2026 Undergraduate Research Award Winners

First place: Wendy Schwartz, “Laughter Tokens as Pragmatic Markers in Online Conversation: A Quantitative Corpus of a Discord Group Chat”
Advisor: Xuehua Xiang

I am a senior, majoring in Anthropology and Linguistics and minoring in English. My research project focused on quantitative analysis of 5 years of data from a group chat between friends on Discord, focusing on the usage of laughter tokens (LOL, LMAO, HAHA, etc). I have always been interested in how language and digital communication interact, but when I noticed that individuals seemed to use these tokens differently, I had to find out more. I plan to continue to pursue this analysis, including more laughter token varieties, tagging every message in detail, and developing a methodology guideline which will make it easy for others to perform similar analysis on their own group chats if they so choose. I do a lot of casual statistical analysis for fun, but getting to perform a more rigorous and systematic analysis on my own data taught me a lot, which I will definitely be putting to use in the future.

Second place: Daniella Galvan, “Semantics of Subtitling”
Advisor: Xuehua Xiang

I am a fourth-year Linguistics major with a minor in Philosophy. For my “Semantics and Pragmatics” final project, I researched the semantic variations in TV Show and Movie translations. Using a blogpost format for the final project, I focused on metaphorical language, cultural attitudes on swearing, and limitations of subtitles and audio dubbing. I would love to continue my postgraduate education and eventually complete a PhD. I love working with foreign languages (I hope to master one more language in my lifetime!), and I am pursuing a career in language education or translation and interpretation. Dr. Xiang and the incomparable faculty of the School of Literatures, Cultural Studies and Linguistics have extended endless research opportunities and support for undergraduates, all of whom I am endlessly grateful to.

Third place (tied): Gabriella Cantu, “The Nahual as a Shield Against Colonization”
Advisor: Margarita Saona

I am a first-year student in the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs with a major in Urban Studies and a concentration in City Design and Infrastructure. I plan to declare a minor in Latin American and Latino Studies as well. My presentation reflected on the historical research that assisted my production of a multimedia art piece of a Jaguar clutching a broken rosary. The focus of my research was on Indigenous resistance in Latin America from an abstract perspective. I delved into the rich history of Nahuales, human-animal shapeshifters who existed during the Aztec Empire, and their larger symbolic role as an Indigenous refusal of Catholic indoctrination. In the future I would like to merge my areas of study by investigating the influences and impacts of Latino culture on urban development in U.S. cities. I chose to pursue this niche area of research, because there was a distinct overlap of topics based on Indigenous autonomy, separated from Anglo American influence, in two classes I was taking during the fall semester: “Introduction to Latinx Cultures” taught by Prof. Sostaita and “Horror in Latin American Literature/Media” taught by Prof. Saona, who was my advisor for this research. This experience helped me deepen my engagement beyond in-classroom concepts, and in turn develop interests in chapters of unspoken history.

Third place (tied): Susie Summerlot, “Activeness and Passiveness of Catullus in the Basia Poems.”
Advisor: Krishni Burns

Susie Summerlot is a senior pursuing dual majors in Anthropology and Classical Studies, and a minor in Museum Studies. Their research project, “The Activeness and Passiveness of Catullus in the Basia Poems,” examines the fluidity of Roman masculinity and sexuality through the self-representation of Gaius Valerius Catullus in his poetry. In four of his poems (5, 7, 48, and 99), Catullus showcases his ability to be a pursuing partner in one relationship and a pursued partner in another. Their passion for Latin led them to the project, which began as a term paper and was further developed for presentation at the In/Between in February 2026 and at NYU’s 8th Annual Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Conference on the Ancient World in March 2026. Susie will continue research like this after graduation at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, where they will pursue an MSc in Ancient Cultures. The vital research, writing, presentation, and translation skills that Susie learned through their work on this project will be helpful when writing their graduate dissertation.