Undergraduate Research Assistant (URA) Program Cohorts | The Hunter College AANAPISI Project

Our Asian American Communities Research Program pairs undergraduate students with a faculty mentor. Learn more about the URA student projects below. Visit this page to learn more about the program.

URA Summer 2025 Cohort

Abida Begum

Abida Begum is a Human Biology major at Hunter College. She is interested in working in the medical field and healthcare environment, where her career goals align with helping people and diagnosing diseases. She is passionate about understanding how the human body functions. Beyond academics, she enjoys volunteering and gaining hands-on experience in clinical settings and non-clinical. Also interested in doing any kind of research that improves her skills. After graduating, she plans to pursue a career as Physician Assistant, aiming to make a positive impact on people’s lives.

Project Description: For my project, I wrote a literate essay exploring whether it is fair for undocumented and immigrant students including Latino, Asian, refugee and first generation youth to be excluded from federal and state educational aid in the United States. I analyzed legal and structural barriers, the uneven access to resources, and the personal and emotional toll of exclusion. Gathering various sources to discuss them. I also compared how other countries such Canada and the UK provide more inclusive educational support compared to the U.S. My essay shows ways to change policies so all students can get access to education, regardless of their immigration status.

Faculty Mentor: Jennifer Newman

Research Paper

Becky Koshy

Becky Koshy is a sophomore at Hunter College majoring in biochemistry with a minor in psychology. Born into a Kerala, India–rooted family and raised in New York, she is passionate about celebrating cultural identity while pursuing her academic and career goals. As an Indian American student, Becky values the sense of belonging HCAP provides and hopes to contribute by uplifting and connecting with peers from diverse backgrounds. On campus, she serves as outreach coordinator for the Neuro Club and is exploring research in biochemistry. Her ultimate goal is to attend medical school and serve as an advocate for underrepresented communities.

Project Description: My research focused on Asian American religious identity and affiliation, examining how faith traditions shape cultural identity, social support, and civic engagement. I conducted a literature review that explored the historical and demographic landscape of Asian American religion, subgroup differences, intergenerational changes, and the role of religion in both assimilation and resistance. For my final project, I created a blog post for HCAP that highlighted the complexity of Asian American religious life and its ties to identity and belonging. Through this process, I learned how religion intersects with race, immigration, and community, offering deeper insight into Asian American experiences.

Faculty Mentor: Riley Kellogg

Literature Review

Habibah Aldakak

Habibah Aldakak is a Biological Sciences major with a minor in psychology and pursing a Human Rights certificate at Hunter College. She was born in Egypt and moved to New York. Habibah is passionate about medicine, human rights advocacy, and global health. She is actively volunteering with New York Presbyterian Queens Hospital and working as a medical assistant at an OBGYN Clinic. After graduating, she plans to work on different areas of research she plans to pursue medical school with a focus on patient-centered care and humanitarian medicine. In her free time, she enjoys reading, journalling, and café hopping in NYC!

Project Description: Health is a collective responsibility; therefore, we need policies that represent the true needs of our communities. This advocacy booklet serves as an educational resource, informing community members about the new MAHA campaign being implemented by the federal government and its policy implications for the current public health model. It also includes actionable steps at the end, empowering readers to engage with the information and take meaningful action within their communities.

Faculty Mentor: Carmen Melillo

Advocacy Booklet

Isabelle Z. Meneses

Isabelle (she/her) is majoring in clinical psychology with a minor in Asian American studies at Hunter College. Isabelle has experience with qualitative research in a cognitive/clinical psychology lab, but is developing more interdisciplinary interests involving health psychology and cultural studies. After graduating, Isabelle aims to eventually pursue a Ph.D. program proximate to the work she wants to create for herself and the knowledge she wants to add to the world.

Project Description: My project is a research proposal abstract titled “ ‘Saving Face’ from Death Anxiety: Southeast Asian Americans and Seeking Cancer Screenings” The process of getting this project/my research question to its current state involved a lot of literature searching and reflection on my interests. I decided I wanted to draw the connections between the construct of “saving face” as it appears in Asian cultures and the construct of death anxiety as it appears in mainstream U.S. ideas in recent years. I feel these constructs may potentially influence each other in a way that can inform resources for several communities.

Faculty Mentor: Eva Parra

Recap Presentation

My email is isabelle.meneses73@myhunter.cuny.edu in case there are questions!

