The Laboratory for Global Performance is pleased to introduce the newest cohort of student fellows. The eleven student fellows will begin their immersion in workshopping and project collaborations to support their creativity while working at the intersection of politics and performance. The fellowship, launched in October of 2020 by Alyssa Kardos (NHS ‘21) and Renny Simone (COL ‘21), seeks to enable a space for student discussions in parallel with The Lab’s mission of humanizing global politics. The Lab’s Student Fellows will meet regularly and will be elemental in Lab activities for the upcoming year.
This year’s cohort brings various nationalities, academic interests, performance experience, and creative skills to their work. They are:
Rhea Banerjee is a freshman in the School of Foreign Service from Chicago, interested in majoring in Business & Global Affairs or International Economics, with a minor in Justice & Peace Studies. Throughout her time at Georgetown, she has been involved in Georgetown Admissions Ambassador Program, Moot Court, and 1634 Society. In her free time, she enjoys reading books, spending time with friends, and trying different restaurants & cafes.
Carolina Bomeny is a sophomore in the School of Foreign Service from Brazil. She is majoring in Culture and Politics and intends to minor in Journalism. Carolina first got introduced to the Lab by traveling with them to Cambodia, as part of a course exploring how arts can be used as a tool for political resistance, social organizing, historical remembrance, and community-building after mass collective trauma. She hopes to continue exploring these interrelationships, and in particular what they can look like in Latin America.
Sofia Doroshenko is a junior in the School of Foreign Service studying Culture and Politics with a minor in International Development and a certificate in Eurasian, Russian, and Eastern European Studies. Sofia’s major concentration is in Narratives and Nation-building, specifically in how narratives, memory, identity, and culture intersect in creating the idea of a nation. In addition to the Lab, Sofia is a Mortara Undergraduate Research Assistant and a member of Georgetown’s Outdoor Education Club. She is also a freelance face painter here on campus.
Gabrielle Ellicott is a sophomore in the SFS studying international politics. She hails from Barrington, Rhode Island, where she grew up involved in all forms of performing arts. Her passion for the arts only grew throughout her childhood, beginning with piano and dance, and moving on later to choirs and musical theatre performances. Since then, she has found herself enthralled in international politics, especially the dynamic between religion and violence worldwide. After high school, she studied abroad in hopes of learning more about global culture and language, and she looks forward to delving into these subjects further in her studies at Georgetown. Through the Lab, she is eager to learn how these international themes can be humanized through performance. Outside of the Lab, she is a tour guide with Blue & Gray.
Julien Fagel is a sophomore in the School of Foreign Service studying International Politics and minoring in Jewish Civilization. Growing up between Los Angeles and Chicago, Julien has long been fascinated with film and video media–a passion he intends to continue exploring as a Student Fellow. On campus, Julien works as an advocate for the Student Advocacy Office and sits on the masthead of the arts and culture publication, The Georgetown Independent.
Meiyi Liu is an exchange student at Georgetown University, mainly taking courses related to international politics. Her home university is the University of Tokyo and she is majoring in economics and minoring in the East Asian Academy for New Liberal Arts. She is originally from China, but I was born and grew up in Japan. With this background, Meiyi has been interested in international issues since she was a child. She is interested in studying US-China relations, especially discourse power between those two countries. Meiyi also enjoys scuba diving, snowboarding, and traveling.
Nayab Shiraz is a sophomore from Dallas, Texas in the College. She is studying Economics with a minor in Business Studies. Nayab has been a part of theater and performance since high school. Throughout her time at Georgetown, Nayab has been a part of the Department of Performing Arts, GUWoC, Bossier, and Diamanté. Nayab is excited to be a part of The LAB. They are passionate about identity and equity and throughout this fellowship, she is excited to explore the intersections of performance arts and politics.
Caroline Slater is a Senior in the College majoring in Theatre & Performance Studies. Since transferring to Georgetown as a sophomore, Caroline has been involved in student-produced productions with both Mask & Bauble Dramatic Society and nomadic theatre, in addition to developing and staging her thesis with Georgetown’s Department of Performing Arts for the Spring of ‘23. Caroline’s love of theater stems from her belief that the arts are foundational to community building and looks forward to collaborating with like-minded individuals during her time with the Student Fellows.
Noah Vinogradov is a sophomore in the SFS studying international political economy with a (likely) minor in music. He is approaching the intersection of theater and politics as a performing artist, a passionate activist, and an open mind for incorporating art into the discordant political realm. Noah is a pianist and saxophonist with 15 years of experience in classical performance, jazz, composition, and musical theatre. As far as politics goes, he is just a concerned citizen from southeast PA who cares deeply about his community and is fired up about the many issues facing our world today!
Rachel Wang is currently a freshman in the College interested in pursuing a double major in Government and Psychology and a minor in Global Health. Originally from Los Angeles, California, she grew up competitively ice skating and playing piano, and enjoys journaling, going on walks, and exploring new coffee shops in her free time. Within the Georgetown community, she is currently involved with the CMEA, GAAP, and Moot Court.
Amber Xie is a freshman in the SFS planning on majoring in Culture and Politics, originally from Long Island, New York. She developed her passion and love for music and performance by playing piano and violin all throughout her life. She is excited to participate in The Lab this upcoming year to explore the unique intersection of performance on political issues. Amber is also in The Voice at Georgetown, and enjoys exploring DC cafes, baking, and discovering new music artists during her free time.
Congratulations to our Student Fellows! The Lab team is excited to be a part of your growth and journey!
To stay connected with updates and projects within our student community, sign up for our newsletter via email globallab@georgetown.edu with the subject “Student Newsletter” to be added. Check out our “Lab Community” page to learn more about our Student Fellows Program.
