Graduate Affiliates

Melody is a second-year law student and also a former Morsel; she graduated in 2016, majoring in economics. In law school, she focuses on antitrust law and policy and more generally is interested in regulation and corporate law. Before law school, she worked in finance and business journalism. She is an avid amateur kombucha brewer and has never met a pun she doesn’t like. 

What’s up, I’m Henry and currently in my second year of a Music History PhD. When I’m not buried amongst scores and books, I like to take photos (I’m an enthusiastic photographer), play piano (mainly classical), and practice my French. Next summer I am sitting a test of language proficiency (DALF, C1), so I’m looking to improve my French as much as possible of the next two semesters. I’m also teaching myself how to code (Python), but I’m still pretty terrible at it. Just a couple of things about my background: I’m half German, half Kiwi, grew up in Germany, and did my undergrad in London (Music) and my masters in Oxford (Musicology). I live in HGS, right next door, so you’ll find me at Morse having dinner almost every evening. If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas don’t hesitate to come up and talk to me and I hope I can be of help!

Taylor Barnard is a first year MBA student at the Yale School of Management. Prior to Yale he was a strategy consultant for Deloitte’s public sector practice where he helped federal government clients design and implement large transformation programs. Before Deloitte, Taylor was a political appointee in the Obama administration. Most recently he served in the Treasury Department as part of the Treasury Secretary’s front-office team. His portfolio focused on topics ranging from domestic finance and economic policy to international finance and terrorist financing. Prior to the Treasury Department, Taylor worked in the White House Office of Management and Budget where he focused on government-wide procurement strategy. Taylor holds a BA from Tufts University with a double major in philosophy and political science and a minor in economics. During his senior year Taylor served as the National President of College Democrats of America. Originally from Utah, Taylor is an avid skier and is passionate about fitness and health. 

Blair Betik is a PhD student in the History of Art department, specializing in ancient Greek and Roman art and architecture. 

Born and raised in a rural town south of Dallas, Texas, she studied art history, anthropology, and Italian language at Southern Methodist University before completing a Master’s in classical archaeology at Brasenose College, Oxford. 

Her greatest loves are musical theatre, museum-going, makeup, fashion, and, of course, the great state of Texas. If you wanna swap beauty secrets, are interested in being an archaeologist or museum curator, or are feeling homesick for real southern barbecue, she’s your gal!

Elizabeth Himschoot is a Master of Environmental Management candidate at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies specializing in Ecosystem and Land Conservation and Management. She was raised in Alaska and studied Biological Sciences at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. In the future she hopes to work on cooperative land management and conservation strategies that are inspired by multiple ways of knowing. Elizabeth’s outside interests include cooking, baking, camping, hiking, event planning, crafts, board games, swing dancing, and snow. If you have any questions about graduate school, outdoor activities, how to navigate the Yale “candy store”, or want to talk about weird animal facts, life in rural areas, and culture shock she is available.

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!

Becca Keener

Becca is currently on a spring leave of absence.

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!

Gwyneth is a joint degree student between Yale School of Drama, where she studies Theater Management, and Yale School of Management, where she’s pursuing an MBA. She’s also the Associate Managing Director of Special Projects at Yale Repertory Theatre. In this role, Gwyneth is responsible for producing Yale Rep’s No Boundaries series, programming YSD’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion symposia, and overseeing the Fall and Spring Acting Projects, among other things. Before coming to Yale, Gwyneth was a dancer with the New York City Ballet and she now teaches a weekly ballet class on campus. She holds a B.A. in English from Fordham University with a minor in Women’s Studies. She’s always happy to talk to fellow students, especially about careers in the performing arts, arts management, and producing for the stage. 

Hello! My name is Roger, and I am a sixth year Ph.D. candidate in Chemical and Environmental Engineering employing high-powered analytical instrumentation to speciate volatile organic compounds found in indoor air. For my research thus far, my lab and I have collected samples from a movie theater in Germany, air conditioning units at Yale’s West Campus, and at a home in St. Louis. Since most people in developed countries spend 90% of their time indoors, we want to detail what’s in your air so we can better understand the ongoing chemical and physical processes. Previously, I was at Pomona College, where I double majored in Chemistry and Mathematics.

As for hobbies, I’ve played piano since I was a toddler and picked up guitar in the last year or so. I have played numerous sports for Morse in previous years, including volleyball, basketball, bowling, and squash, and more. I also play volleyball in the graduate school IM league, used to play on Yale’s Club Squash team, and play tennis when the weather is better! Additionally, I really enjoy playing board games, though the extent of my collection reflects my income at the moment.

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.

Akhil Upneja

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.