Ivy Lin

Ivy Lin is a first-generation Chinese American student majoring in Human Biology with a minor in Computer Science at Hunter College. She is passionate about pursuing a career in healthcare and is dedicated to serving her community. Ivy has gained hands-on clinical experience working in various fields, including as a dental assistant and medical assistant, which deepened her interest in patient care and community health. Beyond academics, she values opportunities to engage in research, cultural exploration, and outreach. After graduation, Ivy plans to combine her background in science and technology to address healthcare disparities and promote equitable care while pursuing PA school.

Project Description:For her research project, Ivy collaborated with her mentor and peers on the Gate of Memory Proposal, which explored Asian American memory initiatives. Their final product was a co-designed educational guide for high school students to create their own memory initiatives. The guide encourages teens to highlight family or community stories that deserve to be remembered. Through this work, Ivy learned about cultural preservation, intergenerational storytelling, and addressing disparities in Asian American communities.

Faculty Mentor: Cathlin Goulding

Recap Presentation

Izzah Amir

Izzah Amir is a Creative Writing and Studio Art major at Hunter College. She is also pursuing a minor in Asian American Studies. Izzah is an avid environmentalist, artist, storyteller, and aspiring poet. She is interested in multidisciplinary studies, progressive climate laws, food justice, polyculturalism, mutual aid projects, and curriculum reform within public schools. As a Pakistani American, she seeks to support and uplift the lives of immigrants, women, and Asian Americans through intensive research.

Project Description: Izzah’s project explores how community centers serve and sustain the Asian American community. She conducted an interview with Peter Cheng, the program director for the Chinese-American Planning Council’s Nan Shan Senior Center in Flushing. Through this insightful interview as well as further research on Chinese American history, Izzah learned about the many injustices that the Chinese American community in Queens has faced. Chinese seniors in particular are impacted by rampant gentrification, housing insecurity, and elder abuse. Through this project, Izzah hopes to mobilize her findings by connecting students from Hunter’s Silberman School of Social Work with the Nan Shan Senior Center in order to assist victims of elder abuse.

Faculty Mentor: Debbie Sonu

Research Paper

Kaniz Lamia

Kaniz Lamia is a first-generation Bangladeshi American. She is an undergraduate student at Hunter College majoring in Human Biology and minoring in Asian American studies. She is interested in pursuing a career in healthcare and learning more about Asian American communities. Through her studies, she has developed an interest in clinical care and in how culture influences patient experiences, focusing on addressing healthcare disparities and promoting equitable, patient-centered care. Beyond academics, she values learning through research and exploring the challenges patients face, to better understand barriers to healthcare and ways to improve access and outcomes.

Project Description: This project examines the experiences of South Asians in New York City’s taxi industry, highlighting themes of migration, labor, and resilience. Through interviews with a yellow cab driver and a South Asian community organizer, it explores personal stories, the cultural and economic significance of yellow cabs, and the challenges drivers face, including financial strain and discrimination. The final project, presented as a zine, weaves these interviews with historical context on labor organizing and community activism. Through this work, she gained insight into how immigrant labor has shaped NYC.

Faculty Mentor: Christopher Lin

Project Zine

Maisha Mohosheen

Maisha Mohosheen is a senior at Hunter College, where she studies Biology and English. As a first-generation college student from a Bengali immigrant family, she has always carried with her both the drive to succeed in science and the love of storytelling. Her experiences in clinical research have deepened her dedication to becoming a physician-investigator, with a focus on advancing health equity by improving health literacy and reducing disparities in care. Just as much as she is rooted in science, Maisha is also drawn to the humanities, and she hopes to pursue a master’s in Narrative Medicine, bringing together art, science, and human stories. Growing up in the Lower East Side shaped her passion for community, and today she continues to share her own stories while uplifting the voices of others, always with the goal of improving lives and honoring the communities that raised her.

Project Description: Maisha created a photo essay exploring how memories are carried within Asian American immigrant communities in New York’s Lower East Side. Specifically, drawing on her family’s photo albums and re-photographing locations and objects tied to migration, she layered archival and contemporary images with reflective writing and oral histories. In doing so, her project reflects the lived experiences of Bengali immigrants, highlighting themes of cultural preservation, migration and settlement, community-building, memory, and intergenerational connection. Ultimately, through storytelling and images, the project preserves cultural memory and illuminates the resilience of Bengali immigrants, situating these experiences within the broader history of Asian American presence in the neighborhood.

