People

Dr. Kurt Fendt is Principal Research Associate in Comparative Media Studies/Writing (CMS/W) and Executive Director of HyperStudio – Digital Humanities at MIT. He teaches Digital Humanities subjects in CMS/W and German Studies courses in Global Studies and Languages.

Ben Silverman is a first-year graduate student in the Comparative Media Studies Master of Science program. His research primarily concerns participatory archives, fandom, and ethnography in online communities. At HyperStudio, Ben acts as a research assistant, co-developing the US-Iran project, running the h+d insights newsletter, and continuing exploratory research in digital archives. Ben also studied computer music at Brown University and enjoys making music, art, and friends.

Abnell is a senior studying Computer Science at MIT. His interests include working with databases, processing data, and web app development. On his free time he enjoys PC gaming, watching The Office and playing table tennis.

Yichen Jia is a graduate student in the SMArchS Computation program at MIT. She graduated from Cornell University with Bachelor of Architecture and a minor in Information Science this summer. Besides architecture, she is also interested in game design, VR/AR environment design, and interactive representation. She likes travelling, science fiction, Japanese novel, and animation.

Tyler is a master’s student at Harvard’s Technology, Innovation, and Education program. He recently graduated from Emory University studying Computer Science and Math, where he did mobile health research and data visualization for NLP. He has a background in design (graphic, UI/UX) and loves anything that bridges technical and creative work through interactive media. He’s also interested in music, architecture, sports science, and the latest season of Black Mirror.

Priya Pillai is a senior studying 6-7 (Computer Science and Molecular Biology) and 4B (Art and Design) at MIT. She’s interested in how to combine all the things she’s studying, and hopes to expand her UI and data visualization experience. Outside of academics, Priya is in Design for America, a club focused on human-centered design, and Quidditch. Check out her website at priyapillai.mit.edu! (please note it’s a work in progress)

Cindy is a 5th-year undergraduate completing a major in Architecture Studies, a flex major she built to pursue her interest in user interface/user experience/product design; also minoring in Management. In her free time she enjoys tennis, which she grew up playing, and is a lover of art & fashion.

Caspar is an exchange student from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, spending his fourth year of a 5-year Master’s of Industrial Design Engineering (which is more interaction design and less engineering than you’d think) at MIT. He is interested in technology and movies, and really likes cross country skiing (which is probably among the top 3 most Norwegain activities that no one else seems to have an interest in). In addition to that, he also has a mild addiction to science videos and video essays on YouTube.

Peri Green is a graduate student in the Technology, Innovation, and Education Program at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. She is also a recent, May 2018, graduate of the University of Miami (FL.) where she double majored in Business Technology and Education Policy. The field of EdTech peaked her interest early on in her undergraduate career and since then she has been searching for opportunities to be exposed to the field. She is excited to immerse herself into the field of EdTech and network with people who share similar interests.

Amy is a student at MIT studying Electrical Engineering and CMS. She likes building things and talking to people about the creative process behind their work. She can be found tooling in East Campus, on Beast (2E), where she lives amongst good company, and at the BPL, where she is often inspired.