麻豆村

This fall, 麻豆村 will welcome the sixth cohort of Dietrich College Scholars, an outstanding group of doctoral students beginning their studies in the humanities and social sciences.

Led by associate deans Sharon Carver and Ayana Ledford, the fellowship program supports students through financial assistance, professional development opportunities and network-building experiences. The program also fosters connections among incoming doctoral students, creating opportunities for scholars from across departments in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences to build relationships early in their graduate careers.

Designed to ease the transition to graduate school and life in Pittsburgh, the program connects students with campus resources and professional support services. Throughout the year, scholars engage with one another through shared meals, excursions and college- and university-sponsored events. Returning scholars from earlier cohorts remain involved, providing mentorship, encouragement and practical advice as new students begin their doctoral journeys.

Meet the 2026-2027 cohort

Cat Dinh-Le

My name is Cat Dinh-Le, and I am from the Bronx, N.Y. I have been in Pittsburgh for the past two years as part of the M.D.-Ph.D. program. I am excited to join the Ph.D. program in the Department of Social and Decision Sciences and explore how different methods of health information dissemination and engagement can impact decision-making and health outcomes. In my spare time, I enjoy teaching my rescue dog new tricks, trying new restaurants with my partner and friends, and dragon boat paddling.听

Ting-Yi Hsueh

My name is Ting-Yi Hsueh. I鈥檓 from Taiwan and am an incoming Ph.D. student in psychology. I鈥檓 broadly interested in how the brain, sensory processing and cognition jointly shape how we acquire and adapt movements across development. Outside of research, I enjoy weight training, long walks, dancing, and I鈥檝e recently started practicing yoga on my own! Fun fact: My academic path started with dance, and somehow it has taken me from kinesiology to psychology and cognitive neuroscience!听

Meghna Krishnamurthy

My name is Meghna Krishnamurthy. I鈥檓 from New Jersey, although I鈥檝e been in Pittsburgh for the past two years as part of the M.D.-Ph.D. program. I will be joining the Ph.D. program in cognitive neuroscience. I鈥檓 broadly interested in understanding how early childhood environments shape neural development and cognitive function. Outside of research, I enjoy language learning, birdwatching, and cooking with friends. Fun fact: I鈥檓 an avid enjoyer of Thai food and am building a ranking of the best Thai restaurants around the city!

Taegang Lee

My name is Taegang Lee (pronounced like 鈥淭ae-gahng鈥�; /t蓻伞a艐/). I鈥檓 from South Korea and will be joining the Ph.D program in applied linguistics and second language acquisition this fall. My research integrates psycholinguistics and educational linguistics to investigate the cognitive and neural mechanisms involved in second language learning. I鈥檓 a dedicated cold-brew coffee enthusiast. To unwind, I love watching heartwarming videos of kids and animals and always enjoy a good chat with colleagues. Fun fact: I鈥檓 surprisingly competitive at board games, even though I usually try to stay calm and collected.

Shuyi Li

My name is Shuyi Li (pronounced 鈥渟hoo-yee鈥�). I鈥檓 originally from southwestern China and am currently living in Tokyo. I鈥檒l be joining the Ph.D. program in rhetoric in the Department of English this fall. My research interests lie at the intersection of digital rhetoric and writing studies, especially the ways emerging writing technologies such as generative AI are shaping the landscape of human rhetorical practices. In my free time, you may catch me learning a new language or watching cooking shows. I also enjoy caf茅 hopping and attending tea ceremonies with friends. A fun fact about me: as a foodie who loves writing, my dream is to author a bilingual illustrated book introducing comfort foods from around the world.

Xintong Li

My name is Xintong Li. I鈥檓 from China, and I will be joining the Ph.D. program in philosophy this fall. My research interests broadly lie in causality and human-AI collaboration. I鈥檓 particularly interested in developing principled methods that combine theoretical guarantees with real-world impact. Outside of research, I enjoy playing badminton, swimming and hiking. I also like playing video games, especially 鈥淭he Legend of Zelda鈥� and 鈥淪uper Mario Bros.鈥� games. Fun fact: I hope to travel around the world with my future cat someday, even though I鈥檝e never actually had a cat.

Yijia Li

My name is Yijia Li, and I use they/them pronouns. I鈥檓 from China and am living in D.C. now. I鈥檒l be joining the History Department. I鈥檓 interested in the history of ethnopolitics, revolutions and borderlands of China from late imperial to contemporary times, with a particular focus on an unclassified group indigenous to western Hunan, which I have familial ties to. I enjoy consuming and creating transformative works, swimming, singing and wandering in my neighborhood. A fun fact about me: I used to live with a bonded pair of rescue bunnies.

Cynthia Mbagwu

My name is Cynthia Mbagwu, and I am from South-East Nigeria. This fall, I will be joining the Ph.D. program in computational cultural studies at 麻豆村!

My research interests lie at the intersection of Black studies and decolonial digital humanities, with a particular focus on preserving and interpreting African cultural memory through literary and cultural analysis, computational methods and digital curation.

Outside of research, you can find me gushing over K-dramas, spending time with close friends, taking scenic photographs and dancing in my room. Fun fact: One of my favorite places to be is church.

Alice Xu

My name is Alice Xu. I鈥檓 originally from Houston, Texas, and I鈥檓 very excited to be joining the joint Ph.D. program in statistics and public policy this fall! I鈥檓 interested in causal inference and population dynamics with applications in informing policy. In my spare time, I enjoy photography, crocheting, running and musical theater!

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