Undergraduate Research Exhibition

Shivani Nangia

ADGRA3 (GPR125) is an orphan adhesion G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) that is highly expressed in the whole kidney (via RT-PCR); however, its exact localization and function in the kidney is unknown. To determine its localization, we took advantage of a specific antibody that detects human and mouse ADGRA3 and co-labeled it with known tubule markers. Using murine C57BL6 kidney sections, we determined that ADGRA3 is found on the apical membrane of cortical tubule segments. Robust co-labeling was detected with the calcium transporter Calbindin, located in the distal convoluted tubule (DCT) and connecting tubule (CNT). The DCT is divided into the earlier (DCT1) and later (DCT2) portions. Co-labeling was detected with plasma membrane calcium ATPase 1 (PMCA1), located in the DCT2 and connecting tubules, whereas no colocalization was observed with Parvalbumin, located in the DCT1. Additionally, a subset of tubules were positive for both ADGRA3 and Aquaporin-2 within the cortical collecting duct. No colocalization was detected with the Calcium Sensing Receptor, located in the Loop of Henle. We confirmed that ADGRA3 is expressed within the DCT2, CNT, and minimally within the cortical collecting duct. Analysis of DCT2 and CNT-specific processes and renal cell development using an Adgra3 knockout mouse is ongoing. Advisor: Blythe Shepard

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Amanda Kahlenberg

When patients experience medical symptoms without a clear underlying cause, they place their trust in healthcare providers to determine a diagnosis and treatment plan. Recent studies reveal distinctions in the assessment of undiagnosed patients, where men are labeled as “brave,” and women are labeled as “emotional” (Hensing et al. 2018). This sociological study will examine how a patient’s gender can influence their provider’s skepticism. The study presents examples of medical mysteries drawn from two prominent newspapers in order to gain a deeper insight into the broader sociological problem of gender bias in patient–provider interactions. Advisor: Dr. Carla Shedd

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Lindsay Khalluf

The standard imposed by Miller v. California (1973) cultivated a culture that views only some sexually explicit art as worthy of First Amendment protection by assuming that “serious artistic value” can separate sexually explicit art from obscenity. The Miller Test is inherently incompatible with Post-Modern and Contemporary Art principles. As seen through the constraints imposed on the National Endowment for the Arts funding, this has allowed for the censorship of progressive artists such as Robert Mapplethorpe and Karen Finley. By examining Mapplethorpe and Finley’s artwork, it is evident that sexually explicit art is often used to impart messages on sexuality and female objectification. In addition, the mere inclusion of sexual imagery in artwork destigmatizes sex and the nude body, reclaiming the very things weaponized by our patriarchal society. Sexually explicit art has a substantial role in dismantling the patriarchy and thus deserves higher protection from censorship. Advisor: Joseph Hartman

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Minato Shinoda

This research investigates beauty consumers' perceptions of DEI marketing, highlighting both progress and challenges in inclusivity efforts. Findings indicate that while advancements such as expanded shade ranges and diverse representation in advertising are appreciated, concerns about tokenism and superficial initiatives persist. Key attributes of effective DEI efforts include authenticity, consistent representation, and innovation. The study also explores the role of beauty brands in shaping societal beauty standards, emphasizing confidence and self-expression in personal definitions of beauty. The insights offer guidance for brands to align with consumer expectations, fostering authentic inclusivity and redefining beauty standards. Advisor: Kelly Lee

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Paige Maylath

Almost all progress toward democratization since the end of the Cold War has been eliminated. The trend toward autocracy corresponds with a global trend of backlash against women’s rights. These processes occur in the context of increased military tension between great powers. This study aims to examine the connections between these three phenomena through quantitative analysis. Militarism and gender attitudes are aggregations of deeply held societal preferences and values, and these preferences and values may influence a state’s susceptibility to democratic backsliding. This study develops indices for democratic institutions, gender inclusion, and militarization to assess the quantitative relationships between them. Findings from 122 countries between 2000 and 2021 reveal that gender parity is a stronger indicator of present democratic integrity while militarism is a stronger predictor of democratic backsliding over the last 20 years. Advisor: Irfan Nooruddin

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Doğa Bozkurt

Turkish businesses in carbon-intensive industries increasingly employ a green transition to counteract the financial impacts of CBAM, and the public sector provides incentives for businesses to enforce a green transition in the form of climate legislation. This research examines whether CBAM will be an incentive for Turkish businesses to switch to more environmentally friendly practices, and which policies Turkey employs to incentivize Turkish companies to invest in sustainable practices. Advisor: Professor Andrew Bennett

