Undergraduate Fellows Executive Board
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Teddy Kaiser
President
Teddy Kaiser (C’28) is a student at the University of Pennsylvania pursuing a major in Biology on the pre-med track. He has always been fascinated by the search for truth in the universe and discovered, through the "Food for Thought" module, that the collegium explored these topics. While most of his life is spent seeking that truth in the realm of empirical science—whether through classes, research, or recreational reading—he also recognizes the importance of philosophical thought and religion in asking questions that elude the scientific method.
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Gabriella Antunes
Vice President
Gabriella Antunes (C’ 27) is pursuing a double major in Economics and East Asian Languages & Cultures.
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Kathryn Murphy
Blog Editor-in-Chief
Kathryn Murphy (C ‘29) is studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, with an intended double minor in History and Classical Studies. In her free time, she enjoys building relationships with friends and family, reading historical mysteries, and engaging in philosophical and religious discussions and debates. Kathryn was introduced to Collegium through the Newman Center’s NOVUS Retreat, and her interest grew through taking their seminar course titled “Scriptures in World History.” Through the fellowship that Collegium offers, she is excited to continue growing her knowledge of the world through the lens of her Catholic faith.
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Wesley Liu
Treasurer
Wesley Liu (C’28) is currently pursuing a major in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. Wesley is passionate about Christian ethics and apologetics, drawing from his favorite church fathers as well as C.S. Lewis (his favorite author of all time). In his free time, Wesley enjoys reading, laughing with friends, and admiring nature. Wesley has participated in the Catholic Humanism, Philosophy of Finance fellowships among others. Wesley is excited to serve as a Treasurer at the Collegium Institute to continue to feast at God’s wisdom banquet.
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Catalina Gallardo
Secretary
Catalina Gallardo (C '27) is a student in the College of Arts & Sciences from Miami, Florida. She is majoring in Political Science, concentrating in International Relations, and double-minoring in International Development and History of Art. Aspiring to become a Diplomat, she thoroughly studies debate & dialogue while still enjoying leisure time spent playing tennis, long runs, and with friends. Catalina became involved with the Collegium Institute through the Penn Newman Center and Collegium's Legal Humanities fellowships.
Undergraduate Fellows
Interested in becoming a Collegium Institute Undergraduate Fellow?
The Collegium Institute Undergraduate Student Fellows form an intellectual community at the University of Pennsylvania committed to exploring the past, present, and future of academic learning as a whole. Student fellows show varying degrees of interest in the meaning of the liberal arts, the promise of the research university, and the study of the intellectual tradition of Catholicism or other religions in both contexts.
All, however, seek to reflect together upon the inter-relation of knowledge across the university, and form friendships in this common pursuit. They engage with the questions that transcend the disciplines, while striving to draw wisdom from each one. The Fellows program is open to current Penn and Drexel undergraduate students of all confessions and affiliations. If you are a graduate student, please visit our website for more information about our Grad Fellows Program.
Collegium Undergraduate Fellows help shape programs like Food For Thought as well as social gatherings for the Undergrad Fellow community. Fellows also receive special access to the Institute's guest speakers and Faculty Fellows, which may include invitations to join staff and guest speakers for private dinners and to participate in faculty-mentored research opportunities. Fellows also have the opportunity to run for election to the Undergrad Fellowship Executive Committee and take on greater leadership roles.
Megan Alvarez (C'27) at the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Health & Societies with a concentration in Bioethics & Society and a minor in Chemistry. She conducts independent neuroepigenetics research at the Heller Laboratory, exploring how stress and addiction shape brain function with the goal of improving patient care. Beyond the lab, Megan serves as a volunteer with the Shelter Health Outreach Program, co-founded Guidance Empowerment and Women’s Health (GEM), and holds leadership roles in Alpha Phi and 180 Degrees Consulting. She is passionate about bridging science, ethics, and medicine - and finds balance through her love of fashion, design, and music. She is thrilled to join the Medical Humanities Fellows cohort to learn from interdisciplinary conversations and translate those insights into compassionate, patient-centered care.
Kofi Anokye ( '28) is a student in the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research, pursuing Physics and Electrical Engineering. Raised in Ghana as a Presbyterian, Kofi has always had a fervent interest in faith traditions—from reading narrative in the Hebrew Bible to learning about Hindu Gods and Goddesses to contemplating the theology of African traditional religions, Islam and the local, syncretic traditions that subsume them. His object in Collegium is to be edified by the Catholic philosophical tradition.
