Gabby Arvizu, Master's Student, Political Science

Gabrielle (she/her/hers) is a Master’s student in Political Science with a focus in Comparative Politics and International Relations. She is currently working on her Final Project on American nonprofits in the Middle East and is also working as a substitute teacher when not on campus. Gabrielle hopes to graduate this December and to one day become a university professor in Political Science or International Relations. In her free time, Gabrielle loves to read, write stories, and watch baking shows with her family.

Tyler Eyster, Second Year Master's Student, English Literature

Tyler (he/him/his) is a second-year Master’s student in English literature, focusing on contemporary literature, animal studies, and the environmental humanities. He hopes to continue on to an English or Cultural Studies PhD program, or to work for an animal rights nonprofit. Aside from his work as a Peer Dialogue Facilitator Tyler works as a consultant at the Howe Writing Center and is a Graduate Student Fellow for the Humanities Center’s 2022-2023 Altman Program. In his spare time he loves old movies and music, reading books, and hiking.

Chris Gray, Third Year Undergraduate, Social Work

Chris is a junior undergraduate majoring in Social Work with minors in Disability Studies; Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies; and Criminology. They are also completing requirements for the Family Life Education and Fostering Just Communities certifications. They are passionate about advancing social justice, focusing on marginalized youth experiencing homelessness or who are disproportionately affected by zero-tolerance policies and introduced to prison systems. They hope to one day work as an advocate for youth in the juvenile justice system and develop programing to decrease juvenile recidivism rates. In their free time Chris enjoys hanging out with friends, reading a good book, and cuddling with their cat.

Lauren Haus, Fourth Year Undergraduate, Psychology

Lauren is a senior undergraduate psychology major. She hopes to continue on to graduate school to research minority stigma and health-related consequences. Her ultimate goal is to become a professor at a university and continue her research. Lauren likes to spend time with family, play Guitar Hero with her roommates, and listen to music.

Heervansh ("Hero") Keswani , Fourth Year Undergraduate, Quantitative Economics

Heervansh is a senior undergraduate majoring in quantitative economics with a minor in French. He hopes to work in real estate and get his doctorate in economics. On campus, he is President of his business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi and is involved with research in the economics department. Hero enjoys soccer, cooking and playing the guitar.

Jordan Roth, Third Year Undergraduate, Psychology

Jordan is a junior undergraduate majoring in Psychology with a Child Development and Youth Studies minor. He hopes to continue his studies and become a clinical psychologist to work with adolescents in a counselor setting. Jordan likes to be active in sports, compete in weightlifting, and enjoys the outdoors.

Isabelle Sistino, Fourth Year Undergraduate Student, Diplomacy & Global Politics and Comparative Religion; and Graduate Student, Political Science the American System

Isabelle is a senior undergraduate double major in Diplomacy & Global Politics and Comparative Religion and a graduate student of Political Science the American System. She is hoping to pursue law school after this year. She has a deep love for everything art, fashion, and cinema. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, cooking, and picnicking.

Hannah Sroka, Fourth Year Undergraduate, Professional and Creative Writing

Hannah is a senior undergraduate double majoring in professional and creative writing, and minoring in education, digital marketing, and English literature. She’s also a Global Readiness Certificate scholar, a member of the Honors College, and a student ambassador for the Education Abroad office. She is the vice president, ritual of Sigma Alpha Iota and the secretary of Miami Dance Corps. She hopes to someday get an MFA and ultimately work in publishing or teach English abroad. In her free time, Hannah likes to drink tea and annoy her cats.

Jonathan Waldmann, Third Year Undergraduate, Mathematics

Jonathan is a Junior undergraduate majoring in Mathematics and minoring in Japanese. In addition to this, Jonathan is a second year RA in Peabody hall and a student ambassador for the College of Arts and Sciences. He hopes to study abroad in the future and eventually become a professor in mathematics. In his free time, he likes to read, play video games, and spend time with his friends.

Madeline Whistler, Fourth Year Undergraduate, International Studies and East Asian Languages and Cultures

Madeline is an undergraduate senior double majoring in International Studies and East Asian Languages and Cultures, and minoring in Economics and Geography. Besides working as a Peer Dialogue Facilitator, she also works in the International Student Center. Madeline wants to continue her study of Chinese and attend graduate school to study political economy. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, watching movies, and spending time with family.

Annika Goldman, Fourth Year Doctoral Student, Clinical Psychology

Annika is a fourth-year Clinical Psychology doctoral student. Annika's research and clinical interests focus on mental health and aging, and she is passionate about educating people on the impacts of ageism and social justice more broadly. This is Annika's first year facilitating for intergroup dialogue at Miami, but she was active in other multicultural education programs at her undergraduate institution, the University of Florida. She is excited to engage more with the Miami community and help facilitate meaningful conversations. Apart from school and work, Annika enjoys spending time in nature, rock climbing, playing with her pet rabbit, and drawing.

