linacre College/DPhil in Public Policy
Country of Origin: Kashmir (India)
Cohort: 2020
After graduating from Brown University in 2018, I came to Oxford to study primate behaviour, specifically how chimpanzees self-medicate. My research involves both primate fieldwork in the wild as well as botanical surveys. Outside of academics, I have worked in film and as a freelance artist/graphic designer.
Elodie Freymann
College/Degree: Keble College/DPhil in Anthropology
Country of Origin: United States
Cohort: 2020
Before coming to Oxford, I double majored in Economics and Mathematics at Koc University, Istanbul. I graduated as the Valedictorian of my class. Subsequently, I read the MPhil in Economics here at Oxford. I focused on applied microeconomic theory and studied how colleges compete for desired students for my Thesis. I graduated from the MPhil with Distinction. My current research is broadly around microeconomic theory, communication models and information economics. Outside research, I am a zealous seeker of good coffee and jazz: traits I am very glad to share with many friends and colleagues at Oxford!
Daghan Carlos Akkar
College/Degree: Nuffield College/DPhil in Economics
Country of Origin: Turkey
Cohort: 2020
Kenneth aspires to study the enigma of consciousness from an interdisciplinary perspective, integrating neuroscience, philosophy, physics, and spirituality. Furthermore, he hopes to apply his work on consciousness to the development of neurotechnology that improves the quality of conscious experience for both mentally ill and well people. Kenneth was an intern at the Qualia Research Institute, which is seeking to discover the science of consciousness, and he blogs about consciousness on www.blankhorizons.com. While he was an undergraduate at Harvard, Kenneth studied neuroscience and researched the pathology of Alzheimer's Disease. Kenneth was also the Founder and CEO of SensaRx, an NYC-based startup that has successfully launched the SafeWander wearable sensor products on www.safewander.com for bed-wandering detection and fall prevention. The SafeWander products were inspired by his own family’s struggles to care for his grandfather, an Alzheimer’s patient.
Kenneth Shinozuka
College/Degree: Balliol/DPhil in Psychiatry
Country of Origin: USA
Cohort: 2020
Pursuing my research interests across five different countries has truly rewarded me both professionally and personally. I hold a MSc in Molecular Biosciences and am interested in all things science, global challenges, food, and movies. When I am not in the lab, you will find me having a good meal with my friends, travelling the world, or listening to podcasts.
Klara Piletic
College/Degree: Balliol/DPhil in Molecular and Cellular Medicine
Country of Origin: Slovenia
Cohort: 2020
I graduated from the University of Cambridge with a double first with distinction in English in 2020. During my time at Cambridge, I was the recipient of a number of academic awards, including the Betha Wolferstan Rylands Prize, the F. R. Leavis Prize (twice), and the Whalley-Tooker Prize. My research interests include modernist prose fiction; Hegelian, Marxist, and existentialist aesthetics; twentieth-century philosophy and literary criticism; post-war poetics; the nuclear and post-communist imaginaries; and the literature of the Rwandan genocide. My MSt dissertation theorises the role of irony in twentieth-century novels at the intersection of “observer-hero narrative” and the Künstlerroman [artist-novel].
Liam Michael Plimmer
College/Degree: Jesus/MSt English (1900-Present)
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Cohort: 2020
My previous degrees in Biology and Religious Studies inspired my current research in Science and Religion in (1) bioinformatics and (2) the ethics of equitable human genetic optimization, informed by a Christian theological perspective. I am a passionate advocate for social justice, and I’ve recently begun to pursue ordination. I’m presently participating in SynBio’s biotech incubator program, Catalyse, and I am a Peer Coach for the MBA’s Impact Lab program. When my nose isn’t buried in a book, you can find me joyously soaring through the skies in a glider or merrily rowing down the river.
Marston (Nikki) Bailey
College/Degree: Lincoln/DPhil Science and Religion
Country of Origin: USA
Cohort: 2020
Sunil is a medical doctor with Master’s degree in International Health and Tropical Medicine from the University of Oxford. Currently, he collaborates with the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) and works on diagnostics and algorithm innovations for improving integrated management of febrile illnesses, using mathematical models. Sunil has previously served many organizations including World Health Organization, University of Oxford, and FIND. Sunil is passionate about global health, infectious diseases, translational research and mathematical modelling. He has authored several scientific publications in recognized journals, with particular focus on febrile illness and antimicrobial resistance.
