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spotlight-on-success

Spotlight On Success: Anastasios A. Mirisis (Biology)

In his first semester of graduate school, Anastasios A. Mirisis entered the 2016 GSAS Threesis Academic Challenge and won the Audience Choice award. “I had data I could present,” he explained, when asked about his decision to enter the competition. “I thought, this is a good opportunity to share my research with a wider audience.” His research into the formation of long-term memory in the brain and a genetic mechanism possibly involved in Alzheimer’s disease clearly struck a chord with the audience.

As an undergraduate student at NYU, Anastasios studied neuroscience, where he came to appreciate the interdisciplinary nature of the studies, with research stemming from biology, physics, and psychology. Anastasios took a three-year break after completing his undergraduate degree, in which he ran his family’s construction business and supported his brother through college. But his fondness for the academic environment led him back to Arts & Science at NYU, where he reconnected with former professors. He accepted a job offer to manage Dean Carew’s lab, where he witnessed the collaborative relationship among the student researchers, who contributed their expertise to each other’s work. He soon was pursuing a graduate degree of his own with the Department of Biology, enjoying the collaboration of the lab, and continuing his research into the brain to understand the biological basis for memory.

Collaboration is an important pursuit for Anastasios, and a large reason why he came to GSAS, along with the prestige of his department. While participating in the Threesis he came to appreciate anew the importance of this collaboration. Presenting his research for a general audience, Anastasios was confronted by the limitations of their knowledge in his field. When attempting to explain the specifics of his studies in molecular biology, he was challenged to step back from the technical details of his research and see the larger thrust of his work—utilizing biological knowledge to better defend against a heartbreaking disease.

He advises future competitors to make a presentation the audience will enjoy. “And practice, both for specialists and for people outside your field.” Winning the Audience Choice award was particularly exciting for him, as it proved he had succeeded in his goal of reaching a larger audience. “It was very rewarding to convey my subject to the audience and see that they understood and valued my work.” Anastasios has a bright future ahead of him in academia, and he remains committed to his ethos of interdisciplinary collaboration. “The only way for science to move forward as a whole is by integrating all fields of knowledge.”

Watch Anastasios’ Threesis presentation here.

Spotlight On Success: Shafeka Hashash (Politics, ’16)

Shafeka Hashash stands out among many alumni. She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees through a joint five-year program, graduating in May 2016 with a Bachelor of Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies and a Master of Arts in Politics (specifically political economics). Prior to graduating, Shafeka was also a finalist in the annual GSAS Threesis Academic Challenge. She made it to the final rounds and took the stage to present her master’s thesis on the fight for civil rights for the physically disabled, her own blindness being a source of inspiration for her work.

Looking back on her master’s program at the Graduate School, Shafeka remembers it being a welcome change from her undergraduate program. Especially with smaller class sizes, she was able to really form personal relationships with each of her professors. She recalls the supportive administration and staff of the department as well, with whom she also built relationships. “I felt that way about a lot of my graduate professors…because the classes were so much smaller, I grew much closer with them.” Shafeka particularly values the way her professors and staff gave her advice about life, next steps to take in her career, and where to go from NYU onward.

Threesis was an important experience during Shafeka’s master’s program. “It was unique and different…win or lose, it was just a good opportunity. It was also very accessible because [Threesis] isn’t just about the visual.” The academic tournament focuses on distilling a master’s thesis, capstone project, and/or other graduate-level coursework and conveying it in language appropriate for a nonspecialized audience. Competitors are allowed one single, static slide to accompany their threeminute presentations. Shafeka recollects how helpful the Threesis staff were as well, making adjustments from visual cues to audible ones. “[Threesis] is really about the person,” she said of the competition’s focus on an individual’s ability to create a comprehensive pitch about their research. “I think just by design, Threesis is very accessible.”

