New Faculty Bios 25-26

Bruno Ache Akua He/Him

Visiting Assistant Professor, Psychological and Brain Sciences (PhD, Auburn University; M.Ed., University of Buea; B.Ed., University of Buea)

Bruno joins Colgate with a strong focus on adolescent development and the complex social and psychological factors that shape it. He recently earned his PhD from Auburn University, where his dissertation—Socio-Ecological Risk and Protective Factors, Individual Differences, and Adolescent Outcomes: A Developmental Cascade—examined the interconnected influences shaping adolescent outcomes over time.

While at Auburn, Bruno served as both a Graduate Teaching Assistant and a Graduate Research Assistant, building experience in both classroom instruction and collaborative, data-driven research. His teaching specialties include Quantitative Methods for Behavioral Research, Educational Psychology, Adolescent Development, Developmental Psychology, and Lifespan Human Development.

His research interests include substance use, internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, sleep quality, socioecological risk and protective factors, resiliency, and the developmental periods of adolescence and emerging adulthood.

Outside the classroom, Bruno enjoys watching and playing soccer, hiking, and reading African literature.

Sarah Atkinson She/Her/Hers

Visiting Assistant Professor, Film & Media Studies and Romance Languages & Literatures (PhD, Yale University, 2025; MA, University of Chicago, 2016; BA, Washington University in Saint Louis, 2005)

Sarah comes to Colgate as a Visiting Assistant Professor in Film & Media Studies and Romance Languages & Literatures. Her dissertation, The Making of Pasolini's Poetic Cinema, explores the intersections of film, literature, and painting in Italian culture. She previously served as Visiting Assistant Professor of Italian at Hamilton College (2024–2025).

Sarah’s teaching specialties include Italian film, literature, visual culture, and language, as well as argumentative writing. Her research interests span Neorealism and Italian art cinema, women writers and filmmakers, Italian feminist thought, linguistic diversity, translation, adaptation, Mediterranean visual culture, and transnational Italian studies.

Outside of her academic work, Sarah enjoys cooking—and, just as enthusiastically, eating.

Robert Henry Bamberger (Hank) He/Him/His

Visiting Assistant Professor, Dance (PhD, Coventry University, 2026; MFA, Sarah Lawrence College; BFA, Marymount Manhattan College)

Hank comes to Colgate with an impressive portfolio of international performance, choreography, and teaching. His dissertation, Killer Heels Will Save The Planet… and Dance, reflects his wide-ranging research interests in queer performance art, feminist and gender theories in dance, and performance as survival and resistance. He has created original choreography for the University of Akron, held artist residencies in France, Portugal, Belgium, Austria, and the UK, and collaborated with organizations such as the United Nations Peace Boat and Global Fashion Exchange in New York City. A former company member of the Paul Taylor II Dance Company, Hank has also worked as a choreographer, teacher, and artistic director in professional and educational settings across the U.S. and abroad. Beyond his work in the studio and on stage, he enjoys hiking, gardening, pottery, interior design, and experimental film. “I am ecstatic to be joining Colgate University,” he says, “and look forward to an exciting year ahead!”

Matthew D'Urso (Matt) He/Him/His

Assistant Professor, Economics (PhD, Ohio State University; MA, University of Texas at Austin; BA, Binghamton University)

Matt comes to Colgate as an Assistant Professor, bringing expertise in quantitative macroeconomics. He recently completed his PhD at The Ohio State University, where he also taught courses on current economic issues in the United States, as well as principles of macroeconomics and microeconomics. His research explores heterogeneous agent modeling and general equilibrium computational models. Outside the classroom, Matthew can often be found on the field or court—playing or watching soccer, basketball, football, and baseball (he admits his playing skills don’t always match his enthusiasm). 

Casey Ferrara She/Her

Assistant Professor, Psychological and Brain Sciences (PhD, University of Chicago, 2024; BA, Swarthmore College, 2014)

Casey is a cognitive scientist whose research bridges language, gesture, and the ways we communicate across modalities. She earned her PhD with a dissertation titled Breaking the Rules by Bending the Form: Iconic Modification in American Sign Language and Silent Gesture, which explores how visual-gestural forms of communication challenge and expand our understanding of linguistic structure and meaning.

Before coming to Colgate, Casey was a Social Sciences Teaching Fellow at the University of Chicago. Her teaching focuses on Language Acquisition, Cognitive Development, Human Communication, and Cognitive Psychology.

Her research interests include sign language, gesture, iconicity, pragmatics, multimodal communication, and language development—especially as they intersect in both spoken and signed languages.

