Rohan Mehra

Now

I’m a freshman at Columbia University majoring in Quantitative Finance and Financial Technologies and an NCAA Division I swimmer on Columbia’s Men’s Swimming and Diving team. My interests span mathematics, data science, and AI security.

I’ve worked on red-teaming large language models and published research on human perception and detection of AI-generated phishing emails. My finance experience includes internships at AQR Capital Management, L Catterton, and Aterian Investment Partners, with exposure to foreign exchange, investment operations, and private equity.

Publications

Human Perception and Detection of AI-Generated Phishing Emails: A Red-Teaming and Multi-Layered Detection Approach 2026
Mehra, R. (2026). In International Journal of Secondary Computing and Applications Research (Vol. 3, No. 1). Zenodo. doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18404590

Projects

EpiBuddy 2025
Developed and 3D printed a prototype device to carry life-saving epinephrine auto-injectors on phones, keeping emergency medication always within reach. epibuddy.com
TEDx Talk — "Mission-Driven Swimmers" 2025
Co-founded a learn-to-swim program in the Bronx that has taught over 100 children essential swimming skills. Founded the #MissionDrivenSwimmers campaign to encourage high school swimmers to expand access to swim education in their communities. May 17, 2025  ·  Riverdale Country School, Bronx, NY
sustAIn 2024
COO of a student-founded 501(c)(3) non-profit educating students on AI risks and ethics. Hosted 2 webinars with 50+ attendees each and co-authored 2 papers on AI risks and ethics. sustain-ai.org

Games

Yamamori 2026
A pixel-art arcade game set in Edo Japan after the 1657 Great Fire of Meireki. Play a shogunate forest warden defending cedar and cypress groves from fire, poachers, and pests across four seasonal waves. Inspired by how Tokugawa Japan actually rebuilt its forests, with a lesson climate policy keeps relearning today: an old forest left standing holds more carbon, supports more wildlife, and costs less than any new tree you plant to replace it. rohanvmehra.com/yamamori
Conway's Game of Life 2026
An interactive simulator for the four-rule cellular automaton that turns out to be Turing complete. Paint cells, drop in classic patterns (glider, Gosper gun, R-pentomino, acorn), and watch them evolve. rohanvmehra.com/life