Introducing...Junction 2016's mentor team!

Our six Junction mentors have written biographies about themselves to help you get to know them better. Look through the summaries below, and click on the photos to learn more about each mentor. If you're interested in working with a mentor but aren't sure where to start, read their bio carefully. Many mentors have suggested ideas for independent study projects for you to explore. Email us at junction@mit.edu if you have any questions. Good luck!

	Mehitabel Glenhaber I'm a freshman at MIT in Comparative Media Studies and Science, Technology and Society. I am a self-published comic artist. I like weird intellectual history, especially topics that combine the effects of technology (especially media technology) on philosophy, the way that new technologies are incorporated into existing philosophies and fiction. In general, I'm a huge fan of periods in history with a really distinct zeitgeist where you can connect absolutely everything that's happening through some sort of underlying pattern or idea. History of science fiction and fan cultures is another favorite historical topic of mine: everything from studying depictions of rockets in utopian 1890s sci-fi to actually doing fieldwork at Boston science fiction and fantasy conventions. Finally, I've taken a bunch of classes and done some lab work in (especially behavioral) neuroscience, including a summer studying how worms smell. I spend a lot of time thinking about the way that cognitive science principles affect the way we understand art, especially comics. I've been spending a lot of time this semester studying narrative theory, the media studies/cognitive science theory of how humans process stories, for instance. Learn more about Mehitabel...
	Yuancheng Yu I am a freshman interested in math, computer science, electrical engineering, philosophy, and some other things. I enjoy solving problems and exploring new things. Besides studying, I read books, sing in the concert choir, learn piano pieces, take photos for the newspaper, and sometimes go cycling and sailing. Music and photography make me feel peaceful and engaged in artistic and creative expression; cycling and sailing help me feel connected to my body and nature. Learn more about Yuancheng...
	Emma Bingham Hello! I am a rising sophomore at MIT, planning to study physics. I have diverse interests, which include space, the environment, music, journalism, fiction, and more. Recently, I have been working on a project about a method for detecting traces of life on planets outside our solar system! And in the near future, I’ll be starting on a neuroscience project exploring one mechanism for how autism develops in children. In my spare time, I am a news reporter for The Tech, MIT’s student newspaper, and a keyholder (which is like a librarian) at MIT Science Fiction Society. I also like cooking, playing the piano, and spending time with my floormates and friends. And possibly attempting to do all of those things at once. Learn more about Emma...
	Olivia Brode-Roger I am a Junior at MIT in Poli... actually, gimme a second: story time! When I applied to MIT, I wanted to do Computer Science. Programming was really fun and I spent a lot of time doing that. By the time I got in, I was convinced I wanted to study physics. What was better than trying to understand how our universe works? Once I got on campus, I was set on Planetary Science. It's the next frontier! A year later, after spending a summer automating exoplanet data analysis, I switched to Computer Science. Not long after, I ended up in Theoretical Mathematics in a valiant quest to understand the world through 5 times removed concepts. That was fun. Finally, we catch up to the present to find me in Political Science, continuing my quest to understand how our world works. So, at this point you wonder what the purpose of that story was in a space-limited bio. Simply put: the universe is exciting! Learn more about Olivia...
	Lane Gunderman My name is Lane Gunderman. In my free time, I play card games, read plays, bake, and talk with people. I am currently a third year undergraduate at MIT studying chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Since coming to MIT, I have taken classes in quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, game theory, abstract algebra, quantum computation. In general, my interests lie in physics and the group of computational, physical, and theoretical chemistry, as well as quantum computation applications to these fields. During the past four summers, I have done research that has included spectroscopy firmware development, molecular simulations of a photosynthetic protein complex, and simulation statistics for polymer chains. Learn more about Lane...
	Jessica Hyde Hello! I'm Jessica Hyde, currently a sophomore at MIT studying physics. My academic interests and experience are also very computer science based, and since coming to MIT I've taken classes on software construction as well as topics in physics such as relativity and quantum mechanics, and some astrophysics. My research interests usually revolve around combining the two worlds in some way, by using computer science to model or analyse physical phenomena. I love breaking down reality into statistically significant pieces and seeing how they fit together. In the past I've worked on a project to take data from CERN and convert it into an audible medium. Currently my research has me involved with the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) experiment, which is a large-scale experiment intended to directly measure gravitational waves (and as of recently, it may have succeeded!) Learn more about Jessica...