Spotlight on Success

Emma Mishel is currently receiving national media attention for her research–research that began as a GSAS master’s student in the Applied Quantitative Research (AQR) program here at GSAS. With a background in literary journalism, Emma chose the AQR program to expand her skill set. “I wanted to re-introduce math into my career path. It seemed like a good mix of math and liberal arts, two things I was interested in. Having had some qualitative research experience and training from UC Irvine, I liked that the AQR program at NYU focused on the quantitative side of sociological research.”

In the AQR program her research took the form of an audit study. “The goal was to find out if queer women were discriminated against when they applied to jobs in the U.S.” When she heard about the Threesis, she was excited at the opportunity to present her work. She was surprised by how intensive the Threesis proved, but found the experience rewarding. “It was a great challenge and allowed me to practice my elevator speech.” Her elevator speech was a huge success, as Emma made it to the final rounds of the Threesis in 2014 and soon after was accepted into the Ph.D. program in Sociology at GSAS.

Her research, begun as a master’s student, has been published in academic journal Socius, and reported on by LGBTQ Nation, Fusion, the Huffington Post, and more. On her newfound fame, Emma remains humble. “I am very thankful. I am passionate about conducting this type of research to bring to light the stereotypes and social issues round inequalities for the LGBT community, and employment discrimination is a really important issue right now.” Emma will represent the MCAA in the 2016 Threesis Awards Ceremony.

Zhiyang Yu was working full time at Bank of America while pursuing his masters in Mathematics in Finance when he joined the 2014 Threesis. He hoped to leverage his programming skills and further expand his skill set. Juggling a full-time job, classes, and assignments was hardly easy, but Zhiyang was up to the task, finishing the Threesis in second place with his presentation on factor-timing momentum, which uses historical data to predict future stock prices. He admits, “It started off a bit intimidating during the qualifying rounds. I didn’t expect to be in the final round, because I am not a native English speaker and to compete with native English speakers is challenging. But the experience was very rewarding when I completed the whole journey.”

Beyond his award-winning presentation, the hard work paid off for Zhiyang with added confidence and adroitness in presenting ideas. His advice to aspiring participants? “Practice a lot: the way you present the thesis is more important than the content itself especially because it is only three minutes. Enjoy the whole experience.” He credits the experience with giving him the confidence to conduct his presentation to management and leadership at his current job. He moved to Texas with his young family to work for IBM as a senior consultant in predictive analytics. GSAS provided him with good networking opportunities and knowledge skills but he reckons that most importantly his learning skills were sharpened. The knowledge he mustered in school will never be enough but the fast-paced life at GSAS gave him the skill to learn quickly.

Meg Swaney was a sensation as a 2013 Threesis finalist. Today, Meg is a second-year doctoral student in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at Johns Hopkins University, where she studies Egyptian Art and Archaeology. “I wasn’t always planning on getting my Ph.D.,” Swaney explains, “but I’ve always had a long-time interest in archaeology and Egyptian art.” Meg began her academic career at the University of Chicago, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in anthropology and soon realized that her ultimate goal was to be a curator at a museum working with Egyptian art. “Initially, I wanted to work in a natural history museum,” she recalls, “but I loved working with Egyptian art and just knew that I wanted to pursue that forever.”

After earning her bachelor’s degree in 2011, she started thinking about graduate programs that would be integral to her end-goal of becoming a curator. “What really attracted me to the GSAS program in Museum Studies was its practicality and professionalism,” Meg observed. “The types of classes and projects were all geared towards what comes after the program, which made me a very marketable candidate for doctoral programs.” During her time at GSAS, she had the opportunity to work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the 9/11 Memorial Museum, and the Museum of Chinese in America. Working at such a wide range of institutions helped her explore her interest in the history and science of museums.

Her 2013 Threesis project, “The Living Dead: Egyptian Mummies and the Ethics of Display,” looked at how different museums display Egyptian art and mummies, and how the context of those displays affect visitors and their experiences. “I did the Threesis, and it was amazing!” Meg recalls not feeling too competitive about the challenge, but incredibly supported. “It was so great to share all of my hard work and my passions to a room of people…I didn’t think anyone was going to care about my research, but I felt so encouraged, and such a strong sense of respect and professionalism, both from the audience and from GSAS.” Now, as a second-year Ph.D. student, she has spent the last two seasons working with her adviser on excavations at the Temple of Mut at Karnak in modern Luxor.

