People of the Telluride House

Julian Hartman

Urbana, IL

Julian studies planning history, especially the relationship between universities, hospitals, and cities. He enjoys learning new languages in his spare time.

Braden Stillwell

Etowah, TN

Braden’s research interests include transit planning, large-scale event planning, and community engagement. For fun, he plays video games, builds Lego sets, travels, and spends time with friends.

Daeden Gordon-Somers-Archer

New York City

Daeden is interested in conservation medicine, One Health, and animal cognition, linking veterinary science with human behavioral biology. He enjoys soccer, reading, and going on adventures.

Gemmechu Hassena

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Gemmechu researches at the intersection of machine learning, computer vision, and graphics, focusing on recovering the geometry and material properties of 3D worlds from visual data. He enjoys biking, playing football, and watching biographical films.

Mariah Thompson

Sacramento, CA

Her work is at the intersection of race, violence, Black Feminism, and Black Transnationalism. Specifically, she looks at centering the life and legacy of Ida B. Wells in discourses of Human Rights and Justice.

María Fernanda Pacheco

Caracas, Venezuela

María focuses on talent management, entrepreneurship, and innovation, and co-founded Talent Booth, an HR boutique agency in Venezuela. She is also part of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community.

Merelis Catalina Ortiz

Jamaica, Queens, NYC / Sajoma, Dominican Republic

Merelis aims to build equitable, culturally meaningful, and ecologically balanced food systems through public health and community-centered approaches. She enjoys dancing, cycling, hiking, and roller skating.

Nazir (Adam) Sharifi

Garrison, NY

My research focuses on designing agricultural systems that meet today’s needs without compromising future generations. My master's work focuses on optimizing corn performance under reduced soil disturbance and minimal external inputs, integrating principles of agronomy, agroecology, and weed management. I aspire to pursue a career as a professor. Hobbies: I enjoy going for runs, learning languages (currently trying to learn Japanese!), and hanging out with friends.

Raaziq Brown

Bronx, New York City

Raaziq studies the intersections of communication design, youth development, and creativity. He enjoys rollerblading, making electronic music, and digital art.

Rejoice Abutsa

Rejoice’s dissertation explores the cultural labor of women workers in Nollywood, showing their crucial role as innovators in global Black media. She enjoys photography, videography, and dancing.

Rosie Nguyen

Quy Nhon, Vietnam

Rosie researches media studies, creative industries, and cultural production, particularly how traditional media workers adapt to digital transformations and political constraints. She loves hiking, camping, and climbing, and also enjoys quiet time with books.

Urna Chakrabarty

New Delhi, India

Urna works in feminist philosophy, ethics, and epistemology, currently focusing on tradwives and feminine complicity. In her free time, she sings, dances, and collects lip makeup.

Andy Ramnauth

Schenectady, NY

Andy is interested in the intersections of biological sciences and psychology.

Elliot Scheuer

New York City, NY

Elliot studies wastewater treatment, nutrient recycling, and circular bioeconomy solutions. He enjoys hiking, learning languages, climbing, and reading.

Himani Mishra

Fremont, CA

Himani researches strain-mapping in crystals and the electrochemical reduction of CO₂ for renewable energy applications. She has practiced Kathak since childhood and enjoys biking, hiking, and being in nature.

Jasmine Li

Xi’an, China

Jasmine is interested in AI safety, governance, and human-computer interaction, and also pursues literature, philosophy, and software development. She enjoys outdoor adventures like running, backpacking, and climbing, as well as spontaneous “side quests” with friends—from farming in Peru to building a poetry receipt printer.

Vaughn McCain

Philadelphia, PA

Vaughn studies psychosocial medicine and health equity, with aspirations in global healthcare research. He sings in an acapella group, arranges music, plays tennis and soccer, and explores art and creativity.