Our Team
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Our Team *
Meet the undergraduate researchers who make up McClean Zemi! Our research assistants come from a variety of academic backgrounds and bring their own interests, perspectives, and skills to the team. Working closely with Professor McClean, RAs contribute to ongoing research projects and gain hands-on experience across different stages of the research process, from literature reviews and data collection to analysis and project development.
Beyond their individual research responsibilities, our RAs form a collaborative community where students learn from one another, exchange ideas, and develop as researchers. Get to know the students behind McClean Zemi and learn more about their academic interests, research experiences, and the questions that inspire their work.
Research Assistants
Charles McClean
Charles McClean is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Yale University. He conducts research in comparative politics with a focus on the politics of age and Japan. His work has been published in the British Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies, Nature Medicine, Political Behavior, Political Psychology, PS: Political Science & Politics, and other venues in political science and public policy. His research has also been featured in news outlets such as the Asahi Shimbun, Nikkei Shimbun, National Public Radio, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.
Currently, he is completing a book manuscript, Silver Democracy: Youth Representation in an Aging Japan, that explores the causes and consequences of youth underrepresentation in democracies.Principle InvestigatorResearch AssistantMarin Korenaga, 是永真凜
Marin is a Political Science student from Bethany, Connecticut. Her academic interests include nuclear politics and Japan–U.S. relations. She is currently a Light Fellow studying at International Christian University, where she is also engaged in translation work related to a privately operated nuclear disaster memory museum established at Furutakiya in Iwaki, Fukushima, which aims to convey the complex experiences and emotions of disaster survivors. In her free time, she enjoys playing violin, singing, and songwriting.
Moe Shimizu, 清水萌絵
Research AssistantYale University '27, Davenport CollegeMoe is a junior from Tokyo, Japan studying Cultural Anthropology with a Data Science Certificate. Her academic interests are focused on how collective narratives of memory and belonging are constructed, particularly in contemporary Japan. Outside the classroom, she writes literary journalism and creative nonfiction. She enjoys photography and taking walks in her free time.Check out Moe’s Recent Work here!:
Yale University '28, Trumbull College
Research AssistantMai Ishimura, 石村眞愛
Mai is a Cognitive Science and Statistics student from Bar Harbor, Maine. Her academic interests involve studying moral decision making and Human-Computer interactions, with a focus in Japan-U.S. relations. She is particularly interested in analyzing political data to understand how political behavior, morality, and values change with age. Outside of the lab, Mai enjoys singing with her acapella, playing soccer, and going to cafes.
Rena Kawasaki, 川﨑レナ
Research AssistantYale University '27, Pierson CollegeRena Kawasaki is a senior pursuing a double major in Cognitive Science and Art (Painting and Printmaking) on the pre-law track. Her research in cognitive science focuses on child psychology with a particular interest in emotional repair and the development of moral thinking and social relationships. Outside of the classroom she enjoys hojicha lattes and dancing. Ryne Hisada, 久田ライン
Research AssistantYale University '27, Davenport CollegeCheck out Ryne’s Recent Work here!:
Ryne is a history major who studies U.S.-Japan relations since the Second World War. His research focuses on Okinawa, Minamata, and Fukushima, and his hobbies include playing and listening to jazz.Yale University '29, Pierson College