Undergraduate Research
OUR Student Staff
Tanisha Shende
OUR Research Ambassador
Tanisha Shende (she/her) is a third-year student studying mathematics, computer science, and sociology. During her first year, she conducted computational astrophysics research at Oberlin. She currently conducts human-computer interaction and engineering research at Cornell University, where she develops assistive technology, studies responsible AI, and strives to make technology, especially virtual reality, more accessible for disabled people. At Cornell and Oberlin, Tanisha also researches educational disparities, the anthropology of digital spaces, and technology abuse, which support her policy advocacy work. In her free time, she enjoys reading and writing. As a Research Ambassador, she hopes to uncover and mitigate barriers to research faced by Oberlin students.
Nyrobi Whitfield
OUR Research Ambassador
Nyrobi Whitfield (‘26) is a third-year student, double majoring in Geoscience and Environmental Studies and minoring in Spanish. During her first year, she conducted research on the biogeochemistry of the Great Lakes. Nyrobi has also participated in two summer REU programs at UCONN and the University of New Mexico, respectively, studying predator-prey relationships in the rocky intertidal, nematode trophic levels and identifying endemic spring snail species. Currently, she is assisting in the publishing of a synthesis paper for the Winter Grab, focusing on the physical and chemical elements of the Great Lakes. She is also a member of the Oberlin Swim team and part of the STRONG and Bonner Scholar programs. As a Research Ambassador, Nyrobi wants to encourage students to participate in a research project to explore possible career paths and enhance their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.