Learn more about the dig here

“All kids watch cartoons; I just never stopped,” Roy Schwartz explained of his affection for Superman and other comic book characters. Superheroes, inspirational heroes from Roy’s childhood, now inspire his professional and academic pursuits. Roy is currently celebrating the recent sale of his first book, which tackles the subject of Superman from an analytical perspective. Tentatively titled Is Superman Circumcised? Jewish Culture, Folklore and History in the Man of Steel’s Comics, the book examines the character within the frame of a larger Jewish-American cultural history. “His archetype can be traced back through millennia of Jewish folklore to the Hebrew Bible, to heroes like Moses and Samson.” The character was originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and Roy connects the heritage of the creators to the heritage of the creation. The book is a direct evolution of Roy’s research in the John W. Draper Interdisciplinary Program in Humanities and Social Thought, and is based on his thesis, which took second place at the 2012 GSAS Threesis Academic Challenge. “I loved being able to tell people about this cool subject and the fascinating things I’ve discovered in my research,” Roy said of the experience. “When I won second place I was more surprised than anyone. I think simply enjoying myself made it more engaging to listen to.”

In addition to his work as an author, Roy works as an adjunct professor at CUNY and a brand strategist and copywriter for media marketing agency the Equinox Group. The experience has offered him the opportunity to engage with high profile properties such as the Warner Bros. film Man of Steel and the Disney film Star Wars: The Force Awakens, planning and writing marketing and promotional campaigns. “I’m lucky enough to have found a niche that involves creative work and some of my favorite properties like Superman. Working on Man of Steel was a dream come true.” In the coming year, Roy will follow up his first book with three new projects, including a graphic novel memoir of his years as a counter-terrorism military intelligence officer. “The next stage for me is to find an agent—so if anyone reading this can help, do reach out!” Is Superman Circumcised? is slated for release soon from publisher McFarland Books. “Keep your eyes peeled for it and related GSAS events!”

Yodsadhorn Vinitwatanakhun’s passion for finance is driven not by a desire for wealth but instead by a desire to make a difference in the world. From his beginnings as a trader, he utilized his international background—Yodsadhorn is originally from Thailand—to work with clients from across the globe. The experience was energizing, as he shouldered huge responsibility in leveraging capital and managing risk.

Yodsadhorn now enjoys his work as a strategist at Citigroup alongside some of the most ingenious people in his field. He explained that a large part of finance involves leverage, the use of borrowed capital to dramatically increase investment returns. He employs this concept to describe his mentality toward generosity: “We can make a bigger difference by encouraging others to give back than if we do it on our own.” He cited J.P. Morgan, through his investment into Thomas Edison’s research, as an example of how capital markets can leverage investments while also contributing toward the greater good. His experience at the graduate school, where he completed the Mathematics in Finance program, helped validate and support this idea.

GSAS also provided him with a community of like-minded colleagues, motivated to build something greater. During his time as a student, Yodsadhorn pursued this goal as Vice-President for the Master’s College Program Board, and took pleasure in inviting classmates to GSAS events. He relished the opportunity to expand his horizons by interacting with people from other disciplines. Yodsadhorn so enjoyed engaging with his colleagues in graduate school that he continues to play a vital role in the GSAS alumni community, working closely with the Mathematics Department and supporting all GSAS master’s alumni as the treasurer for the MCAA. Through his work with the MCAA, Yodsadhorn gives back to his alumni community, and he hopes to inspire others to give back as well.

When considering psychology programs for graduate school, what stood out to California native Sneha Kohli Mathur about the Department of Psychology at GSAS was its openness and flexibility. Sneha found that the GSAS program offered versatility and freedom, as well as the opportunity for more than an average graduate school experience. In addition to her core coursework, she completed an internship at the McCarton School, where she was able to work with Dr. Peter Gerhardt, a pioneer in the research of adults with autism. With his guidance, Sneha conducted her own original research, which she presented at the 2012 Threesis Academic Challenge. “I’m so happy I participated in the Threesis!” she enthused. “It was such good training for what I do now.”

Unsurprisingly, Sneha secured a job in her field soon after graduation, working for Autism Spectrum Therapies in California. She completed 1,500 hours of supervised work, teaching parents and teachers crucial skills for working with children who have autism. After completing her training hours, she took time off to study for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) exam. Through her work, Sneha noticed a lack of resources for adults with autism. “From ages three through twenty-two, individuals with autism receive state funding for certain services, but right when these young adults are ready to go into the working world, they are dropped out of that system. I began to think about different business ideas that provide quality job training and professional development skills for that specific group.” With this goal in mind, Sneha founded Spectrum Success, LLC. Set to launch in spring 2016, Spectrum Success supports equal employment opportunities by providing job training directly to the individuals who need it. “The aim is to make the program accessible and affordable while also keeping the business afloat. It’s been a challenge, but I’m purposely targeting a group of people with limited resources, because they’re the ones who need it most.”