Paul Beblavy (C’ 28) is majoring in International Relations and East Asian Languages and Civilizations. Paul first got involved in Collegium through the Socrates at College preceptorial and Catholic Humanities Fellowship during his first semester and has been an active member ever since. Through Collegium, Paul seeks to explore his main philosophical interests, metaphysics, aesthetics, and ethics, while also rigorously debating ideas through Collegium's weekly talks and Fellowship meetings. Apart from being a Collegium Undergraduate Fellow, Paul also serves on Collegium's Steering Committee, where he brings the undergraduate perspective to the Institute's decision-making. Aside from Collegium, Paul is also involved in International Relations on campus, competing as part of Penn's Modul UN Travel Team, organizing Penn's Model UN conference, while also being a member of the Alexander Hamilton Society. In his free time, Paul enjoys running, exercise and playing the arcane game of pool with his friends.
Diego Budejen-Jerez (C‘28) is a student from Philadelphia, PA. He attended St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in North Philadelphia and is now a student at Penn. He was first introduced to the Collegium Institute in highschool through the Young Catholic Leaders Initiative (YCLI). His academic interests lie in all fields of knowledge that contribute to a deeper understanding of Christianity. Through the YCLI, he first became interested in the intellectual tradition of the Church, and is excited to continue his exploration in the years to come
Michael Cameron (C’28, W’28) is a student in the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business. In attending an academically rigorous Catholic prep school in New York City, he is interested in understanding how Catholic tradition and morality intertwine with the foundations behind business, law, and philosophy. He is also passionate about global issues like preventing the rise of authoritarianism due to his background as a Hungarian-American dual national. Michael first got involved with Collegium through the Food for Thought session about conspiracy theories, and he is now involved in the Philosophy of Finance Fellowship. In his free time, Michael loves to play, watch, and read books about soccer.
Kevin Chiang (C’27) is a student in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in Biology and minoring in Philosophy. He hopes to pursue a career in medicine and first became involved with Collegium through the Medical Humanities Fellowship, where he enjoyed exploring beyond the technical side of medicine to see how the humanities influence medicine and shape the patient experience. He is excited to continue discussions with students of diverse disciplines and gain a deeper understanding of the human side of medicine and learning. In his free time, Kevin enjoys golfing, watching FC Barcelona, and trying different cuisines.
Beatrice Han (C'26) is pursuing majors in Biochemistry and Health and Societies with a concentration in Bioethics. She became involved with the Collegium Institute after attending the Lectio Humana reading group. She is interested in the medical humanities and particularly how illness is represented in literature. Outside the classroom, she enjoys reading, writing, running, and sketching in Philly's lovely art museums.
Corey He (C'26 W'27) is majoring in biology, healthcare management, and legal studies, along with a minor in chemistry. Corey initially became involved with the Collegium Institute through the Medical Humanities Fellowship, which emphasized the effects that culture, art, history, and spirituality can have on holistic wellness and healing. His academic interests span pharmaceutical regulation, health policy, clinical quality improvement, and pharmacoepidemiology, and he hopes to continue exploring these areas with a new humanistic perspective. In his spare time, he enjoys watching professional sports, playing the piano, and learning card magic.
Doer He (C'28) is a student from Phoenix, Arizona at the College of Arts and Sciences and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, studying international studies and business. Outside of class, he is involved in consulting and policy clubs on campus as well as the Penn Band, and is interested in international economic development, public-private partnerships, and the moral and ethical considerations behind poverty alleviation, international relations, and developmental economics. He began his involvement with the Collegium Institute last year through the Catholic Humanism fellowship and looks forward to continuing these intellectual discussions on ethics, philosophy, and responsibility as an undergraduate fellow.
Abby Joseph (C'28) is currently pursuing a Chemistry B.A and aspires to attend law school. She first became interested in questions about human purpose and what it entails for Christians through her ethics and philosophy classes in high school. She has found that studying these topics allows her to encourage herself and the people around her, so she is very excited to continue her learning through Collegium!
Isaiah Littlejohn (C’28) is a student in the College of Arts and Sciences. He plans to study Law and Society. Isaiah is interested in understanding others’ perspectives on morals, laws, and politics—not just how people develop these views, but also how such beliefs inform their broader outlook on the world. He aspires to pursue a career where he can serve as an informed voice—one that unites rather than divides, and helps people see the human behind different beliefs. Isaiah was first introduced to Collegium through the Young Catholic Leaders Initiative, which helped deepen his engagement with dialogue and intellectual community. In addition to Collegium Institute programs, he is a content manager for the Penn Review, an SNF Paideia Fellow for Civic Dialogue, and a member of the Netter Center Student Advisory Board. He also pursues interests in music and writing.
