Fall 2026 Undergraduate Fellows in Jewish Studies
Cory Bush
Cory Bush is a senior from New Caney, Texas. He is a Philosophy major with minors in Religious Studies, Classical Studies, and Phronesis. After graduating from UH, Cory plans to attend graduate school in philosophy, and he hopes to teach and write about how classic philosophical theories apply to modern technological innovations.
Sara Buchsbaum
Sara Buchsbaum is a senior from Houston, Texas. She is a Strategic Communication major and a Creative Writing minor. After she graduates from UH, she hopes to work as a PR practitioner, and be happy and healthy. Within the field of Jewish Studies, she is interested in the stories of Jewish-immigrant women, and has a newfound passion for the history of Jewish food. In her free time, she enjoys reading, photography, dancing, eating cheese and making new friends.
Han Nguyen
My name is Han, and I am currently a junior at the University of Houston. Originally I came from from Vietnam, but I moved to Waco, Texas, for high school. I am pursuing a B.S. in Public Policy and a B.A. in Religious Studies, with minors in Legal Studies and Jewish Studies. After graduating from UH, I plan to pursue a master’s degree in Religious Studies.
Cayla Fast
Cayla Fast is a senior from Katy, Texas. She is a World Cultures and Literature major and a Religious Studies minor. Upon graduating, she plans to attend graduate school and earn an advanced degree in Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Religions. She is particularly interested in Ancient Jewish History and Judea under Roman occupation.
John Benson
John Benson is from The Woodlands, Texas and is a senior in the Honors College. He is majoring in History with a minor in Jewish Studies and hopes to be a professor of the history of antisemitism. Within the field of Jewish Studies, he is interested in Jewish diasporic communities outside of commonly recognized groups, such as the Kavkazi Jews of Azerbaijan.
Muhammad Mirza
Muhammad Hani Mirza is a senior from Richmond, Texas. He is a Psychology and Religious Studies major with a minor in Arab Studies. After graduating, he aims to pursue graduate school with a focus on Islamic or Middle Eastern Studies. Within the field of Jewish Studies, he is particularly interested in the historical and theological intersections between Islam and Judaism, especially as they relate to shared Abrahamic traditions and comparative religious thought.
Maya Chorn
Maya is a Junior from Houston, Texas. She is a Painting BFA major and a Jewish Studies minor. After graduation, she hopes to do a Fine Arts MFA and go on to teach arts at the college level, as well as exhibit her art professionally. Within the field of Jewish Studies, she is particularly focused on the experiential similarities between women in biblical and modern contexts, especially questions of power, identity and voice.
Amanda Harris
Amanda Harris is a senior from Pasadena, Texas. She is an English Literature major and a Religious Studies minor. When she graduates from UH, she plans to get her Master's in Library Science and work as a children's librarian. In the field of Jewish Studies, she is most interested in the Tanakh as both a work of literature and religious scripture, and how language can change the history of a nation and impact the world.