Abhi Bukkapatnam

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Abhi is a senior from Tampa, FL majoring in Economics. After graduating, he hopes to attend law school. Abhi is interested in researching the economic impact of U.S. immigration policy. In addition to working as an editor for UMURJ, Abhi enjoys playing the violin and piano, cooking, and learning new languages.

Anna Kang

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Anna is a senior from Macomb, MI majoring in Chemistry. After graduation, she will be attending medical school in hopes of becoming an obstetrician-gynecologist. In addition to serving as Editor-in-Chief for UMURJ, Anna is the Vice President of the Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association and conducts research as a member of the Cernak Group. In her free time, Anna also enjoys practicing Tae Kwon Do as a 2nd Degree Black Belt.

Natasha Badami

Associate Editor – Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Natasha is a junior studying Computer Science through the College of Engineering with a minor in mathematics. She is originally from Dayton, New Jersey and is interested in theoretical computer science and game development. Currently, she is an IA for EECS 494 and is exploring the use of reinforcement learning in creating believable and sympathetic game AI through an independent research project. She is also a member of Wolverine Soft Studio, working with several others on a semester-long game development endeavor. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, drawing, yoga, and learning to pole dance through the Michigan Pole Dance Society.

Kaitlyn Hines

Associate Editor – Humanities

Kaitlyn is from a small town in Northern Michigan called East Jordan. Currently, she is a junior at Michigan and is double majoring in Environment and Biology, Health, and Society. In the future, she hopes to obtain a Master’s in Public Health and join the field of Environmental Health Sciences. She is the Co-Associate Editor for the Humanities for UMURJ this year, as well as the President of Public Health for the student organization Global Brigades. In her free time, she likes to watch Netflix and travel with her friends and family.

Divya Manikandan

Associate Editor – Humanities

Divya is a sophomore in LSA studying Biology, Health, and Society with a minor in English. After graduating, she hopes to attend medical school and continue working in publishing and writing. In addition to her work for UMURJ, Divya works in a cognitive neuroscience lab, freelances for online publications, volunteers at the VA, and is in student government. In her free time, she likes to spend time with friends and listen to podcasts.

Dani Maydan

Associate Editor – Life Sciences

Dani is a junior majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology. She conducts research on DIPG at the Lyssiotis lab and hopes to pursue an MD/PhD after graduation. Her favorite things are coffee and sugar (but never together)!

Michaela Yamine

Associate Editor – Social Sciences

Michaela Yamine is a junior from Novi, MI studying Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and Biological Anthropology. In addition to serving as the Associate Editor of the Social Sciences, she works for the Science Learning Center and in an X-ray crystallography laboratory studying methyltransferases. After graduating, she wants to pursue a graduate degree related to epigenetics.

Ani Dagar

Copy Editor

Ani is a freshman at Michigan studying biochemistry. Ani is originally from Troy, MI but spent 6 years of his life living in Pune, India. At UMURJ, Ani is a copy editor for the life sciences, which will help gear him towards his dream of becoming a medical practitioner. Ani was born in the UM Hospital and currently does research there.

Ayse Eldes

Copy Editor

Ayse is a freshman from Chicago studying Economics. She is currently a research assistant at the Michigan Political Accountability Lab and a news reporter for the Michigan Daily. Ayse is interested in pursuing a graduate degree in economics and contributing to the intersection of data journalism and social science research. In her free time, she enjoys portrait painting and playing guitar.

Lynsey Randolph

Copy Editor

Lynsey is a sophomore from Ashtabula, Ohio, majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in History and Creative Writing. After graduating, Lynsey is interested in obtaining a PhD in Neuroscience in order to either gain a high position of research in a biotech company or immerse herself in the academia track. In addition to working as a copy editor for UMURJ, Lynsey studies fMRIs and EEGs to identify developmental patterns in youth exhibiting risky behavior with the Keating Lab and is a member of Mu Epsilon Delta.

Nina Reddy

Copy Editor

Nina is a freshman from Merritt Island, FL studying Public Health. She is working as a research assistant in the Division of Genetic Medicine studying the molecular processes that drive cancer progression. Outside of UMURJ, she is excited to begin volunteering for Project Sunshine and DMUM and wants to continue to explore other student organizations on campus. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new restaurants and binging on YouTube commentary videos.

Madhulika Shastry

Copy Editor

Madhulika is a sophomore from Irvine, CA majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience (BCN) with a minor in Law, Justice, and Social Change (LJSC). In addition to working for UMURJ as a copy editor for the Social Sciences, Madhulika is currently working in a cultural neuroscience lab under Dr. Shinobu Kitayama and Cristina Salvador at Michigan’s Institute of Social Research. There, she runs EEG studies and conducts her own research project studying cultural differences in morality and moral violations through UROP Research Scholars. After graduating, Madhulika wants to earn a PhD in Neuroscience and become a leading research scientist. In her free time, Madhulika is a member of Michigan’s Indian competitive dance team, Michigan Taal.

Tristan Sirls

Copy Editor

Tristan is from Bloomfield Hills, MI and is a sophomore studying philosophy and political science. Tristan is a copy editor for the Humanities section of UMURJ. Tristan hopes to go to law school and/or graduate school for philosophy after graduating from Michigan.

Omer Siddiqui

Copy Editor

Omer is a junior studying Computer Science and Mathematics, with an interest in bioinformatics. Outside of UMURJ, he works on applying machine learning methods to diverse genomic and proteomic data sets in order to better understand complex biological systems. He is also a member of Michigan Magic where he performs card tricks and is a teaching assistant for algorithms and data structures. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, reading books, and watching Netflix.

Olga Tsuker

Copy Editor

Olga is a freshman from West Bloomfield, MI majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a medical degree in Diagnostic Radiology. In addition to serving as a copy editor for the Physics/Math section of UMURJ, she is the outreach department head of Michigan Neuroprosthetics and aids in conducting research on the study of circulating cells in the peripheral blood of cancer patients.

Itai Palmon

Editor-in-Chief Emeritus

Itai Palmon is a senior studying Biophysics and will be attending medical school next Fall. He is passionate about education in the sciences and hopes to contribute to the medical field as both a teacher and an investigator. In his free time, he likes to play the piano, spend time outdoors, play tennis, and cook.

Matthew Ward

Editor-in-Chief Emeritus

Matt is a senior from Ann Arbor with a major in Biochemistry and a minor in German Studies. This year he serves as an Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, advising the current Editors-in-Chief of UMURJ. After graduating from Michigan, Matt plans to undertake graduate study to earn a PhD in Biochemistry and start his research career studying the metabolic pathways of the human body. He currently works in the lab of Costas Lyssiotis, PhD (lyssiotislab.com; @LyssiotisLab) studying pancreatic cancer metabolism.