Faculty Mentor
Emily Ho, Assistant Professor of Medical Social Sciences Feinberg School of Medicine
2026–27 Buffett Undergraduate Research Fellows
The Buffett Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program enables undergraduates at Northwestern University to become meaningfully involved in a faculty mentor’s international research project and learn how collaborative research is conducted in or across disciplines. This year, the Roberta Buffett Institute matched 31 undergraduates with research assistantships for 18 faculty members' research projects, which span 15 disciplinary departments across six schools at Northwestern. Learn about the 2026–27 cohort of Buffett Undergraduate Research Fellows and their faculty mentors' projects below.
Advancing Reliable Health Measurement in Dementia and Cognitive Aging in a Latin American Context
Already a global challenge, dementia disproportionately affects those from Latin American countries due to a confluence of social determinants of health, including minimal access to health facilities, socioeconomic vulnerability, decreased social/cognitive engagement, and more. The primary purpose of this project is to examine the extent to which cognitive status differentiates health outcomes. Results from this investigation will lead to a more comprehensive understanding of how dementia affects this high-risk sample and can provide empirically targeted areas for precision intervention.
Research Fellows
Maya Ventura, Biology and Global Health, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '27
Diego Davila, Neuroscience, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '27 (right)
Authoritarian International Propaganda in the Age of Digital Media
Authoritarian regimes have long relied on propaganda to shape how citizens understand politics, evaluate rulers, and interpret world events. Recent scholarship on informational autocracy argues that contemporary dictatorships survive less through mass terror than through systematic management of the information environment. This project conceptualizes authoritarian international propaganda as a multi-actor, platform-embedded system and by studying its operation in English-language video content about China and Russia.
Faculty Mentor
Yingdan Lu, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, School of Communication
Research Fellows
Ashley Wei, Political Science and Industrial Engineering, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences; McCormick School of Engineering, '28 (left)
Michelle Wang, Radio/TV/Film, School of Communication, '29 (right)
Environmental and Social Effects of Minerals Mining in Southern Hemisphere Nations
Since 2023, Northwestern has been collaborating with universities in South America and Australia to understand the effects of critical minerals mining including contributing to water scarcity, water pollution, biodiversity loss, and agricultural land loss. Research has uncovered substantial data gaps that impede the ability to characterize these impacts using tools like life cycle assessment. This project will continue to build open access data sources and analyses to support community and policy maker understanding of the environmental and social effects of minerals mining in countries around the world.
Faculty Mentor
Jennifer Dunn, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering
Research Fellows
Alya Uner, Electrical Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering, '29 (left)
Cate Seel, Economics and Environmental Science, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '27 (right)
Experimentally Testing the Effectiveness of Soft Skills in Improving Employability among Young Graduates from Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) in Uttarakhand, India
Youth unemployment remains a critical policy challenge in developing countries, particularly in India, where young workers face significantly higher unemployment rates than older workers. To address this, the Indian government has established ITIs nationwide, offering post-secondary training in over 150 trades. Despite these efforts, ITIs face persistent challenges, including low enrollment and a disconnect between the skills taught and those demanded by employers. This study evaluates the impact of the training program to guide strategies for scaling effective approaches to vocational training and youth employment in India.
Faculty Mentor
Lori Beaman, Professor of Economics, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
Research Fellow
Alekhya Banerjee, Psychology and Economics, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '28Flagship Report for Global Water Security
Problems with water quality and quantity are increasing in frequency and severity throughout the world, with major implications for health and well-being. High-resolution, globally comparable data have been extremely helpful for understanding experiences with many global issues but have not yet existed for water. To fill this gap, this project will utilize Water InSecurity Experiences (WISE) Scales, the first cross-country equivalent way of measuring water access and use that have now been used in more than 100 countries. This report will describe how the WISE Scales can be used to estimate the prevalence of water insecurity, make decisions about targeting resources, and to evaluate the impact of water interventions.
Faculty Mentor
Sera Young, Professor of Anthropology, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
Research Fellows
Rayden Yap, Manufacturing and Design Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering, '29 (left)
Jaimie Chun, Journalism and Data Science, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications; Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '28 (right)
Global Classroom: Enhancing Linguistic Proficiency and Intercultural Competence in Chinese as a Second Language via Virtual Exchanges
This project examines linguistic growth and intercultural competence gained from regular virtual exchanges with Chinese native speakers for Chinese as a second language learners. This project uses conversation analysis, an innovative qualitative method used to study linguistic and sociocultural norms through fine-grained analysis of naturally-occurring conversations, to collect and analyze audio and/or video recordings of conversations between a Chinese learner and a native speaker over the course of one school year.
