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Undergraduate Migrations Scholars

The undergraduate Migrations scholars collaborate with the Einaudi Center's Migrations team to help shape the content and direction of Cornell's Migrations Global Grand Challenge.


Meet the Scholars

Pareesay Afzal

Pareesay Afzal '24

Comparative Literature

"Migration has been an intergenerational undertaking in my family to resist and transcend systemic injustice, from my grandfather migrating to Punjab against child labor to myself seeking Turtle Island as a space of cultivating safety and transformation. Through studying migration at its intersections with gender, environment, and anti-colonial studies, I aspire to contribute to the growing field of critical refugee studies."


Trisha Bhujle speaks into a microphone.

Trisha Bhujle '26

Environment and Sustainability

"I've become increasingly fascinated by the study of migration from a conservationist's lens. The movement of living things in response to a changing climate piques my curiosity, and I hope to further understand its sociopolitical and environmental implications."


Maoz Bizan poses for a headshot.

Maoz Bizan '26

Environmental Engineering

"Growing up as the child of immigrant parents in a multicultural environment, migration has shaped my experiences throughout my life. The impact of the climate crisis on communities around the globe underscores the changing role of migration and drives me to explore the connections between the two."


McKenzie Carrier speaks into a microphone as part of a Laidlaw scholars symposium.

McKenzie Carrier '24

Government and Spanish

"I am fascinated by migration as an intrinsically intersectional process–one which bridges legal codes and social realities, which is simultaneously hyper-surveilled and deeply-obfuscated, and which undergirds most aspects of the world we live in. As I aspire to a career in international law, I aim to develop a more holistic understanding of the multidisciplinary nature of migration studies."


Jonathan Lam speaks into a megaphone.

Jonathan Lam '27

Industrial and Labor Relations

"For me migration means forcefully seeking for opportunities and safety. As a son of Vietnamese refugees and an aspiring immigrant or international human rights lawyer, I care about making a difference towards challenging anti-immigrant rhetoric which has harmfully impacted my family and community."


Emily Vo smiles and stands next to ancient carved architecture.

Emily Vo '25

Computer Science

"Critical migration studies allows me to delve deeper into the historical and modern issues that influence my understanding of diasporas and migratory communities around the world. I am interested in how storytelling and migration are intertwined through different mediums, from film and video to oral history."


Chelsey Wang wearing a black jacket, smiling in front of a busy street.

Chelsey Wang '26

Industrial and Labor Relations

"Migration represents not just shifting demographics across borders, but also the cultural exchange of values, traditions, and art. With the rise of globalization, migration has facilitated an increasingly interdependent world, to which I hope to study."