Tristen Hall, Third Year Doctoral Student, SAHE/EDL

Tristen is a third-year doctoral student in the Student Affairs in Higher education program. They are passionate about social justice education and interested in researching how people are able to talk across differences, and acknowledge their multiple intersecting identities. Outside of school and work, Tristen enjoys cooking new recipes, spending time with friends and family, and finding ways to be creative through writing or painting.

Lauren Haus, Third Year Undergraduate, Psychology

Lauren is a third-year undergraduate studying Psychology. This is Lauren’s first year co-facilitating and she is excited to make a difference within the Miami community. On campus she is involved with a health psychology research lab where she researches alcohol consumption in college students. She is hoping to continue her education at Miami University to get her master's degree in Developmental Psychology. Lauren enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing board games, and watching movies.

Jacob Hoeft, Fourth Year Undergraduate, Marketing/Human Capital Management & Leadership

Jacob is a fourth year undergraduate student double majoring in marketing along with human capital management and leadership. On campus he is involved in the IGD program and is a member of the business fraternity PSE. His career goal is to go into technology consulting and specialize in cloud and AI practices. Jacob enjoys cooking big meals, playing soccer, and making DIY tech projects.

Nicole LaPlena, Fourth Year Doctoral Student, Clinical Psychology

Nicole is a fourth year clinical psychology doctoral student. Her research and clinical work focus on childhood trauma. She is currently co-facilitating her third semester of intergroup dialogue. Nicole enjoys warm weather, yoga and spirituality, and tea.

Arianna Mack, Fourth Year Undergraduate, Public Health; Combined Graduate Student - Kinesiology and Health, Health Promotion

Arianna Mack is a fourth year undergraduate studying Public Health and working on a combined master's in Health Promotion, with two minors in Medical Humanities and Global Health Studies, and a certificate in Global Readiness. She hopes to ultimately work directly with the dissemination of health resources and help implement health interventions to work towards distributive justice. Arianna enjoys singing, cooking, reading, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Taylor Selman, Fourth Year Undergraduate Student, Public Health and Gerontology

Taylor is a fourth year undergraduate student studying Public Health and Gerontology with a minor in Community Based Leadership. After they complete their bachelor's, he plans to pursue a master's degree in Public Health. Taylor’s career goals include creating and implementing culturally competent health programs to reduce health disparities in older adults of marginalized identities, as well as implementing more equitable health policies to increase accessibility. He is from the Dayton, Ohio area and enjoys cooking, listening to podcasts, and powerlifting.

Alex Adams, Junior, History and Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies (REEES)

Alex is a third year undergraduate student double-majoring in History and Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies (REEES, for short). After he completes college, he plans to pursue a law degree. Although he doesn’t know exactly where he wants to go, he wants to be involved with public service and politics. He is from Marietta,GA and enjoys writing, learning new things, and playing video games.

Pankhuri Aggarwal, Doctoral Student, Clinical Psychology

Pankhuri Aggarwal is a fourth-year student in the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology at Miami University. She received her bachelor's degree in Psychology from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University and a master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai in India. She is a recipient of prestigious national and international awards including PEO International Peace Scholarship, Sir Dorabji Tata Trust Scholarship for Academic Excellence, and Gold Medal and Prize of Best Student in M.A. Applied Clinical Psychology.

Mark Cao, Senior, Computer Science

Mark is a senior student with a computer science major and information system minor. Mark loves helping each other and wants to apply his technical knowledge to it. Mark enjoys playing skateboards and traveling. He has been to 4 continents, 12 countries to experience different cultures and religions. He is very willing to use those experiences to facilitate and help people learn from different backgrounds.

Tristen Hall, Second Year Doctoral Student, SAHE/EDL

Tristen Hall is a second-year doctoral student in the Student Affairs in Higher education program. She is passionate about social justice education and interested in researching how people are able to talk across differences, and acknowledge their multiple intersecting identities. Outside of school and work, Tristen enjoys cooking new recipes, spending time with friends and family, and finding ways to be creative through writing or painting.

Kirby Heltman, Junior, Supply Chain & Operations Management

Kirby is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Supply Chain & Operations Management. She hopes to work specifically in product development and help create effective solutions to issues in the healthcare industry. Kirby is a member of the Miami Club Waterski Team and enjoys spending time between class with friends at the lake.

Jacob Hoeft, Junior, Marketing, Human Capital Management & Leadership

Jacob is a third year undergraduate student double majoring in marketing along with human capital management and leadership. On campus he is involved in the IGD program and is a member of the business fraternity PSE. His career goal is to go into technology consulting and specialize with cloud and AI practices. Jacob enjoys cooking big meals, playing soccer, and making DIY tech projects.