Faculty Mentor
Yan Zhou, Assistant Professor of Chinese Instruction, Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences
Research Fellows
Sophia Li, Psychology and Cognitive Science, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '28 (left)
Autumn Wang, Psychology and Economics, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '29 (right)
Global Learning and Linking Opportunities to Bring Equity into Learning Health Systems (GLLOBE-LHS)
Despite significant advances in medical science and healthcare systems, health inequities remain a major challenge across the globe. This project will focus on the co-creation and implementation of a health equity course designed to provide early-career doctoral researchers and professionals in Switzerland with necessary tools and strategies to effectively incorporate equity-driven approaches into their work.
Faculty Mentor
Faith Summersett Williams, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine
Research Fellows
Noah Padilla, Political Science and Global Health Studies, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '27 (left)
Aaron James, Neuroscience, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '28 (middle)
Vanya Saksena, Economics and Global Health, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '27 (right)
Global Poverty Research Lab Livelihood Business Plans Case Study
Understanding the minimum investments and expected returns of key livelihoods can help identify the thresholds preventing the poor from escaping poverty. A complete picture of investments includes an assessment of incentives and profitability of setting up businesses individually or in a group. Northwestern University’s Global Poverty Research Lab (GPRL) is conducting semi-structured one-on-one interviews to develop business plans that estimate basic investments and expected returns to common livelihoods and enterprises in Malawi and the Philippines.
Faculty Mentor
Dean Karlan, Frederic Esser Nemmers Chair in Economics and Finance, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences; Kellogg School of Management
Research Fellows
Mingla Sherpa, Economics and Political Science, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '27 (left)
Lara Choy, History and Political Science, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '27 (right)
How the Developmental State Really Works: Evidence from Rwanda
Rwanda runs a very successful bureaucracy, delivering health, education, and infrastructure outcomes at breakneck speed. It does so with very few people and very few resources. How? This project studies imihigo, the Rwandan way in which government and society work together for development. The project focuses on data processing, data statistical analysis, and presentation.
Faculty Mentor
Leander Heldring, Assistant Professor of Managerial Economics and Decision Sciences, Kellogg School of Management
Research Fellow
Maya Gjelhaug, Mathematics, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '28
Intonation and Pronunciation Practices for Improving Spanish Phonetic Production in Accelerated Elementary Courses
This project examines the development of pronunciation and intonation in elementary-level Spanish students at Northwestern University. The study evaluates whether a series of intonation activities significantly contribute to improving students’ Spanish phonetic production. The overall goal is to provide empirical evidence on the extent to which intonation-focused practice improves students’ pronunciation. In addition, this research also aims to offer new insights for curriculum development and pedagogical practices in accelerated language courses.
Faculty Mentor
Wílmar López-Barrios, Assistant Professor of Instruction, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
Research Fellows
Ruixing Liu, Cognitive Science and Political Science, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '27 (left)
Caroline Cooper, Spanish, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '27 (right)
Neurological Disorders in the Republic of Guinea
The Republic of Guinea in West Africa is home to more than 12 million people and five neurologists. The current work includes a cohort of over 1000 people with epilepsy being studied for access to neurological care, smartphone-based electroencephalography, and outcomes related to optimizing epilepsy treatment with antiseizure medicines. An additional cohort studies point-of-care antibody testing for patients with spinal cord and visual disorders, such as paralysis and blindness, consistent with multiple sclerosis or neuromyelitis optica.
Faculty Mentor
Farrah Mateen, Director, Robert J. Havey, MD Institute for Global Health - Center for Global Neurology; Dr. Charles L. Mix Research Professor of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine
Research Fellow
Ila Gordon, Global Health and Neuroscience, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '27
Platform Visibility of Political Protests through Visual News Framing across Indonesia, the Philippines, and Nepal
This study investigates the visual news framing of large-scale anti-corruption protests in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Nepal in 2025. Using computational visual analysis, it analyzes the visual framing of international and domestic news coverage of the protests and compares differences in their visual features across these three Asian countries. It examines how visual news framing contributes to the visibility of political mobilization in the Global South, potentially affecting the perceived legitimacy of protests and inspiring further political action.
