Class of 2029 Graduate Student Fellows
Taryn M. Dixon is a PhD student in the Department of History at Northwestern University. Her research focuses on political elitism and the rise of class structures in nineteenth-century Native America, specifically in the Choctaw Nation, of which she is an enrolled member. Born and raised in Oklahoma, she earned her B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, where she double majored in History and Anthropology. Outside of school, she enjoys swimming in Lake Michigan, foraging, and sewing. You can reach her at tarynmd@u.northwestern.edu.
Callie Goins is a PhD student in the Department of Chemistry at Northwestern. She is a co-advised student between the Kalow and Hersam labs, where her research focuses on using organic photoswitches in mixed ionic-electronic conducting devices for neuromorphic computing applications. Callie grew up in Woodstock, Georgia (45 minutes north of Atlanta) before heading into the city to pursue her B.S. in Chemistry at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Outside of research, Callie is a 5x US Figure Skating gold medalist and intercollegiate national medalist with Northwestern's figure skating team.
Nick Piato is a PhD student in Music Education specializing in popular music, music technology, and capitalism’s effects on music teaching and learning. Nick has worked as an elementary school music teacher in Japan, as well as the program coordinator for The SENSES Project, a popular music makerspace for first-generation students at Syracuse University. Originally from upstate New York, he received B.M.s in music education and trumpet performance from the Eastman School of Music, and an M.S. in music education from Syracuse University. In his free time, Nick enjoys writing songs, reading, DJing, visiting museums, and spending time with his wife, dog, and friends.