Liv Bjorgum is a fourth-year undergraduate majoring in psychology and sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. She is passionate about interdisciplinary and intersectional research, and she is thrilled to be a part of the HIGHER Lab. Outside of the lab, she is currently researching the impacts of the femtech industry on women’s health. She is also studying patterns of stillbirth as a mentee in the Social Sciences Research Pathways program. She volunteers with Kesem Berkeley and writes music journalism pieces. In her free time, she enjoys making zines, cooking, and practicing yoga.

Maria Castaneda (she/they) is a senior at the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in  Psychology with a minor in Chicanx Latinx Studies. She is particularly interested in exploring how the intersection of multiple group identities—such as race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status—impacts access to valuable resources and opportunities, resulting in disparities in mental health, well-being, and education. Additionally, she seeks to understand how societal perceptions of these individuals further influence their life experiences and opportunities. Through her academic pursuits, she aims to understand and address the systemic barriers and biases that impact these individuals.

Anaaya is a current junior at the University of California, Berkeley, pursuing a dual-degree with a B.A. in Psychology and a B.A. in Economics. Her exposure to over 45 countries and growing up in two technologically vibrant cities — Bangalore and San Francisco — has placed storytelling, community, and diversity at the forefront of her identity. Founding her own 501(c)(3) non-profit at 15 ignited her passion for crafting human connections through communications, strategy, product design and branding. Outside her professional pursuits, she enjoys animals, meditation, free-diving, meeting new people, and trying new recipes.

Ashleigh Davila is a third year, majoring in Business Administration and Economics with a minor in Public Policy. She aims to address San Francisco's economic inequality in her future career, focusing on how race and gender intersect with income disparities. Through the Billionaire Exemplar project, she hopes to analyze the socio-cognitive factors that promote the false perception that racial economic equality has vastly progressed. On campus, Ashleigh is a part of the Latinx Business Student Association and an associate in the ASCU Office of Senator Jonathan Franco. On the weekends, she is a server at a Peruvian restaurant in Lafayette; in her free time, Ashleigh loves working out and studying in local coffee shops. Ashleigh studied abroad last semester in Madrid, Spain and is excited to be returning to the lab!

Rebecca Ding is a junior double majoring in Business Administration and Psychology with a minor in Journalism. Rebecca is captivated by the complexities of human relationships and behaviour, and its ties with hierarchy and various racial groups. She believes and continues to exercise communication as a powerful tool to bridge divides, foster understanding, and cultivate connections among communities from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Paired with her experiences in fundraising, collaborating with nonprofits, and bridging community divides, she aspires to leverage her strategic management skills to mitigate social inequities for marginalized communities. She plans to utilize the power of aligning philanthropy with entrepreneurship to tackle social challenges innovatively and create sustainable impact.

Hello everyone! My name is Leah Gutierrez (they/she) and I am so excited to be a research assistant with Sha-Kiera this semester. In my fourth year at Cal, I have landed on studying Sociology and Human Rights. Over the summer I had the pleasure of interning for the City of Oakland in the Department of Race and Equity. This immersive experience provided me with an equity-based-framework that can be applied universally when interrogating systemic inequality. Sha-Kiera’s research on Gender and Sexuality Inequality was very enticing to me given my background in studying inequality, and also my personal connection to her research as a queer person. I am very excited to interrogate structures of inequality through a queer lens! In my free time, I love to read fantasy novels, watch movies with friends, and go camping with my partner :)

Sanjana Rajupalem (she/her/hers) is a research assistant at HIGHER lab. She is a current undergraduate student majoring in legal studies with plans to minor in public policy. She is interested in the ways in which the law oftentimes justifies and reinforces inequality as well as how this relates to social psychology. In particular, she seeks to further understand what role psychological emotions play in codifying law and their broader societal impacts. She also wants to explore how emotions influence individuals within institutions such as higher education and the workplace. She hopes to use what she learns to inform her perspectives throughout undergrad, law school, and her future professional endeavors. 

Hello, my name is Inderpal Singh and I am a third year student studying Political Economy+concentration in US inequality. I am researching intersectionality here at the HIGHER lab. As a Queer Punjabi Sikh, I hope to combine my identity and growing knowledge of the greater intersectional struggle to frame my goals/aspirations within the professional field.  As a future lawyer, I aspire to assist in asylee cases ranging from 1984-Sikh-genocide asylees, to those escaping persecution from the Middle East/India for their sexuality/gender identities. When I am not deep-diving into systemic issues, I like to de-stress by running, playing tennis, and fighting my demons in the gym. During my freshman year, I was on the founding council for “Berkeley Sikh Law” which hopes to provide resources to first-generation low-income students so they can succeed within the field of law. Currently, as the president, I hope to expand on this mission at Berkeley.

Hi everyone! I’m Zhuoya! I’m a sophomore student, with a Psychology major and a Data Science minor. I am still exploring my second major, which may be Art History. My major research interest is the various emotions in organizations, why we have them and how they shape us. I am particularly interested in any innovative and effective way to enhance one’s empathy. Outside academic life, I love making graphic design as the marketing director in one ASUC senator’s office. I’m also very good at baking, especially Chinese traditional desserts. My proudest achievement ever is that I managed to see this year’s total eclipse with solar prominence in cloudy Austin!