Dean's Distinguished Graduate Fellowship Cohorts
2022 Dean's Distinguished Graduate Fellows
Alexandra Cunningham (Philosophy)
Philosophy
Originally from New Brunswick, Canada, Alexandra Cunningham is pursuing her PhD in philosophy. She previously earned an MA in philosophy from the University of Calgary and a BA with double honours in philosophy and great books from St. Thomas University. Her current research focuses on questions within social and traditional epistemology, particularly those that lie at the intersection of epistemology and ethics. Alexandra’s most recent thesis investigated what, if anything, it is that generates our standing to epistemically blame others. In her spare time, she is an avid sewist and knitter, and also enjoys walking, baking, and reading
Antonia Roach (Sociology)
Sociology
Antonia M. Roach is an incoming Sociology PhD student. She grew up in Easton, PA and completed her B.S. in Psychological Sciences at Purdue University. After Purdue, she attended Syracuse University and earned a M.S. in Higher Postsecondary Education. While at Syracuse, the presence of ongoing student protests in response to race-based incidents on campus deepened an interest in social movements and what factors cause them to persist or fizzle out. While in this master's program, she also became more interested in veganism as a social movement. The combination of the student protests and increasing interest in veganism led her to desire pursuing research in the areas of social movements and race. After earning her masters, she returned to Purdue to work in the Honors College as a Program Coordinator for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Leadership Development. She is excited to join the WashU community this fall.
Brooke Eastman (Art History)
Art History
Brooke Eastman is a PhD student in the History of Art department, focusing on American art and transatlantic modernisms. In her research, she plans to examine the role of intersectionality on networks of artistic exchange in the 1920s and 30s.
Prior to commencing her doctoral studies, Brooke was a freelance curatorial assistant and researcher in London, most recently working on the renovation and reopening of Leighton House Museum, the historic home of Victorian artist Sir Frederic Leighton. She holds a BA in History of Art from Yale University (2016), where she was awarded the A. Conger Goodyear Prize for Outstanding Senior Thesis, and a MA in History of Art from The Courtauld Institute of Art (2018), where she wrote her dissertation on Jazz Age painter and poet Florine Stettheimer’s relationship to the construction of American cultural heritage.
Bryce Noe (Music)
Musicology
My name is Bryce Noe, and I am pursuing a PhD in Musicology and a graduate certificate in American Culture Studies. As an athlete and sound studies researcher, I am passionate about examining sporting spaces and events as sites whereby knowledge—both semantic and embodied—is transmitted sonically. Additionally, I have written extensively on the ways in which athletes, particularly freestyle skateboarders, choreograph their maneuvers to music during contests and the (sub)cultural and gender politics embedded within these choreographies.
Prior to graduate study at Washington University in St. Louis, I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Psychology at Hobart and William Smith Colleges (2019) and a Master of Music degree in Musicology at the University of Miami (2022). In my free time, I enjoy playing the trombone and piano as well as performing freestyle skateboarding tricks—a sport that I compete internationally in.
Maria Leticia Oliveira (Political Science)
Political Science
“Maria Leticia Claro Oliveira is a Ph.D. Student in the Political Science Department at the Washington University in St. Louis. Originally from Brazil, she graduated with her MA in Political Science from the University of Sao Paulo in 2021. Her main interests are Political Computational Methods and Voter Behavior in Latin America. She previously worked as a researcher for the Butantan Foundation and for Solidarity Research Network researching the social distancing policies in Brazil and how they could be applied to contain the spread of Sars-Cov-2.”
SynClaire Arthur (Psychological and Brain Sciences)
Psychological and Brain Sciences
SynClaire Arthur is a first year in the department of Psychological and Brain Sciences where she is pursuing a doctoral degree in the Clinical Science program. SynClaire is originally from Vineland, New Jersey but has lived in several other states including Philadelphia, Florida, Maryland, and now St. Louis. She completed her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in psychology at Temple University and Florida A&M University, respectively. Her personal life experiences and work experiences, particularly those working with high school youth as a counselor, inform her interest in the use of political education and culturally relevant interventions in educational spaces. SynClaire’s research will focus on the impact of these interventions on students’ engagement and identity in schools, as well as their response to trauma. Academics and research aside, SynClaire enjoys reading (novels are her favorite), spending time in or by the water, thrifting, binge watching Real Housewives episodes, and good food!
Zain Baweja (Writing Program)
Writing Program
Zain Baweja is a queer poet from Karachi, Pakistan. They graduated with a B.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of Oxford. Their poems have appeared in The Oxford Review of Books, The Aleph Review, and AGNI magazine. Their writing practice is influenced by eighteenth-century Urdu poetics and their grandmother’s stories. They love aimless bike rides, trees at night, and the beloved’s street. They are currently doing a poetry MFA at WashU St. Louis.
Dean's Distinguished Graduate Fellows 2022 Summary Page
Download a handy one-page guide to our 2022 Fellows.