Anjali Jain, Doctoral Student, Clinical Psychology

Angie is currently a 5th year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program here at MU. Broadly speaking, her research involves examining cultural influences on mental health and evaluating treatment outcomes among adults in both domestic and international populations. Her program of research aims to establish a culturally informed understanding of socialization, emotion, and psychopathology, with practical implications for psychotherapy across the globe. She has loved her time thus far in intergroup dialogue and looks forward to seeing how connecting with students in this space proves useful for all involved in unexpected ways!

Nicole LaPlena, Doctoral Student, Clinical Psychology

Nicole LaPlena is a third-year student in the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology at Miami University. She received her bachelor's degree in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI.

Natalee Price, Doctoral Student, Clinical Psychology

Natalee Price, M.A., is a fourth-year Clinical Psychology PhD student here at Miami University. She attended William & Mary for her undergraduate education and is working towards a career in academia. She finds a lot of meaning in researching child emotional development and providing therapy services to children and their families. She thoroughly enjoyed her intergroup dialogue experiences and works to continue engaging in difficult (yet critical) dialogues on inclusion, equity, and social justice. When she isn't working, she's prone to exploring new places, going to way too many concerts, learning about new science-y things, and eating quality food.

Selime Salim, Doctoral Student, Clinical Psychology

Selime is an international student from Bulgaria currently in her fourth year of the Clinical Psychology Doctoral program. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. She is interested in risk factors for interpersonal violence among women, as well as factors that impact psychological adjustment following victimization. In her free time, she loves spending time with friends, reading, music, and traveling.

Taylor Selman, Junior, Public Health: Policy and Administration

Taylor is a third year undergraduate student studying Public Health: Policy and Administration with a minor in Community Based Leadership. After they complete their bachelor's, they plan on pursuing a master's degree in Public Health. Taylor’s career goals are working towards decreasing health disparities of marginalized groups and the accessibility of healthcare for transgender individuals. They are from Dayton, Ohio and enjoy weight lifting, reading, and taking care of their plants.

Samuel Colt Van Vleet, Doctoral Student, Social Gerontology

Samuel is a doctoral student in the Department of Sociology and Gerontology. He completed an undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in Applied Gerontology from the University of North Texas. His research focus is primarily on cumulative disadvantages among underrepresented groups in later life. Outside of work and studies, Samuel enjoys playing music and photography.

Seth Wilensky, Doctoral Student, Clinical Psychology

Seth is a first year graduate student in the clinical psychology doctoral program from New Jersey. He is interested in how gender norms, particularly masculine gender norms, contributes to negative mental health outcomes following trauma. He enjoys playing rugby, reading Greek mythology, and wood-working/construction projects.

Pankhuri Aggarwal, Doctoral Student, Clinical Psychology

Pankhuri Aggarwal is a fourth-year student in the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology at Miami University. She received her bachelor's degree in Psychology from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University and a master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai in India. She is a recipient of prestigious national and international awards including PEO International Peace Scholarship, Sir Dorabji Tata Trust Scholarship for Academic Excellence, and Gold Medal and Prize of Best Student in M.A. Applied Clinical Psychology.

Aliyah Cruz, Junior, English Literature and Global & Intercultural Studies

Aliyah Cruz is a junior English literature and global & intercultural studies co-major with a concentration in visual and popular media. She also has minors in creative writing, films studies, and women & gender studies. She is passionate about the humanities and plans to research how race is portrayed in fantasy literature. She is a proud dog mom to her shih tzu Macchiato, and in her spare time, she loves watching science fiction and fantasy tv shows and cooking.

Akanksha Das, Doctoral Student, Clinical Psychology

Akanksha Das is a second year Clinical Psychology PhD student in the Anxiety, Cognition, and Emotion Lab in the Department of Psychology. She is passionate about dogs (e.g. spends a lot of her time finding dogs on Instagram), practicing Yoga, and watching Netflix (and Hulu) when she is not engaging in research, clinical work, or facilitating difficult dialogues in the psychology building!

Rachel Forsythe, Graduate Student, Master's in Social Work

Rachel is a graduate student at Miami University studying Social Work. She previously attended University of Cincinnati with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Rachel has interests in working with children and families. In the past, Rachel has interned as a court advocate for individuals who have experienced abuse. This experience led to her interest in examining societal gender roles and power dynamics. She also enjoys reading, hiking, and traveling. Rachel’s favorite place she has ever traveled is Cork, Ireland. She is also a proud aunt and dog mom!

