Herodotus Journal

Editor-in-Chief

Novia Liu
herodotusjournal [at] gmail.com

Novia is a senior history major with a concentration in the American Founding. She hopes to understand how different conceptions of government shaped the creation and early interpretation of the United States Constitution. In between working on Herodotus and her honors thesis, Novia serves as a History Peer Advisor and rides for the Stanford Equestrian Team. Back home near Seattle, she can be found cooking up new recipes for family and friends.

Managing Editor

Grace Sperber

Grace is a History and Chemistry double major who specializes in intellectual history. She began her history journey making Celtic knots from 6th century illuminated manuscripts out of twizzlers, reading about church controversies and studying immigration records. She then focused research on the materiality of early American constitutional law and worked with expressing history in an interactive and digital medium through GIS mapping and data-based software. Grace recently worked on creating programs using AI large language models to screen for bias in criminal law cases. When not doing history, you can find her dancing ballet and contemporary, slightly badly, but with enthusiasm.

Managing Editor

Evan Ludington

Evan is a junior majoring in history and minoring in Earth systems, most interested in 19th century American history, environmental history, and colonial history. When he’s not sequestered in the archives, you can find him hiking, playing trombone in the marching band, and going on aimless walks around campus. He’s originally from San Diego and has strong feelings about the different California ecosystems.

Section Editor & Social Chair

Ryan Beyer

Ryan is a senior political science major and history minor from London, England. He is fascinated by communist regimes in the 20th century and has focused especially on the birth of the Soviet Union and the Khmer Rouge's genocide in Cambodia. Beyond academics, he is a member of club soccer and a VP of the Sports Business Club and loves to talk about travel, the state of US politics, and his favourite team, Arsenal.

Section Editor

Anna Moller

Anna is a senior from Los Angeles studying history and political science. Her academic interests center around the medieval era, with a specific focus on interreligious interactions in Europe. Beyond her studies and occasional attempts at learning Latin, Anna works as a History Peer Advisor and enjoys hiking, backpacking, playing tennis, and exploring new neighborhoods in San Francisco and LA.

Section Editor & Layout Editor

Kastella Nguyen

Kastella is a junior studying History with a concentration on race and ethnicity and a minor in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (CSRE). She has a particular interest in the intersection of race and ethnicity in the 20th century United States. When she is not studying, Kastella likes to explore different restaurants and boba spots in the Bay Area and meeting new people.

Staff Editor

Ruosong Gao

Ross is a junior majoring in math and history, with a special focus on colonial, revolutionary and early America. In fact, he likes history almost as much as chilling in the woods, or improvising songs on the piano.

Staff Editor

Leila Cader

Leila is a sophomore from New Jersey double majoring in classics and communications. She’s interested in all things antiquity, but also enjoys 20th century American labor history. Outside of class and Herodotus, Leila is a member of Stanford Students in Entertainment and hosts an alternative rock and post-punk radio show on KZSU. She also loves running, thrifting, and Italian food.

Staff Editor

Weili Jin

Weili is a first-year from San Diego studying economics and art history. He's interested in the historical and economic tides that influenced Renaissance European visual culture, concentrating particularly on Florence, Paris, and Bruges. He also loves Surrealist objects, fishing cats, 18th-century French painting and literature, thrillers, mountains and forests, and good food of any kind.

Staff Editor

Lisa Katz

Lisa is a sophomore studying History with a concentration in Global Affairs and International Relations. She has a particular interest in global refugee crises and immigration history. Outside of class, you can find her writing for The Daily, playing the cello, or fountain hopping.

Staff Editor

Judy Liu

Judy is a junior history major with a concentration in twentieth century European military history. She is interested in looking at the relationship between war and specific areas of society like international law and military culture. Judy is also a History Peer Advisor, and when she's not doing history, she is an avid crocheter or is experimenting with different baked goods.

Staff Editor

Anna Pikarska

Anna is a history major with a deep interest in how ideology shapes both individual and collective psychology. Her research centers on diaries and memoirs from Soviet and post-Soviet regions, extending into broader biographical studies. Beyond history, she’s passionate about self-reflective novels, poetry, philosophy, and photography. She’s always up for a spontaneous adventure on the other side of the world, or a cozy personal conversation over a cup of coffee.

Staff Editor

George Porteous

George is a sophomore from New York City studying history and English with a creative writing emphasis. He has a particular interest in 19th and 20th-century United States history, with a focus on cultural history, political thought, and public memory. Outside of the classroom, he is passionate about student journalism, acting, and English breakfast tea.

Staff Editor

Sachin Singh

Sachin is a junior studying History and Political Science. His research interests include the 18th century Atlantic history, constitutional interpretation, citizenship and immigration law, and U.S. foreign policy. In his free time, Sachin likes to read and write.