The Institute for Diversity Science is pleased to announce the selection of three Junior Visiting Scholars who will be in residence at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Ananya Ganesh is a PhD candidate at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Ganesh’s research focuses on computational models for understanding and generating language, with a focus on educational applications. She will work with IDS affiliate Shamya Karumbaiah on a project that will study models used in education to detect collaborative problem solving skills among students. In particular, they will explore how high quality multilingual datasets can be used to better measure the ability to work with others within school settings.
Srishti Goel is a PhD candidate at Yale University who works on cue integration, computational and behavioral modeling. During her residence at the Institute for Diversity Science, she will work with affiliate Paula Niedenthal on a project about how people from racially or economically marginalized communities understand Emotion AI, a tool that tracks people’s facial muscle movements to detect emotions. They will additionally examine how awareness of biases within Emotion AI shift people’s perceptions of the tool. Findings from the research will provide critical insights into the limitations and risks of Emotion AI and will underscore the importance of ethical and inclusive practices in its development and application.
Bonnie Siegler is a PhD candidate in Sociology at Columbia University. Siegler’s research focuses on racial equity within organizations and especially schools. During her residence at the Institute for Diversity Science, Siegler will work with affiliate Eric Grodsky on a research project that aims to better understand the impact and experiences of DEI leaders in public school districts in Wisconsin. While hiring a DEI leader has been shown to be effective in corporate settings, we know much less about how DEI leaders can impact academic and social outcomes in schools. Siegler’s research will use Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction data to examine whether the hiring of a DEI leader within a school district has measurable impacts and will supplement this analysis with qualitative interviews to learn more about the experiences of DEI leaders within Wisconsin schools.