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Claire Pham

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) has emerged as a remedy for corporate governance failures, thought to combat groupthink and promote responsible decision-making. However, its efficacy in reducing corporate misconduct remains unclear. Past research reports conflicting findings on how the individual components of DEI impact firm behavior and performance. Furthermore, those scholars were primarily concerned with gender diversity. This study employs Poisson fixed effects regressions to examine the impact of both gender and racial diversity on misconduct among S&P 500 firms. Additionally, this study also conducts several time-series regressions, spanning from fiscal year 2013 to 2023, to understand these relationships in response to major sociopolitical events. Findings highlight nuanced relationships between different types of diversity and misconduct and suggest substantial room for improvement in DEI practices. Advisor: Quentin Dupont

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Julianne Meneses

This qualitative vertical case study examines the impact of the John Paul II Youth Center in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and its education program, Vision is Decision, on how Bosnian youth conceptualize democracy in a post-Dayton society. The study highlights the development of critical thinking skills, increased participant agency, community-building, and a strong mentorship culture. Findings suggest that participants challenge the dominant narrative of ethno-religious division perpetuated by politicians, instead forming independent political perspectives that influence their voting decisions. The study also suggests further research into the evolving post-war role of religion among Bosnian youth. Advisors: Dr. Ryann Craig, Dr. Fatemeh Hosseini

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Emmie Maisel

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, reflecting a single-axis framework of discrimination. Scholars and activists alike have raised issues with this framework, one such objector being Kimberle Crenshaw, who coined intersectionality. Existing scholarship has emphasized the success of intersectional claims compared to single-axis claims, but has not compared the outcomes of different types of intersectional claims to each other. I examine whether certain intersectional discrimination claims bring more success for plaintiffs than other intersectional claims. I used a sample of ten U.S. District and Circuit court cases from the past five years that make intersectional discrimination claims under Title VII. I then categorized the cases based on the types of discrimination claimed, whether the court ruled for the plaintiff, and the rationale for the ruling. I found that cases involving race were not usually successful, that recognition and application of intersectionality depends on the jurisdiction, and that courts did not generally dismiss claims on the basis of not recognizing intersectionality. These results have implications for the pursuit of justice in employment discrimination cases. Advisor: Nadia Brown

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Alexander Johnson

This paper examines the conditions under which climate-induced water scarcity leads to violent conflict in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Through an analysis of Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon during severe drought periods from 2006-2011, the study uses a framework that evaluates three critical factors that determine whether water scarcity catalyzes violent conflict: (1) state capacity to manage resources, (2) inclusive political systems, and (3) dependence on agriculture. While all three countries experienced similar drought conditions, only Syria and Yemen experienced civil war in the years after. The analysis finds that both Syria and Yemen demonstrated weak state capacity in water management, maintained politically exclusive institutions that distributed resources inequitably, and had a high dependence on agriculture that left their populations vulnerable to drought-induced economic shocks. In contrast, Lebanon’s stronger state capacity to manage resources, politically inclusive institutions that ensured equitable resource distribution, and reduced agricultural dependence allowed it to avoid violent conflict. This research suggests that the security implications of climate change are contingent upon domestic institutional factors rather than environmental conditions alone. The study emphasizes the importance of the causal pathways between climate change and conflict and offers insights into policy approaches to mitigate climate-induced security challenges. Advisors: Dr. Andrew Bennett, Elizabeth Grimm

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Riya Subbaiah

Martyrdom has an impact that reaches across the bounds of time and geography. Young women from various backgrounds come back to these stories in times of struggle, or loss, to connect to their spirituality in ways which enrich their lives and enable them to move forward. Regardless of the specific religious tradition, era, or region, it remains true that individuals continue to sacrifice their lives, identities, and bodies for their beliefs, shaping the progression of women through theological discourse and social spaces. In this paper, I am to highlight that while the circumstances of female martyrs are different, all are celebrated for the sacrifice of their physical body in the name of religious piety, and many are uniquely recognized for exemplifying idealized female virtues in their commitment to motherhood and protection of their children through their martyrdom. Therefore, I propose that contextualizing martyrdom in the realm of gender expectations for women deepens the understanding of their valor and dedication, enabling us to broaden the category of “martyrdom” to include women that have previously been excluded from this conversation, honoring their religious piety and commitment to their faith in a new light. Advisor: Professor Ruf