Faculty Mentor: Christopher Lin

Nicole Lu

Nicole Lu is a sophomore majoring in biology on the Premed track at the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter. She was born and raised in Brooklyn’s Chinatown. Nicole aspires to become a pediatrics oncologist in the future, this was her dream since highschool. During her free time she enjoys reading memoirs, going to the gym, and exploring new places. As an Asian American she has always been looking for ways to connect with her community. Nicole has always been involved in youth advocacy since high school. She has continued to work with/for her community. Currently Nicole volunteers at the Mount Sinai Cancer Clinic and Maimonides Emergency Department. She also works at Dr.Nie’s pediatrics clinic as a Medical assistant. She loves meeting new people and would love to stay connected through LinkedIn if you come across this bio! Additionally, she has started two clubs at Hunter (Medical Ethics Society and Dilemmas and Project H.E.ART) feel free to stop by if you’re interested!!

Project Description: Over the summer, Nicole and her mentor Cathlin conducted research towards the development of a youth curriculum. Cathlin is publishing an educator’s guide named “The Gate of Memory” ; Nicole and another student Ivy were featured to provide the youth’s perspective on how they view their identities. As youths in the AANHPI community, they felt as if their identities tend to be suppressed by dominant narratives. Without an outlet to share those experiences, schools also do not teach us enough about AANHPI history as a whole. The purpose of their research is to engage with the younger generations and those who come from similar backgrounds. They hope that through the educator’s guide, students can connect to their backgrounds and find inspiring ways to further this work and research. It was through this opportunity that Nicole really got to research memory projects and the histories of AANHPI history.

Faculty Mentor: Cathlin Goulding

Recap Presentation

Raitah Jinnat

Raitah Jinnat (they/them/she/her) is a Bangladeshi-American woman born, raised, and based in NYC. She majors in Computer Science with minors in Asian American Studies and Chemistry at Hunter College. Her technological interests lie in social good, policy, and advocacy. With these technological interests, she aspires to wield the intersection between STEM and storytelling. After graduating, she plans to get her masters in public health and then apply to medical school.

Project Description: The purpose of this research study examines the needs and challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals in the design of human-robot interactions and AI. The study aims to inform developing an intelligent robot companion meaningfully supporting and affirming LGBTQIA+ identities, addressing their unique needs. Hence, this research intends to foster greater inclusivity in AI-driven technologies.

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Raj Korpan

Recap Presentation

Sanjida Fairuse

Sanjida Fairuse is a first-generation Bangladeshi American majoring in Human Biology at Hunter College and pursuing the Business Certificate. She is passionate about technology and medicine and works as a Product Management and IT intern at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She has collaborated with a nonprofit to help first-year students gain confidence, navigate college, and embrace their identities. She also volunteered with the Tzu Chi Foundation’s Dental Mobile Clinic, assisting with X-rays and patient care for low-income Asian and Hispanic communities. As a board member of the Women in Computer Science club. she manages a Discord server of over 500 members, providing resources and support for women, including AANHPI students. In the future, Sanjida plans to purse Physician Assistant studies while continuing to contribute to healthcare and technology.

Project Description: Sanjida conducted a study examining how language barriers affect health literacy among South Asian immigrant women in primary care, focusing on family translators as both support and strain. Her final project included a research paper and a reflection blog post. She distributed surveys and conducted in-depth interviews with participants who assisted their female guardians with medical information. Through this project, Sanjida learned to create a literature review, identify themes, analyze qualitative data, and connect findings to a variety of healthcare challenges. She also gained experience designing questionnaires, managing participants’ schedules, and improving her skills as an interviewer, while reflecting on future research in cultural and healthcare barriers.

Faculty Mentor: Iris Finkel

Reflection Blog

Research Paper

URA Spring 2025 Cohort

Bethany Tomaneng

Bethany Tomaneng is a graduating Senior at Hunter College. She is a psychology major and a political science minor, hoping to pursue a career in Clinical Psychology. After she graduates, Bethany is planning on taking a gap year teaching English in Madrid before going to graduate school. She also loves and enjoys volleyball, the beach, and traveling!