Carleton selects fourth class of Paglia Post-Baccalaureate Research Fellows

Carleton seniors Sam Hiken ’23, Aya Klos ’23 and Elena Morales-Grahl ’23 have been selected as this year’s class of Paglia Post-Baccalaureate Research Fellows.

These seniors, soon to embark on their post-Carleton journeys, have been equipped with a fellowship that will help them thrive as they experience working life in a lab or research group at a U.S. Research One (R1) institution for the next two years. The fellows will work closely with accomplished scientists to gain skills and fuel their passion for pursuing a research-based profession. In this environment, they will be primed to craft stellar Ph.D. program applications to further continue their careers in research.

This fellowship is made possible by Carleton alum Cathy James Paglia ’74 and her husband Louis Paglia, who established it together in 2020. 

Meet the Class of 2023 Paglia Post-Baccalaureate Research Fellows:

Sam Hiken ’23

Sam Hiken, a double major in computer science and mathematics, will join the research group of Virginia Vassilevska Williams at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Under the mentorship of Dr. Vassilevska Williams, Hiken will work on proving algorithmic limitations for “sensitivity problems,” an area of research in the field of complexity theory. Hiken’s previous research experience took place at the Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science at Rutgers University. He has also served as a math tutor at Carleton. Two years at MIT will offer Hiken the experience of working at the forefront of complexity research and prepare him for top-ranked Ph.D. programs in theoretical computer science.

Aya Klos ’23

Aya Klos, a double major in biology and statistics, will join the Kaçar research group at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Klos has engaged in research with professors Rika Anderson ’06 and Mark McCone in Carleton’s biology department, as well as with the Kyoto University Biosphere Informatics Laboratory. She has also served as a lab TA at Carleton and as a tutor in the Northfield community. Under the mentorship of Professor Kaçar, Klos will study the evolution of nitrogen fixation through geologic time, in order to understand the impact of a changing biome on the environment. Klos’ work at UW–Madison will provide her with further exposure to the specialized field of astrobiology and prepare her to enter a top-ranked Ph.D. program.

Elena Morales-Grahl ’23

Elena Morales-Grahl, a biology major and neuroscience minor, will join Dr. Andrea Gore’s research group at the University of Texas–Austin. Morales-Grahl has engaged in research in behavioral neuroendocrinology at Carleton with Professor Sarah Meerts, as well as in behavioral neuroscience at the University of Quebec–Trois Rivières with the support of a Fulbright-MITACS Award. She also served as a neuroscience lab TA and Quantitative Resource Center assistant at Carleton. Under the mentorship of Professor Gore, Morales-Grahl will engage in various aspects of preclinical research into how endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) perturb the body’s hormones and affect the developing brain. Her two years of post-baccalaureate research will prepare her to enter a top ranked Ph.D. program in neuroscience. 

The James-Paglia family has a long history of supporting Carleton initiatives, including construction of Carleton’s integrated science facility, Evelyn M. Anderson Hall. Cathy, Louis and the Robert and Ardis James Foundation established a $20 million matching fund to make the project possible.