2023-2024 Graduate Affiliates

In early fall students from the Graduate and Professional schools apply to become Graduate Affiliates for the residential colleges. (And we only pick the best for Morse!) These affiliates are available to give Morsals advice on their studies, careers, and grad school, New Haven life outside of Yale College, life after college, the “real world,” or anything really! They host events and study breaks for students. You will see them in the dining hall and at IM games. Feel free to reach out to any graduate affiliate; they are here for you!

Meghan Gupta

Lead Grad Affiliate

Meghan Gupta is a second-year student at Yale Law School and was also a proud former Morsel during her time at Yale College (Class of 2021). After graduating from Yale, she spent a year at Oxford pursuing a master’s degree in US History as an Ertegun Scholar. Meghan is a citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and particularly interested in the intersections of Indigenous history, law, and journalism. Outside of class, Meghan loves to try new restaurants, watch tv, and spend time with family and friends. She is super excited to be the Lead Morse Grad Affiliate and Mellon Coordinator!

Nathan Brown

I’m a proud former Morsel (c/o 2019) and now second-year law student. Since college I’ve had a creative writing fellowship in poetry and worked as a research assistant focusing on pharmaceutical antitrust. As a means of falling behind in law school readings I most enjoy playing recreational sports (plug for Morse IMs), reading fiction or poetry, and watching the Cowboys. I’m excited to rejoin the Morse community and get to know you all. 

Carson Ferrara

Hey y’all! My name is Carson Ferrara, and I’m a first-year student in the Master of Public Health program in the Social and Behavioral Sciences department. I graduated from Vanderbilt University in May 2023, where I studied neuroscience and medicine, health, and society. I’m very interested in collegiate mental health and love meeting new people! Outside of the classroom and my job in the ED at Yale New Haven Health, I love to try new restaurants, watch movies, and am looking forward to exploring different areas in New England. So excited to be a new GA for Morse College and look forward to meeting you all!

Marco Hernandez

My name is Jose “Marco” Hernandez, a second-year, first-generation graduate student at the Yale School of Public Health. I am in the Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases (EMD) program and have a passion for environmental epidemiology and environmental microbiology. I attended the University of Kentucky for my undergraduate studies where I received my Bachelor of Public Health. While in Kentucky I was a resident advisor and a teaching assistant for a biology lab. 

Apart from school and academics, I am passionate about futbol (soccer) both playing and coaching. I have coached for 6 years at different levels ranging from middle school to varsity high school. In addition to coaching, I am a “FirstGenSupport” mentor and advocate. Mentoring and coaching have been life-changing experiences that lead me to where I am today. 

For funsies and to de-stress from life’s craziness I enjoy working out, playing soccer with my intramural team (Go Booster FC), and taking walks around campus and East Rock Park. 

Ami Ishikawa

Hi! I’m Ami, and I’m a second-year law student. I graduated from Harvard, where I studied economics and psychology, while dabbling in sociology and Spanish. After college, I worked in New York before making my way over to New Haven. Outside of school, I like to read fiction and autobiographies written by comedians, play squash, go on runs, and take walks around campus. I’m happy to answer any questions you have about applying to law school, being a law student, and anything else. I’m looking forward to meeting you all!

Hale Jaeger

Hale is a second-year medical student who can’t wait to be back kicking axe in Morse College after graduating from Yale over the course of five (5) years (MC ‘20+1)! He grew up in Cranford, New Jersey and has never lived anywhere but the tri-state area. In undergrad, he completed a BS in neuroscience and sang a cappella, but believe it or not, he has more free time now than he ever did in college to play pickleball, read for leisure, and learn how to cook. Feel free to reach out about anything related to medicine, taking a gap year, trying New Haven restaurants, or anything else!

Koichi Kanaoka

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.