Melody Luo (C’26), is a student in the College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in Political Science and English and minoring in Legal Studies, History, and Urban Education - Policy, Research, and Practice. Her academic and career interests include constitutional law, racial formation theory, and education and food policy reform. At Penn, Melody is part of the Penn Mock Trial team, Undergraduate Assembly, PennYo A Cappella, and the SNF Paideia Fellowship Program. She was first introduced to Collegium through the Legal Humanities Fellowship and looks forward to building bridges across divides through having meaningful conversations with her peers.
Marcus Michie (C’28) is majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, with minors in Legal Studies, Public Policy, and Sustainability. He was introduced to Collegium through the Legal Humanities Fellowship and a Lectio Humana seminar on Thomas More’s Utopia, examining questions surrounding the ideal political regime. His academic interests center around political theology, particularly the relationship between Catholic teaching and American politics. Marcus hopes to attend law school after graduation and return to Monterey County, California, to pursue a career in public service. Outside the Institute, he serves as President of the Penn Political Union and as a board member of the Veritas Forum.
Jasper Platt ('29) is a majoring in mathematical economics and philosophy with a minor in cinema & media studies. He first got involved with the collegium institute through the Socrates on the college preceptorial event and food for thought. As a part of the collegium institute Jasper enjoys engaging with open dialogue relating to economic and moral duty, with a special philosophical interest in metaphysics and epistemology as well. Outside of his intellectual interests Jasper loves to hike, cook, and play the saxophone.
Raphael Renzo Martinez (C'27) is a student from Sylmar, California intending to pursue a double major in philosophy and physics at the College of Arts and Sciences. Some of his research interests lie at the intersection of philosophy and science, but his other hobbies include chess, basketball and filmmaking. He intends to use the Collegium Institute to cultivate thoughts seeded in others’ perspectives.
Tyler Ringhofer (C'27) is a student in the College of Arts and Sciences from Orange County, California. He intends to pursue a major in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and is passionate about the intersections between Business and Law. He thoroughly enjoys Collegium Institute’s “Food For Thought” discussions, which has opened up his mind to fascinating philosophical and religious topics. In his free time, you can find him on the basketball court perfecting his three-point shot as well as cheering on his favorite basketball team, the Los Angeles Clippers.
Bryn Rowles (C'27) is studying Health & Societies (Public Health) in the College of Arts and Sciences with a concentration in healthcare markets and finance. As a pre-med student, she first became introduced to the Collegium Institute through the Medical Humanities Fellowship. She is looking forward to more enriching dialogue around ethics, spirituality, healing, and everything in between through other Collegium programs. In her free time, she enjoys playing club water polo, long walks through Philadelphia, and trying overpriced lattes.
Mritika Senthil (C ’27), originally from the Detroit area and South Carolina, is currently studying philosophy, entrepreneurship, and the Turkish language at the University of Pennsylvania. She’s excited to bring these academic interests into conversation with the Collegium Institute’s interdisciplinary academic community. Outside of the Collegium Institute, she is a Benjamin Franklin Scholar, Senior Columnist at The Daily Pennsylvanian, Wharton Venture Impact Associate, and a vocalist with the Collegium Musicum.
Kasey Xu (C’27) is a student from Guam majoring in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Asian American Studies. She became involved with the Collegium Institute through the Medical Humanities Fellowship, where she greatly valued the opportunity to engage in thoughtful discussions with physicians and professors across disciplines. On campus, she is involved with PFP’s Gateway Student Mentorship Program, Invisible Illness Awareness, and Medical Interpreters. In her free time, Kasey enjoys playing basketball, exploring new cafés, and running. She is excited to connect with other undergraduate fellows and participate in events such as Food for Thought.
Armaan Yarlagadda (C'27) is a student in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania double majoring in Biology and English. He hope to attend medical school after graduation and pursue a career as a physician. His decision to join the Medical Humanities fellowship stemmed from an interdisciplinary interest in the sciences and humanities. Through listening to the various guest lectures, he felt he has further explored the intersection of these two fields and gained key insights into the medical profession.