Shelby Frye, Senior, Sociology/Political Science/Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Shelby Frye is a senior sociology, political science, and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies major from Hebron, Kentucky. Shelby loves teaching and creating community amongst students, which Intergroup Dialogue allows her to do. If not in class or at work, you can find Shelby at Kofenya, watching a Shonda Rhimes show, or doing yoga (a newfound hobby!).

Tristen Hall, Doctoral Student, Student Affairs in Higher Education

Tristen Hall is a first-year doctoral student in the Student Affairs in Higher education program. She is passionate about social justice education and interested in researching how people are able to talk across differences, and acknowledge their multiple intersecting identities. Outside of school and work, Tristen enjoys cooking new recipes, spending time with friends and family, and finding ways to be creative through writing or painting.

Anjali Jain, Doctoral Student, Clinical Psychology

Angie is currently a 4th year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program here at MU. Broadly speaking, her research involves examining cultural influences on mental health and evaluating treatment outcomes among adults in both domestic and international populations. Her program of research aims to establish a culturally informed understanding of socialization, emotion, and psychopathology, with practical implications for psychotherapy across the globe. She has loved her time thus far in intergroup dialogue and looks forward to seeing how connecting with students in this space proves useful for all involved in unexpected ways!

Nicole LaPlena, Doctoral Student, Clinical Psychology

Nicole LaPlena is a second-year student in the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology at Miami University. She received her bachelor's degree in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI.

Courtney Madl, Senior, International Studies/Italian Studies

Courtney Madl is a senior international studies and Italian studies double major from Chicago. As an avid traveler and learner, Courtney’s greatest passion is international education and she is excited to carry her Intergroup Dialogue experience within the field. In her free time, Courtney spends her time watching the Chicago Cubs, cooking, and exploring all things Italian!

Lizzi Pettit, Doctoral Student, Brain, Cognitive and Developmental Sciences Psychology

Elizabeth is a second year Cognitive Psychology PhD student studying computational models of decision making. She grew up in a small Wisconsin town and earned her Bachelor's at UW Madison. Elizabeth spends her free time reading novels, crocheting, or watching the Packer game over a basket of cheese curds.

Ryan Kiehl Price, Senior, International Studies/Global and Intercultural Studies

Ryan Kiehl Price is an International Studies and Global and Intercultural Studies double major with concentrations in Migration, Transnationalism, and Diaspora, and International Development. He is also minoring in French and Political Science. Ryan has spent much of his undergraduate career researching the post-colonial effects that systemic racism has had on identity, the economy, and migration in the Algerian diaspora in Paris, France as he is passionate about diversity, representation, and multicultural understanding. When not conducting research or co-facilitating his ITV cohort he spends his time practicing his photography, watching Netflix and YouTube, and eating Korean food with his friends.

Pankhuri Aggarwal, Doctoral Student, Clinical Psychology

Pankhuri Aggarwal is a third-year student in the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology at Miami University. She received her bachelor's degree in Psychology from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University and a master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai in India. She is a recipient of prestigious national and international awards including PEO International Peace Scholarship, Sir Dorabji Tata Trust Scholarship for Academic Excellence, and Gold Medal and Prize of Best Student in M.A. Applied Clinical Psychology.

Courtney RaShad Allen, Doctoral Student, Educational Leadership

Akanksha Das, Doctoral Student, Clinical Psychology

Akanksha Das is a second year Clinical Psychology PhD student in the Anxiety, Cognition, and Emotion Lab in the Department of Psychology. She is passionate about dogs (e.g., spends a lot of her time finding dogs on Instagram), practicing Yoga, and watching Netflix (and Hulu) when she is not engaging in research, clinical work, or facilitating difficult dialogues in the psychology building!

Samuel Hunter, Doctoral Student, English Literature

Kpandi Lumeh, Masters Student, Student Affairs in Higher Education

Tone McKoy, Masters Student, Student Affairs in Higher Education

Natalee Price, Doctoral Student, Clinical Psychology

Natalee Price, M.A., is a third-year Clinical Psychology PhD student here at Miami University. She attended William & Mary for her undergraduate education and is working towards a career in academia. She finds a lot of meaning in researching child emotional development and providing therapy services to children and their families. She thoroughly enjoyed her intergroup dialogue experiences and works to continue engaging in difficult (yet critical) dialogues on inclusion, equity, and social justice. When she isn't working, she's prone to exploring new places, going to way too many concerts, learning about new science-y things, and eating quality food.

Sara Williams, Doctoral Student, Religion, Ethics and Society

Sara Williams is a doctoral candidate in Religion in the area of Ethics and Society at Emory University. She is also Adjunct Instructor of Theology at Xavier University. Sara lives in Cincinnati with her spouse, son, and precocious dog, Lua.