Rehan Mirza

Rehan Mirza

PhD student researching digital platform design and governance at the University of Pennsylvania

Blog posts

2026

Second Semester Recap

10 minute read

Published:

I came into this program with a reasonable idea of what I wanted to study – platform design, governance, how design choices influence behavior and beliefs, and the downstream consequences of that. But I did not yet have a clear methodological home. My training spans economics, global health, public policy, and private sector research, and I worried about becoming a “jack of all trades, master of none”. Over the course of this semester, I have started to see how that breadth might become a strength rather than a liability.

Introducing the Pensieve

3 minute read

Published:

I built the Pensieve: a search tool that helps me trace concepts, authors, and arguments across my ever-expanding set of notes and papers.

2025

First Semester Recap

6 minute read

Published:

I said I’d blog regularly. That hasn’t happened. But between fielding an experiment, working with PDN, facilitating a workshop at Roblox, and making friends, it’s been a packed semester.

Perspectives and Frames

8 minute read

Published:

We’re all walking through our own realities, each carrying our piece of the elephant. The question is: how do we learn to see the whole animal together?

Why I’m starting a blog

4 minute read

Published:

If you knew me in my HKS days, you may remember me as “a writer”. I took most courses the school had to offer on the subject – Writing on Policy and Politics, Op-Ed Writing, Feature Writing and Speechwriting – and even started up a student group dedicated to the practice. Of course, to be a writer, you actually have to write. Regularly. Outside of when professional necessity impels, I have been sadly slacking on that front since graduation. So I guess this blog is a commitment device, a container for thoughts that drives them forward towards better writing (forgive the mixed metaphors). In short, I need to get the reps in.