Our Team 2021-2022
Our Team
Who are the Project Advisors?
Our Project Advisors are Carnegie Mellon students who have a passion for their work and who are excited to inspire students in the Pittsburgh community. They have a wide range of specific skills gained through their own project based work at CMU. They are a wonderful and enthusiastic group of people who can't wait to get to work with you! .
Executive Board
Name: Christina Ma
Graduation Year: 2022
Major: Cognitive Science
Interests: A better question would be if there’s something I have no interest in. To name a few, EduTech in academics, figure skating, cooking, and chorus for 'out of school' interests.
Project Interests: Project related to CS, education, psychology, neuroscience, and art.
Fun Fact: My mom’s name is Tina and, as you may expected, my dad’s name is Chris. What a perfect combination!
Name: Mahima Pannala
Graduation Year: 2023
Major: Computer Science
Interests: I'm interested in using programming and software engineering to solve problems. I also love math and anything engineering related, so I would love to learn more about anything new or creative! Outside of academics, I like to bake, dance, and watch football.
Project Interests: I have experience in robotics, programming, and web and mobile app development, but I would be open to anything fun and creative!
Fun Fact: I used to have two pet parakeets!
Name: Michelle Tse
Graduation Year: 2023
Major: Business Administration
Interests: Music (I play the violin and ukulele), games (video and tabletop), Youtube, and of course food
Project Interests: I'm interested in doing a project related to the social sciences (psychology, sociology, etc), music, design, or food. I'm down to try new things and step out of my comfort zone as well!
Fun Fact: I'm left-handed .
Name: Michael Nguyen
Graduation Year: 2024
Major: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Interests: Rock Climbing, Scuba Diving, Microelectronics, Space Exploration, Robotics, Computer Systems
Project Interests: Satellite Systems Development
Fun Fact: One day I'd like to climb the seven summits
Project Advisors
Name: Alyssa Robert
Graduation year: 2025
Major: Business Administration
Interests: I am interested in softball, psychology, business, math, cooking, and music.
Project Interests: I am open to many different projects, but my dream project would probably be one that includes something related to one of the things I listed above.
Name: Amor Ai
Graduation year: 2024
Major: Statistics & Decision Science
Interests: I am interested in using data as an incredible tool and vessel to help people make better decisions. Outside of academics, I am a big fan of sports—both watching and also playing basketball and lacrosse.
Project Interests: My dream project would to do a project in the realm of social psychology, specifically analyzing how to improve decision-making and actually being able to implement real-world interventions to benefit human behavior.
Fun fact: Running a marathon one day is on my bucket list!
Name: Brandon Wei
Graduation year: 2023
Major: Electrical and Computer Engineering
Interests: Academically, I am interested in hardware and software systems. Outside of college, I like to play sports, especially tennis, and play video games.
Project Interests: Though I love projects involving technology, my dream project is where everyone is engaged and deeply interested in the project.
Fun fact: Life is short so smile :)
Name: Carmen Hagerty
Graduation year: 2025
Major: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Interests: I chose CEE as my major to get more involved with sustainable infrastructure. Outside of college, I love biking, napping in hammocks, lifting, and drawing.
Project Interests: I’d like to work on an environmental based project or food based project.
Fun fact: I knocked out my two front teeth a few months ago
Name: Chris Choy
Graduation year: 2022
Major: MSc. in Information Technology - Privacy Engineering
Interests: Usable security, Privacy, Human-Computer Interactions, Programming, Costume-making, Cooking, Video games, Guitar, Tennis, Soccer
Project Interests: Ideally, I'd love to work a project involving robotics and social good. Haven't quite crystallized this concept into an idea yet, but I think that uncertainty is the space where kids' creativity shines.
Fun fact: I have a cat named Mochi. She loves ice cubes and the sound of printers.
Name: Claire Jin
Graduation year: 2025
Major: Computer Science, Statistics
Interests: Swimming, machine learning, weight lifting, running, singing, computer systems
Project Interests: Helping high schoolers learn machine learning and create a tangible deliverable which uses machine learning to solve a real world problem
Fun fact: I have really long natural nails!
Name: Ebrahim Karam
Graduation year: 2022
Major: Entertainment Technology (Graduate Student)
Interests: Freestyle Running
Project Interests: Arduino Robots
Fun fact: Background In Engineering everything else is in the foreground
Name: Elizabeth Masyukova
Graduation year: 2025
Major: Biology
Interests: I'm interesting in pursuing research in immunology, virology, and genetics. I'm pretty passionate about my major in biology at CMU.
Project Interests: My dream project is to conduct cancer research in Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies). Fruit flies have many conserved oncogenic signaling pathways and can be easily manipulated genetically, which makes them a useful model organism to study cancer biology. It would be interesting to learn about different pathways that induce uncontrolled growth and cancer development as well as test potential treatments.
Fun fact: I'm Russian, I love outdoorsy activities (swimming, hiking, dirt-biking, camping), and I'm addicted to card games.
Name: Grace Oualline
Graduation year: 2025
Major: Biology, Neuroscience
Interests: I am very interested in drug research and development, especially on how to prevent neural decay like dementia and Parkinson’s disease. I also find the science of fungi very fascinating, and could talk to you al day about the power of mycelium. In my free time I love to paint, make sculptures, and just create.