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Mason Friesen

This research project centers around a fourteenth-century Islamic Egyptian/Syrian incense burner, which is currently housed at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. After being provided this burner’s age and location of origin, my task was to use the object as a portal into the premodern past. From my research, I found that this burner, through its system of gimbals, was used throughout the medieval Near East and Europe as both an incense burner and handwarmer. I compiled my research into a ten-minute podcast, which I edited and self produced. What I concluded is that the study of seemingly-insignificant historical objects, such as this incense burner, can lead to a profound understanding of the past; specifically, my principal takeaway was that Islamic culture permeated the European continent via the interconnectedness of societies surround the Mediterranean. Advisors: Dr. Sarah McNamer, Dr. Nathan Hensley, Dr. Tommaso Astarita

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Michael Spellman

Our lab recently identified GPR17, a receptor known to play a role in oligodendrocyte maturation and myelination in the central nervous system, to be highly expressed in the murine liver and kidney. However, GPR17 signaling pathways and physiological function is unknown. Identification of in vivo activators of GPR17 will shed light on physiological functions in the kidney and liver. The goals of this study are to confirm GPR17 localization to hepatic and renal tissues, to identify GPR17’s ligand profile, to determine the signaling mechanisms of GPR17, and to investigate GPR17’s physiological function in respective tissues. Advisor: Dr. Blythe D. Shepard Collaborators: Safa Samimi, Ryan Kurtz

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Nami Bolat

A comparative analysis of Buddhist perspectives on identity and postmodern deconstructions of the self, with a focus on the possible harmfulness of psychoanalytic and culturally-prevalent messaging that suggests one must discover their “true self,” as well as on the critical differences in cyclical and linear time-ideologies as they pertain to the question of individual identity. Advisor: Professor Glucklich

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Shagun Gandhi

Interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) are a toxic form of DNA damage that hinder replication and transcription by covalently binding both strands of DNA. Cells repair ICLs with a double-strand break (DSB) intermediate and Fanconi anemia (FA) proteins such as FANCD2 during S phase to maintain genome stability. The two primary DSB repair pathways are non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). Although there have been advances in understanding the role of FANCD2 in the repair of DSBs linked to ICLs, there is still limited information on the role FANCD2 plays in the repair of DSBs unrelated to ICLs in multicellular organisms. Thus, this research analyzes the role of FANCD2 and FANCD2 ubiquitination in DSB repair pathway choice in the male premeiotic germline and the somatic tissue of Drosophila using the DR-white assay and TIDE algorithm, respectively. FANCD2 and FANCD2 ubiquitination play an important role in repair of endonuclease induced DSBs in both the premeiotic germline and the somatic tissue, with FANCD2∆ null and FANCD2K595R ubiquitin-dead mutants performing significantly less repair by HR than heterozygote controls. This may indicate biological relevance in FA disease mechanism and provides further information toward the development of therapeutics that promote genome integrity and target cancer. Advisor: Prof. Jan LaRocque

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Sophia Rose Monsalvo

The purpose of the study is to understand how community-based conservation efforts by an NGO can help a community accomplish its goals socially, economically, and ecologically. Fundación Biológica Bachaqueros (FEBB) is a community-based environmental conservation organization in Santa Marta, Colombia. Their programs include reforestation, educational services, native seed nurseries, and water springs protection. Twenty semi-structured interviews with FEBB members, staff, and volunteers and community members were conducted to identify the short and long-term goals of both the community and FEBB, understand the personal, community, and ecological impacts of the services that FEBB provides, and the experience of community members working in the shared maintenance and conservation of their lands. The data in this report makes it evident that their programs are effective in meeting the needs of communities while emphasizing environmental conservation. The most significant relationships in FEBB’s work fall into three categories: Cross-Cultural Peacebuilding, Empowering Communities and Individuals, Restoring and Protecting the Environment; and addressing the challenges of politics and governance, deforestation, and climate change. In their weaving of communities, people have the opportunity to foster greater relationships with those they might not otherwise have interacted with. This factor is also one of their greatest leverage points to increase funding and awareness for their project. Advisor: Brian Griffiths

