Current Researchers – Digital Humanities & Literary Cognition Lab

Graduate Students

Cheyenne Symonette, Graduate Research Assistant

Cheyenne Symonette is a PhD student in the English Department of Michigan State University. Her research focuses on issues of race, gender, and sexuality in the Atlantic world.

Undergraduate Students

Sydney Logsdon

The Role of Narrative Listenting in Music Perception, Creativity in the Time of COVID-19, Poetry and Aesthetic Pleasure, Mapping BIG

Sydney Logsdon (she/her) is a senior completing a double degree in English and environmental studies with a minor in global studies in the arts and humanities. She began working with the lab as a professorial assistant during her freshman year, and she was co-lead for the lab’s poetry project as a sophomore. Now, she is the undergraduate lead for the DHLC. Outside of classes and the lab, Sydney is an undergraduate research ambassador and peer advisor, president of Sigma Tau Delta and Creative Writing Club, and a representative on academic governance. In her free time, she enjoys embroidering, listening to music, watching British panel shows, and trying new flavors of sparkling water.

Quynh Tong

The Role of Narrative Listening in Music Perception, Creativity in the Time of COVID-19, Poetry and Aesthetic Pleasure Co-Lead

Quynh (she/her) is a senior majoring in Biochemistry and History, Philosophy, and Sociology of Science in Lyman Briggs. She is an undergraduate co-lead for the Neuroaesthetics project in the lab, and is also involved in other projects in the lab as well. Outside of the lab, she is involved in mentoring and occasionally contributes to The State News.

Gracie Rudolfi

The Role of Narrative Listening in Music Perception, Creativity in the Time of COVID-19, Poetry and Aesthetic Pleasure Co-Lead

Gracie (she/her) is a senior majoring in both English and Film Studies in the College of Arts and Letters and minoring in History. She began working in the lab as a professorial assistant in August of 2022. Now, Gracie works on the Role of Narrative Listening in Music Perception and the Creativity in the Time of COVID-19 projects, and she is a co-lead of the Poetry and Aesthetic Pleasure project. Outside of the lab, Gracie is the Head of Fundraising for Mission Menstruation x MSU, historian of Sigma Tau Delta, and a member of the MSU Honors College organization H-STAR. Outside of academia, Gracie enjoys volunteering at the Women’s Center of Greater Lansing, reading novels and poetry, hanging out with friends, and thrifting.

Natalie Liliensiek

The Role of Narrative Listening in Music Perception, Creativity in the Time of COVID-19, Poetry and Aesthetic Pleasure

Natalie (she/her) is a junior majoring in English with minors in Arabic and Writing. It is her first year working at the DHLC, and she works on all three of the active projects and helps with social media outreach for the lab. Outside of the lab and her classes, Natalie is a dog-enthusiast who enjoys reading, writing, and playing guitar. She is a part of the English Honor Society and is always excited to talk about books!

Natalie Seitz

The Role of Narrative Listening in Music Perception, Creativity in the Time of COVID-19, Poetry and Aesthetic Pleasure

Natalie (she/her) is a junior from East Lansing, MI majoring in Neuroscience in Lyman Briggs College. In the DHLC, she works on the Poetry, Creativity in the Time of COVID-19, and the Music and Narrative team. She also helps with social media outreach. Outside of the DHLC, she is involved in Gamma Phi Beta sorority and neuroscience club. In her free time she enjoys going for runs, hanging out with friends and trying new restaurants!

Lorraine Inman

The Role of Narrative Listening in Music Perception, Creativity in the Time of COVID-19, Poetry and Aesthetic Pleasure

Lorraine Inman (she/her) is a sophomore pursuing double degrees in Games and Interactive Media and English, with a minor in Comic Art and Graphic Narrative. She began working with the lab as a research assistant in August 2023 on the Music and Narrative, Creativity in the Time of Covid-19, and Neuroaesthetics in Poetry projects. She is a lab lead on the Music and Narrative project. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, watching films, and playing video games.