HARVARD CATHOLIC FORUM

Alvan Arulandu is a senior studying Mathematics & Computer Science. His research focuses on developing quantum algorithms, specifically those that are robust to noise or that leverage randomness as a computational resource. Alvan grew up in Pennsylvania and Northern Virginia and is a convert to Roman Catholicism. He enjoys running, hiking, and active participation in the Harvard Catholic Center.

John Kipp is a junior studying History. He is particularly interested in nineteenth-century America and the history of political thought. Originally form the Chicago area, John is active at the Harvard Catholic Center, where he is the Service Chair, and he plays the cello in the Bach Society Orchestra. John's appreciation for the role of Catholic laity in the Church and in the world contributes to his interest in Catholic Social Teaching.

Lucy Patalano, a native of the Boston area. is a senior concentrating in Economics and Medieval & Renaissance Studies. She is particularly interested in the history of art and hopes to pursue a career in the art world. She has researched the theological complexities of depicting the body in Renaissance devotional imagery such as Mater Lactans and the side wound of Christ. Lucy was confirmed at St. Paul’s/ Harvard Square in 2025, and currently volunteers with the Benedictine Coalition for responsible investment. In her free time, she likes to knit, learn languages, and volunteer at a cat shelter.

Matthew Yar is a junior studying Music and Astrophysics, drawn to the transcendent in both the sacred and the celestial. A native of Singapore, he is a dedicated church musician and serves as organ scholar for the Harvard Catholic Forum, where he shares the beauty of sacred music rooted in the Catholic tradition. Beyond the choir loft, he conducts orchestras and performs in vocal and instrumental ensembles across the Harvard community.

Declan Deady is a junior studying English and Slavic Literatures. An active member of the St. Paul’s Catholic Community, he teaches Faith Formation classes and serves as an acolyte at the student Mass. Originally from Burke, Virginia, Declan served in the Army for almost five years as an Infantryman and Scout before matriculating at Harvard. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, reading, photography, and creative writing. As an HCF Fellow, Declan is excited to explore the crossroads between fiction and Catholicism, and to investigate how stories can bring people closer to God.

Crosby Parker, a native of Gulfport, Mississippi, is a first-year student pursuing a major in Computer Science. His academic interests include robotics, artificial intelligence, and the ethical implications of emerging technologies. As an Air Force ROTC cadet, Crosby has enjoyed mentoring younger students through robotics and STEM education. He is particularly interested in Catholic Social Teaching, Thomistic philosophy, and the relationship between faith and technology. In his spare time, he enjoys distance running, golf, and building engineering projects.

Richard Rodgers is a junior at Harvard College, where he studies History and Government with a secondary field in Medieval Studies. His academic interests include political theory, medieval art and architecture, and the medieval Anglosphere. He is the Hao Fellow in Medieval and Renaissance Art at the Harvard Art Museums and is both a John Aroutiounian Fellow and a researcher in medieval political thought at the Abigail Adams Institute. He is also a fellow in the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science. Before attending Harvard, he served for more than six years in the United States Navy. A convert to Roman Catholicism, he is particularly interested in the inheritance of the medieval Church and the development of Anglo-Catholicism.

Guanyu (Marshall) Zhu is a junior studying Philosophy and German. Fascinated by the beauty and mystery in the profound truth of the Catholic faith, he is particularly interested in the relationship between faith and reason and in the philosophical questions raised by technology and modernity. He is also active in the Harvard Catholic Center, where he edits the undergraduate newsletter and serves as Formation Chair. Originally from Nanjing, China, Marshall is a convert to Roman Catholicism.  He enjoys lifting weights and having long conversations with friends, occasionally doing both at the same time.