Hannah Tsiao

Hannah Tsiao is a graduate research assistant for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Driving Change Initiative, focused on affecting lasting cultural change through equity-driven practices within UVA STEM departments and student-centered programs. Her research interests are in the interplay between physical space and social climate in higher education, considering historically excluded student access, experience, and outcomes as consequences of an equitable built environment.

Tsiao is a recipient of the Johnnie E. Merritt Graduate Fellowship. Prior to graduate school, she was an undergraduate research fellow supporting work on test-optional admissions policies for the Equity Research Cooperative.

B.S., Vanderbilt University, 2023

• Campus ecology and environments
• Historically excluded student experiences
• STEM equity and inclusion