Like many graduates of GSAS, Sneha is incredibly hard-working and driven. Her long-term plan for the business is to provide programming and training for adults with autism and to offer work opportunities for them in the center itself. “It all started at GSAS. It gave me the opportunity to thoroughly explore my options in psychology, find my niche, and gave me a great network to utilize. I love that the alumni community still reaches out and supports us in these next phases of our lives.”

Speaking from his office in Washington, DC, Walker Gunning described how a chance encounter with an elderly woman in a grocery store parking lot altered the course of his academic career forever. While an undergraduate at NYU, Walker happened upon this stranger and offered to help her with her groceries. She asked him about his studies. Over the course of their conversation, Walker uncovered an untapped interest in the Arab world. Upon his return to school he immediately signed up for Arabic classes. Walker returned to NYU to pursue his master’s degree in Near Eastern Studies at GSAS, studying the role of media in the Arab Spring in Egypt. “GSAS tested whether my ideas, research, and ability to connect with an audience were up to par.” He presented his dynamic thesis topic as a finalist in the 2012 GSAS Threesis Academic Challenge, a valuable opportunity to take solitary, research-oriented work and present it to a public audience for an honest reaction. His experience in the Threesis also taught him to effectively and concisely pitch his work.

After graduation, Walker sought employment in the U.S. capital. Through an alumni connection at a production company documenting the relationship between the United States and the Arab world, Walker found his path into the media landscape and to his current role as an Associate Editor at Al-Monitor, an online news publication focused on current events in the Middle East. Walker describes his work as “ensuring great work gets online.” He works diligently with a team of dozens of reporters and analysts in the region to uncover the trends behind the events making headlines. The website continues to garner praise and recognition, and Walker noted in particular their continuing series on women in the Middle East (find the full series here). “At Al-Monitor, we have the ability to ask the questions and pursue the stories that no one else is covering. The only limit is our own intellectual curiosity. It’s the job that I hoped existed when I graduated from GSAS.”

From a background in the world of tech start-ups, Adam sought to expand his skill set to data analysis through the Applied Quantitative Research program. When considering GSAS, the location, diversity of student body, and the quality of the professors convinced Adam to join the Graduate School. His commitment to finding ways to explain complex information in simple, comprehensible ways made Adam a perfect candidate for the 2015 GSAS Threesis Academic Challenge. He competed as a finalist this spring with his presentation on the effectiveness of digital protest tactics. Surprisingly, he discovered that passive methods of online protests can actually prove more effective than offline methods in certain circumstances. The experience forced Adam to confront the challenge of simplifying the language of his research. He also enjoyed the performative aspect of the Threesis, which required him to present on a stage before hundreds of attendees. “It was a little terrifying, but also rewarding to share what I’d been working on in front of so many people,” Adam told the Quarterly. “Doing the Threesis was probably the best part of my whole grad school experience.”

A graduate of the European and Mediterranean Studies program (CEMS), Erica Lee currently works for the Department of Defense in Washington, DC, where she finds herself drawing on her graduate experience on a daily basis. “All I do in my job is write, write, write. I write and research every day, so my time at GSAS really helped hone and polish those skills.” During her program, Erica found a community who supported one another. “My cohort and I used to call ourselves the ‘CEMS gems,’ and we still stay in touch.” It was this intimate association of scholars that really appealed to her; although she was also accepted to other prestigious master’s programs, she chose GSAS because, “It was for masters students, and it focused on us. The whole college was dedicated to our cause, and that really stood out to me.” And so did the opportunities that came along with it.

During her program, Erica not only took advantage of an internship offer to go abroad, but also participated in the acclaimed GSAS Threesis Academic Challenge, in which she was a finalist in 2013. She spent the last semester of her master’s program in Paris, where she researched advocacy organizations through Le CRAN (Conseil Représentatif des Associations Noires). “The experience was so eyeopening,” she recalls, “I met with and interviewed politicians to discuss their focus and agendas.” This fieldwork became her thesis, which explored race politics in France. Erica also highlighted the professional benefits of competing in the Threesis. “I often give presentations in my job, so Threesis really helped equip me in that professional regard. It forced me to assume no prior knowledge of my audience and taught me how to synthesize crucial information in a way that is understandable. GSAS has opened up a lot of doors, not just for me but for my cohort as well, and we are all grateful for that.” Erica is an active member of the MCAA Washington, DC chapter.