Upon graduating, Shafeka has continued her work around civil rights. She was awarded a fellowship by the International Council on Disability, which allowed her to work with the Women’s Refugee Commission in Washington, D.C. Following the three-month fellowship, Shafeka worked at Cornell Tech on disability equality, with a focus on technology. Most recently, she moved to Atlanta where she hopes to continue working in the field.

See Shafeka’s 2016 Threesis presentation here.

Spotlight On Success: Alex Kane (Journalism/Near Eastern Studies, ’16)

Alex Kane is an alumnus of the NYU Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, frequently hailed as one of the greatest journalism programs in the country. Of the Institute’s many dynamic graduate programs, Alex pursued Global and Joint Program Studies, in which a select group of master’s students each year have the opportunity to earn a joint degree in Journalism as well as one with a Global Studies focus. For Alex, that was Near Eastern studies. “It was a unique way to gain expertise in a part of the world I’m interested in and learn how to best write about the region journalistically,” he explained. The program, informally known as “GLOJO,” crosses with various other disciplines, such as Africana Studies, French Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Russian and Slavic Studies, and more.

The best part of being a master’s student for Alex was working on his thesis, which earned him a spot as a finalist in the 2016 GSAS Threesis Academic Challenge. Alex had heard about Threesis through a departmental email and liked the idea of having hard deadlines to adhere to, which would help move along his research and even complete his thesis prior to his program’s deadline. “I had a great time during Threesis. I gained the ability to condense a complicated topic into a three-minute presentation—a skill that all journalists should develop,” Alex said. Working on his project on Israeli surveillance and the “war on Facebook” was one of the highlights of his time at the Graduate School. “Embarking on an intensive, months-long project that involved travel to Israel/Palestine that [then] resulted in a long-form feature that was published in The Intercept, was the best experience I had.”

Since graduating in May of 2016, Kane has been working full-time as a freelance journalist, earning bylines with Vice News, The Intercept, Al Jazeera and The Nation, among others. Alex was also awarded a grant from In These Times, an independent, nonprofit magazine dedicated to advancing democracy and economic justice, informing movements for a more humane world, and providing an accessible forum for debate.

Spotlight on Success: Alexsandra Mitchell (Africana Studies, ’13)

Alexsandra Mitchell is a rising star librarian for Harlem’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, one of the leading research institutions focused on African-American experiences, African Diaspora experiences, and African experiences. “To say I enjoy working at the Schomburg Center would be an understatement,” says Alexsandra. “It’s my dream job!”

With master’s degrees in Africana Studies and Library Science, Alexsandra is well-suited for the position. She joined GSAS because of the unique opportunity to pursue her dual master’s degrees, and also because she had fallen in love with New York during her time as a Schomburg Mellon Summer Humanities Institute Scholar in 2009. She knew GSAS would be a perfect fit for her academically and creatively–it proved to be just that. “I grew tremendously as a scholar by studying with GSAS professors such as Deb Willis and Juan Flores. Their courses introduced me to new bodies of work that have heavily influenced my ways of thinking and view of the world.”

In the spring of 2013, Alexsandra flourished, as she connected with fellow artists and scholars at the Black Portraiture Conference in Paris, a thesis research trip to Havana, and the 2013 GSAS Threesis Academic Challenge. Alexsandra won the academic championship with her presentation on the musical ties between the Afro-Cuban, Afro-Puerto Rican, and African American communities of New York City and Cuba between 1940 and 1960. “It was such a special time in my life.”

Now at the Schomberg Center, Alexsandra is able to utilize her research and support the continued growth of their archives. She has also created a podcast called Live from the Reading Room: Correspondence, which shares fascinating correspondence from or to important historical figures from the African Diaspora. “I wake up every day excited to get to work. I am in love with my position.” Alexsandra is currently completing her first book project, co-authored with fellow GSAS alumna Megan Goins-Diouf, as well as a children’s book.

