The Resident Graduate Affiliates and Graduate Affiliates are an integral part of the Pauli Murray College community. As a team, they contribute to the life of the college in important ways, including organizing and hosting study breaks, movie nights, and other events and programs for the college. Coming from a variety of backgrounds, they also serve as another academic and professional resource for Pauli Murray College students.
Head Graduate Affiliate
Aalap Shah (he/him) is a fourth-year PhD student in the Department of Psychology. His career trajectory has been all over the place – he did his bachelor’s in Computer Science and a master’s in Robotics before entirely switching domains to study the ways of the mind and the brain. Before enrolling into the PhD program, he worked in the industry for two years as an AI/ML software engineer (and during this time, he represented his company at a special edition of Shark Tank). Now as a PhD student at Yale, he develops hypotheses for how the brain processes incoming sensory information and uses computational models to explain/verify them.
Graduate Affiliates
Wendy Luo (she/her) defended her PhD thesis, worked as a postdoc at Department of Psychiatry and is now working toward her MD at Yale School of Medicine! She was born and raised in China, and just received a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Zhejiang University. She also spent a year at Columbia University as an exchange student and half a year at University of California San Diego as a research assistant. She loves cats and human brains. Working on neuroimaging, she uses computational methods to explore brain activities. Definitely ask her about that if you share the same interest! She enjoys painting in her free time and cooking to feed herself and friends. She is thrilled to be a member of the Pauli Murray community and she is more than happy to answer any questions or just chat!
Kirsten Traudt (she/her) is a fourth-year PhD student in the Classics department, where she primarily studies Latin literature. When she’s not studying, Kirsten loves cooking and baking, reading, doing crafts, and exploring New Haven. She loves being a part of the Pauli Murray community, so feel free to stop by and say hi if you see her around the college!
Iver Kilmarrin Warburton (she/her) is a fourth-year PhD candidate in astrophysics and enjoys uncovering the mysteries of dual active galactic nuclei (AGN) and cosmology through observations and simulations, but also secretly dreams of discovering the first wormhole. Iver grew up mostly in Tokyo and Singapore but moved to New Haven from Paris, where they worked at l’Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris under a Fulbright Fellowship. Before that, Iver worked as a researcher for NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and as a high school calculus teacher. Beyond academic pursuits, Iver is an avid rower, rock climber, swing dancer, tuba player, artist, stage manager, and wildlife tracker. You can find them rowing in the harbour at sunrise most mornings, bouldering most evenings, hosting their paranormal music radio show, studying languages, perfecting their kombucha, adventuring in various D&D campaigns, and exploring the outdoors no matter the weather.
Claire Butler (she/her) is a fifth-year PhD candidate in Environmental Engineering. Claire is from Colorado and got her undergraduate degree in Environmental Engineering and Energy Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder in 2021. Her interest in water treatment led her to working as a research and data intern in the drinking water industry, focusing on lead and copper corrosion and PFAS monitoring. At Yale, Claire’s research focuses on making the food-water-energy nexus more sustainable through resource recovery using electrochemistry and non-thermal plasma. She is also involved in the Yale community through her work as a STARS summer TF and a STARS II mentor. You can find Claire going for runs around campus and in East Rock, trying every seasonal flavor of ice cream at Elena’s and Arethusa, or working on a new embroidery/crochet project that has a 50% chance of being finished. Claire is excited to be part of the Pauli Murray community and is happy to chat about the engineering experience, industry vs research careers, and finding/building community in STEM.
Sara Siwiecki (she/her) is a PhD candidate in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry. For her thesis, she studies what makes comb jellies (a jellyfish-like animal) gelatinous, so feel free to ask her for a visit to see her jellies! Sara grew up in Whittier, CA and went to Chapman University (also in Southern California!) for her undergraduate degree where she studied Biochemistry. Outside of science, Sara is involved in the Disability Peer Mentorship Program and the Graduate & Professional Student Senate. In her free time, she loves playing intramural softball, exploring new restaurants, and doing paint-by-numbers!
Claudia Mastrogiacomo (she/her) is a fifth-year PhD student in Biostatistics studying Bayesian methods for causal inference in studies with interference and nonadherence. She is originally from Long Island, NY, but has lived in Chicago, Seattle, and New York City. She completed her bachelor’s in Statistics at the University of Chicago. After graduating, she worked at the University of Washington modeling global fertility rates and spent a year in New York analyzing U.S. child welfare data. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, bouldering, watching reality TV, and playing online chess. She is always happy to chat about statistics, public health, demography, and coding in R!
