Published Works


I often choose writing topics based on what I care to research. The works below range from articles to personal essays to commentary.

While writing to me is self-expression through research, my love for it was preceded by a love for reading. Check out my 2022 short list below!

Chess as Therapy
Illustration by Darya Daneshmand

CHESS AS THERAPY

Treatment Magazine
October 12, 2021

It is well established that chess offers therapeutic benefits for those struggling with their mental health, but not as much research has been done on chess and addiction. The article pulls from an array of scientific research over the years on chess and the brain, along with personal stories and instances in which this phenomenon was successfully harnessed for good.

C/o The Chess Improver

Q&A WITH HUGH PATTERSON

Treatment Magazine
October 12, 2021

When I found chess teacher Hugh Patterson's work as columnist for GM Nigel Davies's column “The Chess Improver,” I knew I had to talk to him. His powerful story of recovery and as an instructor for people from all walks of life — from kids in Juvenile Hall to people at Narcotics Anonymous — had to stand alone, told in his own words.

Artist: Sara Akhtar

USING WORDS TO UPLIFT: THE IMPACT OF LANGUAGE ON STIGMA

Treatment Magazine
December 1, 2021

Exploring how stigma on every level — structural, public, and self-stigma — harms those with substance use disorders (SUDs) and analyzing this impact quantitatively.

Artist: Lysander Wong

RACE, ETHICS, & TECHNOLOGY

To be published
2022

A long-form piece highlighting the work of The Tree Lab, a group on campus tackling the intersection of race, ethics, and technology. Supplemental commentary pulls from novels and journals that delve into specific topics explored by their work. I interviewed the group's co-founders and several team members to explore how their work in TREE Lab has set the stage for future work in this field.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM BEING TRACKED ONLINE

humanID
August 18, 2021

A guide to protecting your data, covering common business practices and third-party relationships.

Darya's 2022 Short List

  • "The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov
  • "Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid" by Douglas Hofstadter
  • "Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Can Tell Us About Ourselves" by James Nestor
  • "Bloodchild and Other Stories" by Octavia Butler
  • "We Have Been Harmonized: Life in China's Surveillance State" by Kai Strittmatter
  • "Hyperbole and a Half" by Allie Brosh (I read this in 2020, but it will never leave the short list. I will continue to reread it.)