Misty Krasawski

Hello, Morsels! I’m Misty, and I’m so happy to be at Yale Divinity as a first-year MDiv student. I’m here in New Haven for the first time this fall, and my family will join me here next summer. As a full-time residential student for the first time ever, I’m finding my way around campus and platforms and classrooms as a newbie, even though this is my second grad degree, so I’m super empathetic to the adjustments of college life. I’m a mom of eight, have three daughters-in-law and four grandchildren, and I love to hike, bake, write, travel, read, drink tea, antique, and explore art museums–and look forward to finding some good day-trip destinations over the next few years!
 
I earned an MLitt in Bible and the Contemporary World at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland this past summer, too, so I also love to talk all things U.K. or just dream about where to travel next. Please feel free to reach out for literally anything; I really hope to be a support for students this year. Hope to run into you somewhere soon!

Yanbo Li

Hi Morsels! I’m a first-year grad student at the School of Architecture and a proud member of the Morse Class of 2016. Between then and now I’ve lived and worked in New Haven, Baltimore, and New York doing all sorts of art and design related things. I live in East Rock, and I love cooking and spending time outdoors. Back in undergrad, I was a Morsel manager and involved in a bunch of other stuff, but now I’m prioritizing doing less, so I can give more of myself to the things and people I care about the most!

Sumner Magruder

Coming soon!

Megha Parwani

Hi Morse College! I’m Megha, a first-year student at Yale Law School. I grew up across the US, India, and Singapore and graduated from Stanford University, where I majored in Philosophy and Political Science. Before law school, I worked for the US Senate Rules Committee, where I assisted with voting rights and election administration research, and at a nonprofit focused on institutional reforms to strengthen American democracy.  In addition to election and civil rights law, I am interested in political philosophy and global education. I also love to read fiction, watch TV, and drink tea. Feel free to reach out to discuss working in government, taking a gap year, law school, or anything else! 

Henriëtte Rietveld

Hi! I’m Henriëtte and I’m a DFA Candidate at the Drama School. I’m from The Netherlands, my undergrad was at Utrecht University’s University College Roosevelt. I hold an MA in Theatre Directing from the University of East Anglia, and I lived in London, UK, for six years before moving to the US for my studies. I graduated from the MFA in Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism in 2022 and now I’m working on my dissertation that examines four theatrical texts that transferred from across Western Europe to mid-17th century Amsterdam to consider how empire was iterated, manifested, and transformed on the stage. I love making theatre too, working as dramaturg and director on the side. In my free time I love cycling to the beach or down the Farmington Canal, hiking, and watching cheesy romcoms. Feel free to reach out if you want to talk theatre, performance, being an international student, or anything else :)
Federico is a second-year law student. He graduated from Harvard College in 2018, where he studied Government. Between college and law school, Federico worked in Washington D.C., first as a consultant and later at a global non-profit where he focused on issues surrounding online disinformation. He is originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina and grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Outside of law school, he loves going on hikes and long bike rides and attempting to cook. 
 
He is happy to talk about grad school, post-college careers, or anything else that may be on your mind! 

Caroline Eliane Simon

Greetings! My name is Eliane, and I’m a second-year PhD student in Philosophy. I’ve also been a Writing Tutor at the Poorvu Center since 2021. I did my undergrad at U.C. Berkeley, and lived in Oakland, California for 9 years after having left Germany at 16. 
 
Let’s chat! About being first-gen, the art of writing, ADHD (I call mine ADPhD at this point), traveling, self-care/skincare, student-friendly cooking cheat codes, philosophy (especially feminist philosophy, philosophy of love, philosophy of monogamy/non-monogamy!) etc. etc. … Don’t hesitate to reach out or approach me when you see me around. Looking forward to meeting you all!

Elena Sokoloski

Elena Sokoloski (she/her) is a second-year student at Yale Law School and a concurrent MPP candidate with Harvard Kennedy School. After graduating from Harvard College, she spent three years working at a public sector consulting start-up based in Cincinnati, Ohio. At the law school, her work centers on civil rights litigation and technology in the legal system. Outside of class, she loves playing volleyball, biking to new thrift stores, and hiking. Feel free to reach out about working before law school, JD/MPPs, the best way to brew a cup of coffee, or anything else! 