Sunil Pokharel
College/Degree: Merton College /DPhil in Clinical Medicine
Country of Origin: Nepal
Cohort: 2020
Vittorio holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Classics from the University of Bologna and was enrolled in the Superior Graduate School of the University of Bologna (Collegio Superiore). During his Master’s degree, he spent three periods in France and Germany for academic purposes, including a term as a visiting student at the École Normale Supérieure. In 2018, he served as coordinator of the Rete Italiana degli Allievi delle Scuole e degli Istituti di Studi Superiori Universitari (the association of Superior Graduate School students). His doctoral research focuses on the manuscript tradition of the DS scholia on the Aeneid.
Vittorio Remo Danovi
College/Degree: Lincoln College/DPhil in Classical Languages and Literature
Country of Origin: Italy
Cohort: 2020
I studied for an MA in French and Arabic at St Andrews and then a MSc in Middle Eastern Studies at Wolfson College, Oxford. Following graduation, I moved to the Atlas Mountains in Morocco to work in a boarding house which enables girls from remote villages to access secondary education. My research aims to evaluate the impact of boarding houses in the High Atlas region to determine whether they are an effective model to support equal access to education and gender equality in rural North Africa. I am also interested in exploring women’s empowerment, in particular the relationship between education and empowerment.
Ella Williams
College/Degree: Magdalen/DPhil Oriental Studies
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Cohort: 2020
Kasia is a graduate of Jagiellonian University in Poland with background in biology and biochemistry. She moved to Oxford to work first, as a research assistant and then, as a DPhil student in Wood Lab, Department of Paediatrics. For several years now, she has been investigating molecular mechanisms and novel therapeutic strategies for neuromuscular disorders. Besides, she’s very much interested in basic RNA biology and science communication. Kasia an alumna of Fulbright Poland BioLab programme and a member of Polish SMA Foundation. She’s very pleased to be a part of Oxford and Clarendon community!
Katarzyna Chwalenia
College/Degree: St Cross/DPhil
Country of Origin: Poland
Cohort: 2020
My philosophical interests are quite broad, as my current and previous degree topics indicate: for my DPhil (PhD), I'm writing about the surprising role that aesthetic criteria (like symmetry, simplicity, and elegance) play in scientific theory choice. I did my undergraduate and first MA at the University of Oslo (Norway), with half a year as a visiting student at the University of Toronto (Canada), and there I wrote about theories of truth. For my second MA, at the University of Stockholm (Sweden), I wrote about conceptual engineering. When I'm not doing philosophy I read a lot of sci-fi, go for long hikes, or repair pottery according to the traditional Japanese technique of kintsugi.
Mariona Miyata-Sturm
College/Degree: New College/DPhil Philosophy
Country of Origin: Norway
Cohort: 2020
Guosheng Ji obtained his MPhil degree in Mechanical Engineering at Hong Kong University of Science and technology funded by HKPFS fellowship.He had research interests in porous acoustic metamaterials (AMs) and micro-electro-mechanical system. For the AMs, the acoustic properties of porous AMs were investigated analytically, by simulation using finite element method and by laboratory tests using microphones in the 2D waveguide, impedance tubes, and microphone arrays. The sound absorption coefficient and transmission loss properties were improved over a wide frequency range. For the micro-electro-mechanical systems, he led a team to design and fabricate a micro solid propellant engine, which improved the thrust efficiency and simplifies the fabrication process.His current research aims to develop ferroelectric energy harvesters by ferroelectric materials, metamaterials, and micro-electro-mechanical systems. Hopefully, it will improve their energy conversion efficiency in this area.
Guosheng Ji
College/Degree: Trinity College/DPhil
Country of Origin: China
Cohort: 2020
I studied for both my BA and MA in Near and Middle Eastern Studies at SOAS, University of London, with a specific focus on Hebrew and the history of the Yishuv (the pre-state Jewish community in Israel/Palestine). My doctoral research at Merton College, funded by the Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC DTP and the Clarendon Fund, focuses on British Mandate Palestine and the impact of the Jewish Insurgency on the British decision to abandon their commitments and withdraw from the country. My thesis will seek to counter the view put forward by much of the scholarship on this topic, that the Jewish Insurgency was largely ineffective in changing British policy towards Palestine. This has wider implications for understanding of insurgencies and counter-insurgency methods as well as the end of the British Empire in the second half of the twentieth century.