Project Interests: My dream project as part of project ignite would be to explore the water filtration capabilities of mycelium, which are essentially the roots of mushrooms. I would also love to hop on and help direct any other projects surrounding biology, chemistry, or art.
Fun fact: I have only watched the first two episodes of squid games… please don’t spoil it!!
Name: Jay Madan
Graduation year: 2025
Major: Economics
Interests: Environmental sustainability/the economic impacts of climate change
Project Interests: My dream project is to work with students to explore the economic impacts climate change will have on vulnerable agricultural workers.
Fun fact: I have two dogs and love tacos!
Name: Jingyu Zhuang
Graduation year: 2023
Major: Entertainment Technology (Graduate Student)
Interests: In my course of study I love leading happy teams to make great experiences
Outside of college I am a big pro-wrestling fan
Project Interests: Interactive experiences that are innovative and meaningful
Fun fact: I made a multiplayer simulation game with Google Map Geodata so that my friends can visit me during pandemic
Name: Jingyuan Fang
Graduation year: 2023
Major: Interactive Design (Graduate Student)
Interests: I love solving problems and discover how the world interacts with people. Also, I love video games, all kinds of sports and movies, especially Disney movies.
Project Interests: A project based on high school students and interaction design. I want to use technology and art to create a fun project.
Fun fact: I dream to build rockets and I believe in Aliens.
Name: Jonathan Huang
Graduation year: 2022
Major: Statistics and Machine Learning
Interests: I am interested in how we can use the massive amounts of data and information that we get from engaging in a multitude of activities in our daily lives, transform and interpret that so that we can solve the pressing matters of our generation. I want to use this massive wealth of knowledge to help those that need it The way we make decisions and the choices that we engage are in my areas of interest as well. In my free time I like to read, play video games, and also watch anime.
Project Interests: Any project where the students are having fun and are really engaged with the project, really driving the project forward themselves, that is my ideal project. I want to do my best to make sure that everybody in the group is actually enthusiastic about what we are trying to achieve and guide them towards our goal. Students would ideally be able to walk away with different types of practical schools as well.
Fun fact: I grew up in Taipei, Taiwan and I lived there for 15 years before coming to the US for college.
Name: Joshna Iyengar
Graduation year: 2024
Major: Electrical and Computer Engineering
Interests: I am on the engineering student council, teach financial literacy in pittsburgh high schools with Moneythink, mentor with Strong Women Strong Girls, and I am an officer for Build18 and Project Smile. I love teaching - I TA'd 15122 and 15110 last semester and hope to continue in future semesters. To de-stress, I love working out, playing tennis, skateboarding, and playing the piano.
Project Interests: I am really passionate about education and how it can help communities improve themselves while being self-sustainable and non-gentrifying. My dream project would be to go to schools in disadvantaged communities; talk to the students, teachers, and parents; and come up with programs we can introduce in these schools. Some ideas I have that I would love to work on are a mentorship program where we train high schoolers who tutor middle schoolers who tutor elementary schoolers, programs that address and de-stigmatize mental health, classes that many students at these schools are interested in but aren’t able to learn like computer science, and programs that help fund field trips to shadow careers and help students make connections in fields they are fascinated by.
Name: Kate Stamper
Graduation year: 2025
Major: Business Administration
Interests: I am very interested in design and digital art. I am a pole vaulter on the track and field team. I love cooking and baking.
Project Interests: I'd love to work on any project with food or music. I am very interested in psychology, so any pairing up these combinations would be super cool to work on.
Fun fact: I love snowboarding and skateboarding.
Name: Lily Klucinec
Graduation year: 2025
Major: Electrical and Computer Engineering, Engineering and Public Policy
Interests: Software development, games (both board games and video games), dance, psychology, music, and Netflix dramas
Project Interests: I would love to work on a project that focuses on the intersection of psychology and technology, especially when it comes to inherent biases in mobile development!
Fun fact: I have taken dance classes for 13 years and can't wait to continue dancing in college!
Name: Michael Lau
Graduation year: 2025
Major: Business Administration
Interests: Finance, Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Sustainability
Project Interests: My dream project to work on as part of Project Ignite would be one that combines sustainability and entrepreneurship, such as helping mentees design, market, and offer innovative solutions to environmental problems concerning their communities.
Fun fact: My favorite dish is thai red curry.
Name: Nicholas Chen
Graduation year: 2022
Major: Master's in Machine Learning
Interests: I am most interested on financial machine learning and computer vision.
Project Interests: I'm happy to support any technology project students are interested in. I think I have the most expertise to offer in the fields of ML, data science, software engineering, blockchain technologies, or trading.
Fun fact: Some controversial takes: I don't believe in free will. Artificial general intelligence is a significant threat to human survival.
Name: Trish Nhan
Graduation year: 2025
Major: Chemistry, Mathematics
Interests: In my study, I am very interested in sustainable chemistry and my favorite part about chemistry is teaching it! I love to learn about psychology and mathematics as well. Outside of school, I love to play soccer, play video games (Valorant and Minecraft), and play piano. I like to think that I’m pretty good at ping pong.
Project Interests: Science education, using chemistry to blow things up but also create beautiful things, finding more ways to clean water for our community. Making hair care products would be fun to do so I can stop spending big money on my shampoo and conditioner!
Fun fact: My Starbucks order is a double shot espresso with three pumps of white mocha over ice in a venti cup