Irene Zhou (she/her) is a fourth-year PhD student in Psychology with a focus on cognitive neuroscience. She grew up near Atlanta, GA, and went to undergrad at MIT, where she double majored in Brain & Cognitive Sciences and Electrical Engineering & Computer Science with a minor in Linguistics. At first, she considered a career in software engineering, but after a few internships she decided to spend the rest of her undergrad years doing research. At MIT, she investigated spatial navigation by recording brain activity in navigating mice, and modeled how humans convey and infer pragmatic meaning in communication. Now, she studies how the human hippocampus helps us create memories of specific experiences. In her spare time, Irene enjoys hiking, bouldering, painting murals, and playing the viola. She is always happy to chat about brains, tech, difficult career choices, and navigating backcountry routes with zero sense of direction!
Henna Nam (she/her) is a second-year MD/PhD student. She grew up near Washington, DC, and graduated from the University of Chicago in 2022. Despite applying as a classics major, she ultimately decided to study Biological Sciences (concentration in Cancer Biology) and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies. During college, Henna joined a lab studying chromosome 7 abnormalities in myeloid disease, volunteered as a patient advocate for survivors of sexual assault, and wrote for her school’s culinary magazine. After college, she moved to NYC to investigate epigenetic mechanisms of lymphomagenesis at Weill Cornell and spend more time with family and friends. This year, Henna is excited to explore her research and clinical interests at Yale and wander around New Haven! In her free time, she can be found cooking, hiking, and dancing, among her many other hobbies. She is thrilled to be joining the Pauli Murray community, so feel free to reach out and chat if you see her around campus!
Yixing (Cindy) Liu (she/her) is a second-year MArch II student at the Yale School of Architecture. Her research interests focus on the revitalization of vernacular architecture and resilient design strategies. Originally from Harbin, China, she now lives in Beijing. She completed her Bachelor of Architecture degree at Syracuse University with a minor in ceramics. During her undergraduate studies, she had two architectural internships, both in New York City, and served as a research fellow. Cindy is obsessed with all kinds of crafts—crochet, pottery, model making, and more. If you’re also a craft enthusiast or simply interested in learning, feel free to reach out! She also loves photography, theater, swimming, and cooking. Cindy is excited to join the Pauli Murray community, so don’t hesitate to chat with her when you see her around!
Ji Yoon (she/her) is a second-year PhD student in the History of Art department, where she studies the visual and material culture of the 18th and 19th century Caribbean. Ji grew up moving between Seoul, San Francisco, and Washington DC, but was most recently in London, where she managed an art fair for a few years. Perhaps because of her childhood, Ji is somewhat of a nomad, and likes to travel whenever she gets the chance. When she’s not traveling / researching, you can find her doing yoga, playing jigsaw puzzles, and watching the West Wing obsessively.
Maya Foster (she/her) is a fifth-year Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. candidate. Her research uses engineering methods to demystify how altered brain dynamics develop and evolve into severe psychopathology. Outside of academics, Maya is a creative and an advocate for raising awareness on issues concerning marginalized communities (gender, ethnic, and racial minorities), overlooked narratives, and mental health. She is excited to help build community in Pauli Murray.
Gavin Susantio (he/him) is a third-year MAR student in Philosophy of Religion and Philosophical Theology. Born and raised in Indonesia, he studied the Great Books at the Torrey Honors College, Biola University. During his gap year, he formally studied the Japanese tea ceremony while discerning a path in academia, religious vocation, and/or the music industry. On campus, Gavin is the photographer behind @CapturingYale and enjoys writing about global philosophy, sci-fi/fantasy films, and Orthodox Christianity, as well as perfecting latte recipes. He's always happy to host tea ceremonies, lead photo walks, or chat about anything above!
Sophia Carey (she/her) is a Doctor of Fine Arts candidate in dramaturgy and dramatic criticism at Yale’s David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. Her dissertation-in-progress focuses on the dramatic works of English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and features her original adaptation for the stage of Barrett Browning’s verse-novel Aurora Leigh. Sophia was born and raised in Seattle and, though this is her fourth year in New Haven, still considers the Pacific Northwest her home. Outside of academics, Sophia captains the School of Drama intramural soccer team “The Sophocleats;” writes; sings (not very well—yet!); makes theater with friends; and yearns for dreary weather.
Asia Beason (she/her) is a second-year MPH student at the School of Public Health, focusing on the epidemiology of microbial diseases. She graduated from Yale College in 2025 and was actually a FroCo in Pauli Murray! Asia was raised in Dallas, Texas, but don't ask her about the Cowboys, that's a sore spot! In undergrad, Asia majored in African American Studies and History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health, focusing on how the future of public health must be informed by its history. Outside of school, Asia enjoys Tik Tok doom scrolling, Nutella Chip Icecream, and watching niche video essays! She can't wait to be a part of the Murray community again!