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Lucienne Bacon

This essay examines how Integrated Water Resource Management could be used in Mendoza, Argentina. Today, rights to access water are distributed based property size, which has complicated the regions ability to respond to increasing scarcity in the context of climate change. An IWRM framework would attempt to coordinate the management of the resource across institutions, although its success will be challenged by the structure of the local government. Advisor: Andrew Bennett

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Bijan Tabrizian

Math and executive functioning (EF) skills are thought to be tightly linked in early childhood. To facilitate our understanding of this link, we present a meta-analysis of over 1,000 different correlation values between EF and math measures in early childhood (4-6yrs). The overall average early childhood EF-Math relation was r=.350. We then examined whether the strength of said relation depends on measurement factors, socio-economic status (SES), and the nature/direction of longitudinal relations. [1] Overall achievement measures of EF and math generally led to higher estimates of the EF-Math relation relative to measures of isolate EF subprocesses/specific math skills. [2] EF measures using numerical stimuli inflate estimates of the association by roughly 40%. [3] Low SES samples showed the strongest average EF-Math associations. [4] Longitudinal associations that did not adjust for time-1 measurement of the outcome variable severely inflated estimates of directional associations. After making this adjustment, we found [5a] significant, albeit reduced bidirectional relations between EF and math, and [5b] that math is a stronger predictor of future change in EF than the reverse. We hope that the results of this work contribute theoretically and practically to early childhood EF-Math interaction models, education policy, and classroom practices. Advisor: Dr. Ian Lyons Collaborators: Dr. Jane E. Hutchison, Nina Bajnauth, Ander Avdellas, Dr. Deborah Phillips, Dr. Ian M. Lyons

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Fiona Naughton

AI can be understood as a derivative of past attempts from the capitalist class to undermine worker power and aid in the rigid enforcement of surveillance capitalism.With the purported goal of increasing productivity and eliminating menial tasks, employers are using AI for precise tactical purposes to dilute worker power in every conceivable way that has not yet already been implemented by the capitalists of eras preceding, and in many ways that already have been. Advisor: Dr. Joseph McCartin

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Melinda Reed

Coined by Charles Dudley Warner and Mark Twain, the term “the Gilded Age” captures a period in American history remembered for rapid industrialization and an ever-widening wealth gap. From roughly 1870 to 1900, the United States grew exponentially, and in more ways than one—white settlers pushed westward, urban centers exploded, and new immigrants arrived at American shores every day. Modern conceptions of the era center on the robber barons and Manhattan elite who gave the period its name, leaving out the perspectives of women, people of color, and those in lower social classes. This project aims to explore some of these perspectives through the medium of a self-produced historical fiction novel. Approximately 115,000 words in length, the novel follows a young woman named Lilia from her sheltered rural upbringing to life as a domestic servant for one of New York City’s wealthiest families. Her experiences along the way—from an unplanned pregnancy to a miscarriage to her subsequent loss of status—offer a unique framing device through which to explore the relationships between gender, sexuality, and class in the Gilded Age. The research design was built around the manuscript, seeking to answer questions that arose during the writing process with the ultimate goal of producing a historically accurate novel for publication. The project makes the case for fiction as a valuable medium for exploring historical truths and perspectives that have been left out of mainstream narratives. Advisor: Dr. Phil Sandick

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Dhruv Banerjee

This anthropological investigation details the culture surrounding caring for chronic, terminal neurological conditions. Through ethnographic tools, including interview and participant observation, the Georgetown Medstar Neurology Department was studied to understand how physicians and the larger hospital care system effectively care for those suffering such conditions. Moreover the purpose of this study is to understand what gaps exist within the American health system in this regard towards adequately managing a patient's condition as well as providing the best circumstances possible for a dignified death. The lack of adequate training as well as availability of palliative care services, among many other factors across the country highlight an extreme need for not only more funding but also a change in medical school and residency curriculum for physicians. Advisor: Dr. Amrita Ibrahim

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Pietro Elie

A multimedia ethnography investigating how contemporary “hybrid” musical subcultures in Tokyo interact, connect, and spread on digital platforms such as Instagram and SoundCloud, and providing an interactive framework for navigating modern musical communities operating online. Advisor: Jay Hammond

