Graduate Affiliates

David Hopen is a second-year student at Yale Law School. Raised in Hollywood, Florida, he graduated from Yale College (Morse 2017) and earned a master’s from the University of Oxford. A writer, his debut novel, The Orchard, was named a 2020 National Jewish Book Award Finalist. David’s interests include Law & Humanities, fiction, and basketball.

Ken Jung is a PhD student in economics. He hails from North Carolina and is passionate about songwriting/guitars, film photography, and Vipassana meditation. Find him at the dining hall or at a dive bar open mic near you!

Koichi is in his third year of the Environment PhD program. His work focuses on increasing the adoption of sustainable business practices through research and consulting. Koichi grew up in Winter Park, Florida, and spent his summer breaks attending more school in his parents’ hometowns in Osaka and Oki Islands (a UNESCO Geopark), Japan. He went to college at Soka University in Orange County, California, where he was a research assistant in environmental microbiology, the captain of the kendo team (i.e., Japanese fencing), and a conductor and violist of the student orchestra. He did his master’s at Duke University in energy and sustainability. In his free time, Koichi enjoys working with undergraduates and peers on improving their job and graduate school applications. He also has a great time playing taiko (i.e., Japanese drums), tennis, surfing, and snowboarding.

Hi Morsels! I’m a Morse 2018 alumnus, a Los Angeles native, and a current first-year student at the law school. I’m excited to be a graduate affiliate and give back to this community. Besides the law, I’m passionate about higher education access from my background as a low-income, first-generation college graduate who started at a community college before transferring to Yale College. I’ve been involved with higher education issues while working on Capitol Hill, on the College Promise Campaign, and on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. On the Clinton campaign, I served on the campaign’s Millennial Victory Council and chaired a national campaign-affiliated grassroots coalition of young Asian-Americans. I’ve given talks and spoken on panels focused on civic engagement and higher education, including on Capitol Hill and at the Reach Higher Initiative’s 2018 Beating the Odds Summit alongside former First Lady Michelle Obama. I’ve also authored pieces on these issues that have been published in outlets such as NBC News and Forbes.

After Yale College, I earned a Master of Science in Higher Education at the University of Oxford where I studied international tertiary education systems. At the law school, I’m serving as an elected student representative for my class and working in the Veterans Legal Services Clinic to represent veterans in litigation and advocacy. Please feel free to reach out if you have questions about jobs and internships, graduate and professional schools, or just want to talk!

Tho Tran is a first year medical student from Seattle, WA (West Coast = best coast!). She graduated from Yale College (SY) in 2017 with a degree in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (Intensive). While at Yale, she conducted basic sciences research using CRISPR-Cas9 technology to study embryonic development in a zebrafish model. She was also involved in YHHAP (Demos and VITA), worked at the Yale Peabody Museum, practiced archery, and was a STARS peer mentor. After graduating, she worked for two years in a stroke immunology lab investigating the role of immune cells in mediating post-hemorrhage outcomes. In medical school she is involved with HAVEN Free Clinic and co-leads the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA). Tho speaks five languages and would love to talk to you in any of them about pre-med, gap years, immunobiology, service opportunities on campus, life in New Haven, or bubble tea.

Hello Morsels! I am a current second-year medical student hailing from State College, Pennsylvania, and Newton, Massachusetts. I am a proud member of the Morse Class of 2017, and I graduated with a BS in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. 

During my time at Yale, I was involved in a bunch of activities. Among other things, I was the Head Science Tour Guide, volunteered with the HAVEN Free Clinic, conducted genetics research at the med school, and MOST importantly, was the Musical Director of Sur et Veritaal, a now-defunct South Asian a cappella group. After graduating, I deferred my matriculation to the Yale School of Medicine to conduct policy research at the Massachusetts Office of Health and Human Services. 

Outside of spending a bunch of time on clinical rotations in the hospital, you can catch me riding the latest hip hop and pop music waves, watching way too much college football, college basketball, NFL, and NBA games, and chilling with all of the amazing people I’ve met here over the years. 

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any and all questions! I wouldn’t be half the person I am today without valuable peer mentors along the way, and I would love nothing more than to pay it forward. 

William is a first-year law student from Westport, Connecticut and a proud Morse 2019 alumnus. At Yale College, he majored in history with a focus on American political history. He was active in Morse intramurals along with serving as an editor for The Politic. After graduation, he spent two years doing human rights work in Mexico City before returning to Yale for law school. His interests include human rights, political economy, and criminal justice. Outside of law school, he enjoys mountain biking, playing guitar, and watching the New England Patriots. He is happy to talk about grad school, college, or anything else on your mind.