Frank Teng

Hi everyone! Fellow Morsel 2012+1 here, and back for round two at the Yale School of Management. After graduating as a Psychology major in 2013 (I took a gap year to backpack through 14 countries on $5,000), I’ve had quite a colorful adventure in life. 
 
2013: Joined the Venture For America fellowship and worked at a open-source hardware company called MAKE (They publish MAKE: Magazine and organize Makerfaires)
2015: Left MAKE and went to Shenzhen, China to join a hardware startup accelerator. Realized it wasn’t for me, so I ended up building a private label Amazon company and tutored on the side.
2017: Got my Master’s in Human-Computer Interaction in Carnegie Mellon University. Interned at NASA for 8 months.
2018: Worked on the future of energy sustainability at ExxonMobil
2020: Got laid off and built a small cleaning company (still running it)
2021: Worked at Mayo Clinic on improving their telehealth platform post-COVID
2023: Here at Yale for my second Master’s (I just really love learning).
 
My interests are in first-gen mentorship, personal finance (FIRE, specifically), AI, budget travel, startups, and digital healthcare.  
 
I have my sights set on my next adventure in entrepreneurship, and I’m happy to share lessons from all the mistakes I’ve made along the way :)

Tho Tran

Tho Tran is a second 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.

William Vester

William is a second-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.  

Grayson Wagner

Hi Morse! My name is Grayson, and I am a proud recent Morsel grad (Class of 2023). I studied Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering as an undergraduate student. I decided to stick around for a bit and am currently a MS candidate for Personalized Medicine and Applied Engineering. I currently study the applications of 3D printing in medicine, including 3D printed surgical guides and implants, bioprinting, and prosthetics. I am also part of the Yale Climbing Team and love rock climbing outside in beautiful New England. I’m so excited to stay a part of the Morse community and can’t wait to meet everyone!

Christina Waldron

Hi! My name is Christina, and I am currently a second-year medical student from St. Paul, MN. I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2021 with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and a B.M. in Piano Performance. 
 
While at UT-Austin, I conducted biomaterials-based tissue engineering research, enjoyed teaching students everything from engineering statistics to piano, was heavily involved in the UT chapter of TBP, and completed my first triathlon. After graduating, I took one gap year where I moved to Pittsburgh, conducted research on genetic cardiomyopathies at the Vascular Medicine Institute, and ran my first marathon! 
 
In my spare time, I enjoy running with friends, baking, reading, hiking, and any other outdoor activity. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any and all questions! I would love to talk to you about pre-med/medical school, research, being vegan in New Haven, or anything that’s on your mind. 

Hannah Wang

Hello Morsels! Hannah is a 3rd year PhD student in Environment studying circular bioeconomy for climate change mitigation. She grew up in Taiwan and graduated from National Taiwan University (’17,’20), where she studied clinical psychology, biomaterials, and statistics. Before Yale, she spent some time in a tech company helping Taiwan’s agriculture and medical industries digitalize.
 
Outside grad school, she loves traveling, going to Yale symphonies, playing squash, and Cajon (or teaming up with friends to get a band going!) She is happy to talk about gap years, being an international student, interdisciplinary research, or anything else on your mind! 

Sarah Wilkins

Hi! I’m Sarah, and I am a member of the Yale School of Medicine ’25. I’m originally from San Francisco but moved east for college and am a proud former Morsel (’18). In college, I majored in MCDB and was a FOOT leader and a member of the Model UN team. After graduation, I spent three years working in basic science research labs in both Germany and Boston. Outside of medicine, I love running, cooking new vegetarian recipes, hiking (I backpacked halfway around Lake Tahoe right before med school!), watching Formula 1, and just generally being outdoors! Feel free to reach out about medical school, taking (multiple) gap years, hiking in New England, or anything else. Morse Always Wins!