Although Hai Ri (Sophia) has called many places “a” home—Princeton, New York City, Oxford, and now Ithaca—her heart will always belong to Seoul, South Korea. At Cornell, she’s most often tucked away in the Science and Technology Studies (STS) department in Morrill Hall, where she works on research exploring the intersections of medicine, race, and gender in the U.S.

For 27 years, Sophia was firmly convinced that coffee had no effect on her, nor did it taste particularly good. Recently, she came to terms with two shocking truths: 1) caffeine absolutely does work on her, and 2) oat milk makes coffee dangerously enjoyable. That said, some things have remained comfortably unsurprising—like her love for running, long walks, swimming, reading literary and science fiction, watching cooking or baking shows, and snacking on her go-to favorites (full-fat Greek yogurt, anything with almond butter, hummus, and Cosmic Crisp apples, just to name a few).

This is her first year at Hans Bethe, and she’s absolutely thrilled to be joining such a vibrant, community. She can’t wait to meet everyone—preferably over coffee (oat milk included).