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Giselle Virga

Sustainability is an increasingly important focus for businesses, however, there is a gap in understanding how to effectively integrate it into overall business strategy and communicate this to consumers. This study examines the relationship between corporate sustainability strategy and consumer perception through a two-part quantitative analysis. A word count analysis of earnings calls was used to distinguish consumer goods companies with a genuine commitment to sustainability from those with mere surface-level approaches. A consumer survey then assessed the perception of these strategies and identified alignments and discrepancies between actual and perceived sustainability commitments. The results indicated that companies that integrate sustainability into their core strategies and transparently communicate them are perceived as more sustainable, however, this perception does not strongly drive purchase behavior. Despite this, sustainability is vital for companies to avoid backlash and build lasting consumer trust. Therefore, future research should examine incentives–whether they be financial, regulatory, or consumer-driven–for greater adoption of sustainability strategies given their importance for long-term growth. Further, the findings illustrated widespread skepticism of sustainability strategy, highlighting the need for improved integration and communication efforts. Advisor: Dr. Kenneth Sawka

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Evan Bianchi

The value of early childhood education as a policy lever to reduce socioeconomic (SES) inequalities is well established. The benefits of high-quality preschool particularly for children from low-SES backgrounds have been demonstrated across several domains, including academics (Johnson et al., 2023), social and emotional development (Moffett et al., 2023), and health outcomes (Martin et al., 2021). Conversely, school transitions (i.e., moving schools) have been associated with losses in student engagement and academic competence (Moilanen et al., 2010; Skinner et al., 2008) and declines in psychological well-being and behavior (Jindal-Snape & Miller, 2008; Rueger et al., 2014). Children from low-SES backgrounds may be at an increased risk of experiencing negative outcomes following school transitions (Gutman et al., 2003). Despite the abundance of research documenting the potential of early childhood education to reduce socioeconomic inequalities and the risk of school transitions in predicting poor educational and social-emotional outcomes, transition research has never been applied to the sensitive period of early childhood (i.e., the transition between pre-k and kindergarten). The current study examines social-emotional outcomes in kindergarten as a function of school transitions between pre-k and kindergarten among low-SES children. Advisor: Dr. Anna Johnson

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Nicholas Cohen

Ewing sarcoma (ES) is an aggressive pediatric tumor commonly arising in bone, causing bone degradation at the tumor-bone interface. High release of neuropeptide Y (NPY), acting via Y receptors (Y1R, Y2R, Y5R), from ES tumors is associated with a more osteolytic ES phenotype. However, the mechanisms underlying NPY-dependent bone degradation remain unclear. This study seeks to answer: what role does the NPY/Y5R axis play in ES-related bone degradation? Using a mouse xenograft model of a high-NPY ES tumor, Y5R antagonist treatment decreased bone degradation and osteoclast density at the tumor-bone border. In vitro, conditioned media from ES cells induced macrophage cell differentiation into osteoclasts; differentiation was reduced when cells were transfected with shRNA targeting NPY or Y5R. NPY- or Y5R-deficient cells secreted decreased matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and MMP-9 supplementation restored osteoclastogenesis to control levels. A transwell migration assay further demonstrated that NPY knockdown reduced macrophage cell migration, suggesting that NPY directly or indirectly promotes chemotaxis. Collectively, these findings highlight the role of the NPY/Y5R/MMP-9 axis in osteoclastogenesis at the ES tumor-bone interface and identify NPY as a driver of macrophage recruitment, highlighting the potential of NPY/Y5R as a therapeutic target to mitigate ES-driven bone invasion. Advisors: Dr. Joanna Kitlinska, Dr. Jason Tilan Collaborators: James Williams IV, Bridgitte Isom, Mina Wazni

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Jordan Keene

Court paternalism in criminal sentencing has historically resulted in more lenient treatment of female offenders, raising questions about equality under the law and systematic gender bias. This longitudinal study examines changes in judicial treatment of DUI offenders across two time periods in Virginia courts (1990-1994 and 2019-2023), providing unique insights into evolving institutional approaches to gender in criminal processing. Through mixed-methods analysis of 100 matched cases (50 from each period), the research explores how courts' handling of male and female offenders reflects broader societal shifts in gender perceptions. Results reveal a complex pattern where overall sentencing severity increased dramatically for both genders, yet gender-based disparities persisted and in some cases widened. Most notably, while sentences lengthened substantially across both periods, the absolute gap between male and female sentences expanded, even as women consistently showed higher blood alcohol content levels. These findings challenge prevailing assumptions about progress toward gender equality in sentencing. Advisor: Dr. Becky Hsu