Faculty Mentor
Erik C. Nisbet, Owen L. Coon Endowed Professor in Policy Analysis and Communication, School of Communication
Research Fellow
Inaaya Firoz, Journalism, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, '26Prevalence and Development of Food Allergy and Other Atopic Conditions Among Indian School-Age Children
Food allergy (FA) and atopic diseases are a significant public health concern in the US, but FA remains underexplored in India—particularly within the pediatric community. This project aims to examine why the prevalence of atopic conditions is higher in the US compared to India. It will build off previous work in north India—assessing allergic conditions among school age children through microbiome sample collection and surveys to understand prevalence of food allergy and atopic conditions as well as how early introduction practices and protective effects of the skin and gut microbiome influence atopy development.
Faculty Mentor
Ruchi Gupta, Director, Institute for Public Health and Medicine (IPHAM) - Center for Food Allergy & Asthma; Professor of Pediatrics, Medical Social Sciences, and Preventative Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine
Research Fellow
Aarushi Verma, Biology and Global Health, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '28
Revitalizing Palenquero: Current Language Initiatives in San Basilio de Palenque
This project aims to report on the current revitalization process of the Palenquero language spoken in the community of San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia. Beginning in the 20th century, the use of Palenquero declined due to discrimination and members of the community stopped transmitting the language to the next generation. While attitudes have since changed, the language is still not frequently spoken by young people. The purpose of this research is to investigate the current initiatives undertaken by community members to revitalize the language and share educational strategies for teaching Palenquero.
Faculty Mentor
Estilita Maria Cassiani Obeso, Assistant Professor of Spanish Instruction, Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences
Research Fellow
Yamandú Capalbo, Journalism and Linguistics, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications; Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '28 (left)
Kate Chavez, Social Policy and Environmental Policy and Culture, School of Education and Social Policy; Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '28 (right)
The Meaning of ‘Syrian’? National Identity during Political Transition
The collapse of the regime of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 launched Syria into an uncertain political transition. This project examines the Syrian case to explore how such transitions might require not only the transformation of political institutions and practices but also the forging of new national identities. After decades in which the answer to the question “Who are we?” was imposed from above through coercion and fear, how do citizens grapple with it for themselves, both individually and collectively?
Faculty Mentor
Wendy Pearlman, Jane Long Professor of Arts and Sciences, Professor of Political Science, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
Research Fellows
Naya Yazigi, Journalism and Economics, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications; Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '27
Fares Khalil, Biomedical Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering, '29
The Role of Digital IDs in Reducing Financial Market Frictions and Improving Financial Inclusion and Credit Market Outcomes in Ethiopia
Do digital IDs reduce frictions in financial markets? What are the effects of reducing these frictions for households and small businesses, or on competition and loan terms offered by banks, financial technology lenders, and microfinance institutes? To answer this research question, a team of researchers at Northwestern, Oxford, the World Bank, and Ethiopia's Policy Studies Institute are collaborating closely with Ethiopia's National ID Program (NIDP) to randomize the rollout of digital IDs across rural areas at the district level.
Faculty Mentor
Sean Higgins, Associate Professor of Finance, Kellogg School of Management
Research Fellows
Elebetel Negusse, Theatre and Data Science, School of Communication, '27 (left)
Anjali Chepyala, Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences and Economics, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '28 (right)
The Unthinkable Fight? Democracy and Violence across Borders
This book project pursues two aims. The book’s first aim is to offer a general account of the idea of “the unthinkable,” which has been heavily under-studied in moral and political philosophy. The second aim is to show how a better theoretical grasp of “the unthinkable” can help address concrete moral questions concerning the relationship between democracy and violence, especially across international borders.
Faculty Mentor
Shmuel Nili, Professor of Political Science, Associate Editor, Perspectives on Politics, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
Research Fellow
Isabella Camargos, Political Science, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, '28
The World We Don't Know: Fallout from the Decline of Foreign Correspondents
This project seeks to research the decline in traditional foreign correspondents and the impact this loss may have had on democracy at home and abroad, a rise in isolationism in America, and a decline in knowledge about foreign news and the world for an upcoming book. The book will focus on the importance of foreign correspondents and what the world loses without more of them. The student in this role will assist the project by interviewing foreign editors and correspondents and surveying international news content.
Faculty Mentor
Bob Rowley, Senior Lecturer, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications
Research Fellows
Dasha Dubinina, Journalism and Environmental Policy and Culture, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, '28 (left)
John Sisco, Journalism and Political Science, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, '27 (right)