Columbia College Rose Research Ambassadors
The Columbia College Rose Research Ambassador program allows students who have successfully completed Contemporary Civilization to promote a culture of scholarship, investigation and community that Contemporary Civilization fosters early on in students’ time at Columbia. It provides an opportunity for students to consider how Contemporary Civilization informs their intellectual investigations in specific fields and/or areas of research.
Writing about and reflecting on research, and by building on their earlier exposure to texts covered in CC, Research Ambassadors consider research as an extension of their engagement with core texts. They are able to demystify the research process, allowing them to consider how research further strengthens the skills they developed in Contemporary Civilization. The program allows students to consider how research gives them the flexibility of mind required in any post-graduate plan they seek to pursue, a mission that is at the heart of Contemporary Civilization.
Research Ambassadors and contribute blog pieces monthly. The objective of this blog is to allow students to reflect upon their CC Journey, to promote a culture of research and scholarship among undergraduates, to empower the broader undergraduate community to engage in or consider research opportunities.
Read the CC Rose Research Ambassadors Blog.
Columbia College Rose Research Ambassadors, 2025 - 2026
Columbia College Rose Research Ambassadors, 2025 - 2026
Meet the 2025 - 2026 CC Rose Research ambassadors!
Ishaan Barrett, CC'25, is a senior majoring in Urban Studies and Political Science. He is currently a student advisory board member for the Holder Initiative, a columnist at the Spectator, and co-president of Latenite Theatre. In addition to his on-campus activities, Ishaan has held research fellowships at the Holder Initiative, the Institute for Religion Culture and Public Life (IRCPL), the Harriman Institute, and the Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History. His work centers on urban governance, public policy, immigration law, and architecture theory. He is happy to speak with his peers about his experiences finding research opportunities or engaging with fellowship application processes.
Sarah Bryden, CC'25, is a senior majoring in history and linguistics. She studies Quechua and Yucatec Maya, and her research focuses on colonial-era documents written in these languages. On campus, she works as a peer tutor and a TA. Off campus, she has been involved with several research projects, and has traveled as far as Mexico and Spain for this work. She'd be happy to chat about finding research opportunities, making the most of the Core, overlap between STEM and the humanities, and much more!
Sagar Castleman, CC'25, is a senior studying English. Over the last two summers, he has conducted research projects that focused on poetic originality. On campus, he writes and edits for The Blue and White. He would be happy to talk about the English major, the Core, undergraduate research, or anything else related to the humanities.
Joseph Karaganis, CC'25, is a senior in Columbia College studying philosophy and political science. He is interested in the philosophy of AI, ethics, and German political thought. He has conducted research at Columbia but also abroad in the Netherlands and Germany. On campus, he has been involved with the Columbia Political Review, Columbia Political Union, and Academic Awards Committee. He’d love to chat about the Core, international study and research, the philosophy major, course planning, and just about anything else.
Julia Sherman, CC'25, is is a senior in Columbia College studying History and English with a specialization in American Intellectual History. She is interested in the making of the American identity, literary criticism, and LGBTQ+ history. On campus, she is involved with the Undergraduate Recruitment Committee and the New Student Orientation Program, as well as the Columbia Journal of History and Columbia History Association. She would be thrilled to talk to you about the Columbia history department, switching majors, Contemporary Civilizations, and reading a lot for class in a short amount of time.