It’s so nice to meet you. Thank you for coming to visit Adventures & Algorithms today!
My name is Madeleine Gagné (She/They), but everyone just calls me Mac! If there’s one thing you need to know about me, it’s that I’m incredibly passionate about the subjects I study. This is a research blog where I hope to talk more about my academic endeavors and the topics I find interesting.
I’m a current PhD/MA student at NC State University’s Operations Research Program. I study how human conceptualizations of narrative influence decision-making and how this natural structure in cognition can be used to optimize emergency communication. I work predominantly in the disciplines of Operations Research and Narrative Artificial Intelligence seeking to apply methodologies in these domains to the area of emergency management. My advisor at NC State is Dr. Arnav Jhala, and I work part-time as an intern with Northrop Grumman’s Space Systems sector.
As a mathematics student by trade, I’m also fascinated with finding patterns in every day life. During my undergraduate as a Duke University Mathematics & Program II student, I co-founded and worked with Freshly Squeezed Pulp (FSP)- a pulp-fiction inspired podcasting group that produced a comedy audio drama parodying the original Tarzan novels. The group got me obsessed with narratology, and I became enchanted with how tropes and archetypes defined by American pulp fiction novels continue to influence storytelling today. As such, I’m dedicated to studying pulp from a modern lens, finding new ways to tell and teach classic stories with a focus on diversity and inclusion.
I invite you to join me here at Adventures & Algorithms as we explore societal benefits found from the intersection between narrative patterns and quantitative behavioral modeling. Who knows what we’ll learn together!
Interested in learning more? Check out my most recent blog posts!
- Research SpotlightOver the years, I’ve had the honor of meeting and working alongside a number of incredible scholars, authors, and researchers. I want to do my best as a friend and colleague to boost visibility of their work and endeavors as we all grow as scientists. As such, please see the links below to read some…
- Review of Tarzan: Battle for Pellucidar by Win Scott EckertAs a young pulp fan, I’ve found myself both really enjoying and keeping a watchful eye on the development of the Swords of Eternity Super-Arc. The series represents more than just a continuance in the ERB narrative and more distinctly the Tarzan narrative. To me, it has also been a litmus test for future developments…
- ActivismCreating diverse and inclusive spaces in writing and science is essential to advancing the future of these disciplines. While I’m still learning how to be an effective activist myself, I want to point you in the direction of some prominent resources that have been doing some real good in today’s world! Some of these I’ve…
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