Bio

I'm a junior at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. My main interests are in history, linguistics, and in using computational tools to study these fields.

A lot of my recent work has centered on the Indus Script, though this research has split into two somewhat different projects. My first set of projects center on identifying sign functions, especially the distinction between syllabic and logographic signs. My second project, under the mentorship of Rajesh Rao, focuses on the semantic roles of recurring sign clusters. I received an Emergent Ventures grant in 2025 to support these computational analyses.

Nearby to that is my work on Indian historical linguistics, especially the Dravidian language family, which I researched at the TU Berlin in 2025. Here I worked under the supervision of Andreas Fuls and Martin Kada on constructing a structured Proto-Dravidian lexical database: dravidiandb.com/dravi/index.htm

I also work on the history of written Chinese, where I conducted a computational analysis on Chinese newspapers during the period from 1910 to 1945. I conduct digital humanities research at the Mount Zion and Female Union Band Cemetery, where I build interactive maps and digital resources from archival material. My work here centers on uncovering the history of these forgotten Black cemeteries in Georgetown.

Beyond research, I'm an avid runner and I run cross-country and track at Sidwell. I play violin, particularly klezmer and bluegrass. I've been learning Yiddish as part of my interest in Eastern European Jewish culture. I also listen to a lot of ska and rocksteady and read about folk music history, Woody Guthrie, and American labor culture. I captain my school's It's Academic quiz bowl team. I'm also interested in Civil War history, particularly military technology; Tibetan history during the period of de facto independence; and Ancient Indian history.

Louie Merriam reclining in an office chair at TU Berlin.
Working hard at hardly working, TU Berlin, summer 2025.

Education

Sidwell Friends School, Washington, D.C.
Class of 2027

Experience

Technische Universität Berlin — Computational Linguistics Intern
June–July 2025
Research under the supervision of Andreas Fuls and Martin Kada (Geoinformation and Geodata). Built a structured lexical database of Proto-Dravidian. One book chapter forthcoming, fall 2026.
New York Historical Society — Student Historian Intern
July–August 2024
Conducted historical research in collaboration with other interns on The Chinese American, one of the earliest newspapers for Chinese Americans, and built the public digital exhibit The Creation of Chinese America to present my findings.
Mount Zion & Female Union Band Cemetery — Researcher & Digital Mapping Specialist
October 2024–present
Historical research; interactive GIS mapping from archival sources; digital archive and public webpages including a site on the historic Wilberforce neighborhood.
Immigrant and Refugee Outreach Center — Volunteer Tutor
June 2024–present
Tutoring refugee students in literacy and academic support.
Latino Student Fund — Volunteer Tutor
September 2025–present
Tutoring underprivileged students in literacy and academic support.
DC Summer Math Institute — Paid Teaching Assistant
June 2024
Math instructor, two-week intensive math camp.

Awards & honors

  • Emergent Ventures Grant ($5,000), 2025 — For research on computational decoding of the Indus Script.
  • Scholastic Art & Writing Awards — Gold Key, Critical Essay, 2024 and 2025.
  • D.C. JV State Cross-Country Championships — 9th place, 2024. Varsity Cross-Country, 9th–11th grade.
  • John Locke Essay Competition — High Commendation, 2023.
  • MathCounts — 4th place, State (2023); 3rd place, Chapter (2022); State Invitational Recognition Award (2021).

Contact

Email: louis.merriam [at] gmail.com. I try to respond to everything.