Spotlight On Success: Shashank Gandhi (Biology, ’15)

“Choosing GSAS for my graduate studies was a no-brainer,” recalls Shashank Gandhi. An alumnus of the Department of Biology, Shashank currently lives in Pasadena, California, and attends Caltech as a doctoral candidate in Biology. He looks back fondly on his time as a master’s student at GSAS. “I definitely enjoyed my experience. I was trained in the lab by some of the smartest people I have ever known.”

In Dr. Lionel Christiaen’s lab, Shashank researched the embryonic development and gene expression of sea squirts; specifically, Ciona intestinalis. “It is a close relative of vertebrates and a model organism for developmental biology of chordates,” he explains. He presented on his work as a finalist in the 2014 GSAS Threesis Academic Challenge, where he was challenged to explain the complexity of his scientific research for a general audience. “Not only was I able to improve my presentation skills, participating in the Threesis also gave me a platform to interact with the finest scholars representing a wide array of fields, like data science, mathematics, museum studies, and more.” His research on Ciona intestinalis was later published in the science journal Development.

Beyond his academic work, the two-time Threesis competitor played an integral role in the GSAS community as a member and officer of the Master’s College Program Board. “Being a part of the Masters College Program Board allowed me to build a wonderful community and lasting personal connections. My social circle was extremely diverse, which broadened my perspective on the world and even helped me to discover things I hadn’t known about myself.”

Since graduating from GSAS, Shashank has advanced in his research from  invertebrates, now studying “the development and evolution of the neural crest, a population of cells unique to vertebrates. These cells give rise to facial cartilage and bone, as well as parts of the nervous system, endocrine system, heart, and more.” Shashank has a bright future ahead of him in the sciences, including more research publications to come soon.

To see Shashank’s 2014 article in Development, click here.

Spotlight on Success: Hannah Leffingwell (French Studies, ’16)

2016 Threesis Champion Hannah Leffingwell easily engages others in conversation, demonstrating a clear passion for her research into French feminism as a social movement in the 1960s. This research led her to her thesis: trying to understand the actions and motivations of the Red Dykes, a group of radical French feminists who sought to carve out a space for lesbian identity within the second-wave feminist movement. Her interest was piqued when she noticed that leaders in the French feminist movement disagreed in their memories of that time.

Hannah’s program allowed her to meld history with French studies, which was one of the reasons why she chose GSAS and the Institute of French Studies to pursue her master’s degree–there were no other French Studies programs that gave her the interdisciplinary approach offered by the Graduate School. She reminisced on her first visit to the Washington Square campus: “I saw the kind of classes that I would be taking and felt that people in the program were very welcoming. I immediately knew this was the place for me.” Hannah enjoyed the diverse opportunities provided by New York City and its many avenues to interact with French language and culture. As an American studying French history, she reckons this affords her an objective distance while allowing her to grapple with issues in the western world.

When Hannah heard about the Threesis, she was excited at the prospect of sharing her project with an audience outside of her field. Coming from a background as a competitive ballet dancer, she was comfortable with the stage but found the experience of presenting her thesis to the audience of the Threesis Finals unique. “It felt much more personal.” As an undergraduate student, she was also a public speaking mentor and commented that pretending to play a role helps with nerves. Her one tip for others? Be comfortable in your environment. “For me, it is very important to wear high heels,” she says. “I am also very excited about my outfit. My body language is very important and I imagine that I am sitting around the dinner table and making eye contact.” Since her Threesis victory, Hannah has begun a doctoral program in the Institute of French Studies and the Department of History. She continues to be an excellent scholar within GSAS and we all look forward to her future successes.

Watch Hannah’ Threesis presentation here.

Spotlight on Success: Emma Mishel (Applied Quantitative Research, ’14)

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.

Spotlight on Success: Zhiyang Yu (Mathematics in Finance, ’14)

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.

Spotlight on Success: Meg Swaney (Museum Studies, ’13)

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

Spotlight on Success: Roy Schwartz (Draper Interdisciplinary Program in Humanities and Social Thought, ’11)

“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!”