James Alexander Samuel Sunderland
College/Degree: Merton/DPhil History
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Cohort: 2020
Emma Barnes graduated in 2020 from the University of Connecticut with BAs in History and German and concentrations in Religion, Classics, and Judaic Studies, after also spending one year studying at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg. Her research interests include cultural-historical criticism of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament; early biblical interpretation and hermeneutics, particularly in regards to the relational dynamics of Judaism and early Christianity; ancient Jewish and early Christian material exegesis; and ideas of messianism, christology, and religious hybridity in the first centuries CE. At Oxford, she is affiliated with the Oriel Centre for the Study of the Bible.
Emma G. Barnes
College/Degree: Wycliffe Hall/MPhil, Judaism and
Christianity in the Graeco-Roman World
Country of Origin: United States
Cohort: 2020
I am a current DPhil student in Sociology funded by the Clarendon Fund and Nuffield College. My research focuses on how parents detect and react to early disadvantages suffered by their children, and how parental responses contribute (or not) to the intergenerational reproduction of inequalities.
Alicia G. Sierra
College/Degree: Nuffield College/DPhil in Sociology
Country of Origin: Spain
Cohort: 2020
Hannah’s DPhil explores policy and gender-based violence against politicians. She completed her undergraduate degree in Government at Harvard University and her MSc in Gender, Policy & Inequalities at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Hannah has over five years of experience working in local, national and international policy including at a large London local authority, the House of Commons and UN Women. She is part of the (non-financial) Cumberland Lodge Scholarship programme in which PhD students from across the UK engage with the charity to tackle social division. She also volunteers at the Young Women’s Trust.
Hannah Phillips
College/Degree: Wolfson College/DPhil in Social Policy
Country of Origin: UK
Cohort: 2020
Rowland is a DPhil student in Education with an academic background in linguistics and a professional background in teaching in higher education. His research, which explores critical themes in applied linguistics and language education, is jointly funded by the Clarendon Fund and the Jesus College Old Members Scholarship. Prior to moving to the UK, Rowland spent three years at the Centre for English Language Communication, National University of Singapore teaching an academic writing module for undergraduate students in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. He had also taught English language and communication courses for both undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Rowland Imperial
College/Degree: Jesus College/DPhil in Education
Country of Origin: Philipines
Cohort: 2020
I aspire to develop quantum computing for public good through research, teaching, and outreach. I also research natural language processing and previously, microwave spectroscopy algorithms. Teaching programming to middle schoolers for three summers motivated me to study Computing, and thanks to an awesome teacher, I also studied Physics to utter delight. I run Quantum Universal Education (not-for-profit open-access learning), volunteer with IEEE Quantum Initiative/Education, and build ZX-calculus and Qiskit educational material to make quantum computing more accessible. I co-founded WomxnHacks (renamed OceanaHacks), was an MLH 2020 Top 50 Hacker, and taught high schoolers internationally for QubitbyQubit's free yearlong course.
Lia Yeh
College/Degree: Oriel College/DPhil in Computer Science
Country of Origin: USA
Cohort: 2020
Frances Clemente holds a double degree in Humanities and Italian Studies at the University of Pisa and a MSt in Modern Languages at the University of Oxford. She was visiting student at the Sorbonne University (Paris-IV) and at Warwick University. Her research interests include Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Italian Culture and Literature, Comparative Literature, Queer Studies, Leopardi Studies, Neapolitan Culture. Her DPhil project, fully funded by the Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC DTP Studentship, the Baillie Gifford Scholarship, and the Clarendon Fund Scholarship, deals with the investigation of the notion of ecstasy in Italian culture and literature between 1861 and 1914, looking at phenomena such as mystical raptures, magnetic ecstasies, hysterical extases, hypnotic trances, mediumistic trances, orgasms, artistic frenzies.
Frances Clemente
College/Degree: Pembroke College/DPhil in Modern Languages (Italian)
Country of Origin: Italy
Cohort: 2020
BSc Chemistry, MRes Molecular Modelling and Materials Science both from UCL. DPhil focused on sequence-driven prediction of DNA sequence fragility. Have published numerous papers and presented at six conferences globally. Outside of science, my interest lies in triathlons, detective novels, and planespotting.
Patrick Pflughaupt
College/Degree: Hertford College/DPhil in Computational Biology
Country of Origin: UK
Cohort: 2020