Lena Habtu

Lena Habtu is an undergraduate researcher at the University of Melbourne, focusing on the efficacy of facial recognition age-estimation technologies in adversarial settings. As a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow at the Mellon Foundation, Lena investigates linguistic plurality's impact on socio-political structures in multiethnic African states and has presented findings at a regional conference. At Swarthmore College, Lena serves as a Writing Associate Fellow, guiding students in writing across various disciplines and working on inclusive DEI training initiatives. Previous experiences include research internships at the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes, and computational research at the American Museum of Natural History. Lena holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Sociology, Arabic Studies, and Computer Science from Swarthmore College, with additional studies in Arabic at the Qasid Arabic Institute.