Jonathan Leuenberger

Mobile Technologies and Refugee Experiences at the US–Mexico Border
Advisor: Dr. Shiva Darian
This research examines how refugees experience and adapt to mobile technologies while seeking asylum, focusing on access, surveillance, digital divides, and the affordances and limitations of phone use. It explores the role of online communities and systems of control to understand how tech shapes migration experiences.

Publications:
Leuenberger, J., Rajendran, A., Penzo Jara, A., Hoque, TU., Darian, S.M., "Transient Non-Use: How People in Migration Experience Digital Disconnection." In Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26), April 13–17, 2026, Barcelona, Spain. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 14 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.379158

Penzo Jara, A., Needle, J., Rajendran, A., Leuenberger, J., Ortiz, G., Darian, S.M., "Trust, but Verify: Information Seeking and Verification Practices Among People Experiencing Migration." Under Review at a top-tier ACM venue

Phishing Scams on TikTok and Douyin
Advisor: Dr. Bill Hamilton
This project studies phishing tactics in short-form video platforms to identify social engineering patterns and platform-specific vulnerabilities affecting user security on both TikTok and Douyin.

• Researching the Interconnectedness of a Cartel Municipality Network: Using the public dataset Mexico Drug Traffic Activities, I applied R-based network statistics to analyze a one-mode undirected weighted graph. By computing betweenness and eigenvector centrality, I identified which cartels exert the greatest control within the network based on their connectivity. These findings were framed as actionable recommendations for law enforcement, highlighting which cartel removals would have the greatest disruption to the overall network.
• Pistol Peters — NMSU Side-Scroller Game: As part of a collaborative team project, I co-developed a 2D side-scrolling platformer built in Godot using C++, inspired by classic games like Mario. The player controls NMSU's mascot Pistol Pete, navigating levels while shooting his iconic guns at enemies drawn from NMSU's rival schools — UTEP and UNM — culminating in boss fights against the UNM Lobo and the UTEP Miner. The project was managed collaboratively via GitHub and includes original game audio, sprite design, and custom boss logic throughout the gameplay experience.

I'm an anthropology major at New Mexico State University interested in the intersection of technology, culture, migration, and homelessness. My research explores how refugees engage with mobile technologies and how social platforms shape digital threats and identities. I'm passionate about global citizenship, ethical technology design, and applying interdisciplinary approaches to real-world problems. When i'm not working on my research I am a tri-athlete and an avid reader!