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Miray Samuel

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, remains one of the deadliest human pathogens claiming millions of lives each year. Its genes and their associated regulators are a growing interest to the scientific and medical fields because of their implications in pathogen’s survival. The cAMP receptor protein from M. tuberculosis is an essential transcription factor that regulates several important genes for host infection and antibiotic resistance in M. tuberculosis. Two specific interests were explored in this study: elucidating the conformation of the hinge region which joins together the cAMP-binding domains and DNA-binding domains, and understanding the importance of residues identified as “allosteric centers”. It was found through fluorescence quenching methodologies that position 135 in the hinge region plays a role in creating and maintaining the WT conformation of CRPMTB through cAMP modulation. Additionally, positions 149 and 69 were identified through centrality measures, and quenching measurements of mutated versions of these residues showed their importance to the stability and function of the wild type protein. Through investigating how this vital protein maintains its stability and performs its function, this study is a start to further understanding the ways in which M. tuberculosis survives in hosts via DNA transcription and gene regulation. Advisor: Dr. Rodrigo Maillard Collaborator: Sanuja Mohanaraj

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Sara Auffant

The unique chemical and physical properties of the 5f elements (i.e. actinides) leads to their application in fields ranging from nuclear energy to medicine. An understanding of the factors that control the speciation and structural chemistry of these elements is crucial; however, this knowledge lags behind the rest of the periodic table. To fill this knowledge gap, our group looks to elucidate the effects of outer sphere interactions on the structural chemistry, speciation, and behavior of actinide compounds. Towards this end, a series of uranium bromide compounds were synthesized from acidic aqueous solutions using N-H heterocycles. Notably, two previously unreported complexes were isolated and the optical absorption properties were examined. Overall, this work highlights the utility of outer sphere interactions in isolating novel structural units, and provides further insight into the speciation of the actinides under acidic aqueous conditions. Advisor: Dr. Karah E. Knope Collaborators: Madeline C. Shore, Jeffrey A. Bertke, Karah E. Knope

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Micaela Wells

This research focuses on creating a corpus of syntax trees for sentences from the US Code of Laws. This treebank will enable data-driven investigations of linguistic ambiguity in US legal English. We analyze sentences using CGELBank,5 a recently proposed treebanking formalism. Our findings have implications for how lawyers and judges approach difficult cases of textual analysis. Advisor: Dr. Nathan Schneider Collaborators: Brandon Waldon, Devika Tiwari, Meru Gopalan

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Christina Biuckians

Psilocybin has demonstrated long-lasting efficacy in treating clinical depression in humans. However, its molecular mechanisms are not well characterized. We use Drosophila melanogaster to investigate the mechanisms of psilocybin-treated depression. Our experiments demonstrate that social isolation is effective in inducing depressive behaviors in drosophila. Socially isolated flies exhibit increased feeding behaviors. This phenotype is recovered in flies fed with psilocybin. CRTC imaging, a method for visualizing calcium activity as a proxy for neuronal activation, showed psilocybin induced recovery of dopaminergic neuronal activity in socially isolated drosophila. Future experiments will involve CRTC imaging of genetic knockdowns of serotonin receptors in drosophila. Advisor: Dr. Isaac Cervantes Sandoval

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Qixuan Zhong

We compare the performance of human and artificially intelligent (AI) decision-makers in simple binary classification tasks where the Bayes Rule gives the optimal decision rule. We reanalyze choices of human subjects gathered from laboratory experiments conducted by El-Gamal and Grether and Holt and Smith. We confirm that while Bayes Rule is the best model for predicting human choices, subjects are heterogeneous. A significant share of them make suboptimal choices that reflect judgment biases described by Kahneman and Tversky that include the “representativeness heuristic” (excessive weight on the evidence from the sample relative to the prior) and “conservatism” (excessive weight on the prior relative to the sample). We compare the performance of AI subjects gathered from recent versions of large language models (LLMs), including several versions of Chat-GPT. These general-purpose generative AI chatbots are not trained to do well in narrow decision-making tasks but instead as “language predictors” using a large corpus of textual data from the web. We show that ChatGPT is also subject to biases that result in suboptimal decisions. However, we document a rapid evolution in the performance of ChatGPT from sub-human performance for early versions (ChatGPT3.5) to superhuman and nearly perfect Bayesian classifications in latest versions (ChatGPT4o). Advisor: John Rust

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