Class of 2025
(He/Him/His)
A.B. Duke Scholar
Pronouns: he/him
Hometown: Schaumburg, IL and Georgetown, TX
Majors: Physics and Visual and Media Studies (Concentration: Cinematic Arts)
Minor: Theater Studies
Interests: science communication, screenwriting, stand-up comedy, neuroscience
Activities: Writer/editor at the Chronicle, Duke Body Empowerment Project, Duke University Stand-up Troupe, out in STEM (oSTEM), Service Opportunities in Leadership (SOL) Fellow, Duke ArtsStudio, Armstrong Ambassador, Global Education Ambassador
Research: Retinal Neurobiology at the Field Lab (Duke Medicine), Computational Psychiatry Research at the Schiller Lab (Mount Sinai School of Medicine), et al. Art-Science Lab (Duke BassConnections)
Jobs/Internships: Shared Materials and Instrumentation Facility Science Outreach, Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, LA School of Comedy, Pitch Story Lab
Post-graduate plans: Science communications/outreach specialist in Durham
Tell us about your Duke experience.
When I reflect on my Duke education, I’m deeply thankful for all the academic, personal, and creative adventures these past four years have given me. My Duke education has driven me to study subjects ranging from quantum mechanics, to disability studies, to film theory, and nonlinear dynamics. My Duke education has taken me around the world, from studying science ethics at New College Oxford, to working in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, to conducting neuroscience research in New York City. Finally, my Duke career has fostered a deep love and appreciation for Durham, from community-engaged service work to performing comedy and music at venues around the Triangle.
I’m eternally grateful for the A.B. community for giving me the confidence and resources to pursue my dreams. Whether it’s a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon or a coffee chat at WU, the OUSF community has kept me grounded, positive, and curious through all the ups and downs of college. The A.B. Scholarship has enabled me to explore countless possibilities for careers that enable me to be creative and harmonize my love for science and art. It has guided me through writing award-winning screen and teleplays and performing stand-up comedy around the country, rooted in science education and fostering dialogue between science and the public. And it has guided me through LGBTQ+ organizing projects from the local to international level.
As bittersweet as it is to be nearly finished with my undergraduate career, I’m looking forward to continuing to develop science-themed film, TV, and theater projects while working in the professional science communication sector. And I know that wherever these next few years take me, I can always lean on the A.B. and OUSF community for support.