Outside of academia, Casey enjoys gardening, solving crossword puzzles, and exploring a wide range of creative crafts including pottery, cross-stitch, and needle-felting. She also loves camping with her dog and discovering new hobbies to learn.

Cheng Dong (Carl) He/Him/His

Assistant Professor, Economics (PhD, Vanderbilt University, 2018; MA, Vanderbilt University, 2015;  MA, Renmin University of China, 2012; BA, Renmin University of China, 2010)

Carl comes to Colgate from Union College, where he served as an Assistant Professor of Economics. He specializes in teaching Intermediate Macroeconomics, International Finance, Corporate Finance, and the Chinese Economy.

His research spans a broad range of topics, including Macroeconomics, International Economics, Economic History, Energy Economics, Financial Economics, and the Chinese Economy.

His doctoral dissertation, Essays on the Role of Durables and Financial Frictions in Business Cycles and International Trade, explores the complex interactions between consumption, investment, and international trade dynamics.

Outside of academia, Cheng enjoys hiking, reading, and cooking.

Steven Ingham (Steve)

Visiting Assistant Professor, Writing and Rhetoric (PhD., Wayne State University, 2021; MA, University of Cincinnati, 2017; BA, Saginaw Valley State University, 2015)

Steve specializes in the study of rhetoric and communication, with a particular interest in the role of comedy in contemporary discourse. His dissertation, Removing the Mask of Comedy to Reveal the Person Beneath: A Rhetorical Analysis of How Three Comedians Engage in, and Go Beyond, the Post-Comedy Turn, examines how comedic performance can serve as a powerful vehicle for personal and cultural expression.

Before joining Colgate, Steve taught at Bridgewater College, where he developed and led courses in public speaking, rhetoric, and media studies. His teaching specialties include Rhetoric, Public Speaking, Communication Theory, Gender and Sex, and New Media.

Steve’s research interests span Rhetoric, Communication Studies, Comedy, and New Media—fields through which he explores how language, identity, and performance intersect in everyday life and popular culture.

Outside the classroom, Steve enjoys golfing, bowling, and reading. He especially values time spent with his fiancée, Sarah, and their cat, Meatball.

Rebecca Leonhard She/Her/Hers

Outreach and Engagement Librarian, Assistant Professor in the University Libraries (BA, English, Pennsylvania State University, 2000; MSLS, Library Science, Clarion University of Pennsylvania, 2009; EdD, Educational Leadership, Morehead State University, expected in 2027)

Rebecca brings over two decades of international experience in academic and school libraries to her role as Outreach and Engagement Librarian. Before joining Colgate University, she served as an Information Services Librarian at the University of Doha for Science and Technology in Qatar. Since 2011, she has worked in university and secondary school libraries across Switzerland, China, Germany, and Qatar, bringing a rich global perspective to her work in higher education.

Her career began in 2004 at Penn State University Libraries, and she has since held roles in a variety of college and university settings. Rebecca holds a BA in English from Penn State University and an MS in Library Science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. She is currently pursuing an EdD in Educational Leadership with a focus on Educational Technology Leadership.

Rebecca’s teaching interests include information literacy and technology, while her research focuses on user experience design, organizational communication, and web and digital services in academic libraries.

She is also deeply engaged in professional service. Rebecca currently chairs the Library and Information Services Committee for the Educational Collaborative for International Schools (ECIS) and the Organization and Bylaws Committee for the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), where she also serves on the Board of Directors. She was named an American Library Association Emerging Leader in 2014.

Outside of her professional life, Rebecca enjoys reading, traveling, and watching movies.

Ruoyu Li She/Her

Assistant Professor, Peace & Conflict Studies (PhD, Johns Hopkins University, 2025; BA, Vassar College, 2019)

Ruoyu's work explores the global politics of war, empire, and resistance, with a focus on the Pacific region. Her dissertation—Nuclear Testing is Nuclear Use: The Regime of Testing in U.S. Nuclear Imperialism in the Pacific Ocean—analyzes nuclear testing as a form of imperial violence, highlighting its enduring impact on Pacific Island communities.

Before joining Colgate, Ruoyu was the Henry A. Kissinger Pre-Doctoral Fellow at Yale University’s Jackson School of Global Affairs (2024–2025). She recently taught Decolonizing Nuclear Politics, an advanced undergraduate seminar in the Political Science Department at Johns Hopkins University, in Spring 2024.

Her teaching interests include International Relations, Critical War Studies, Nuclear and Security Politics, and Pacific Studies. Her research focuses on U.S. imperialism, weapons testing, and Pacific anti-nuclear and anti-imperial movements.

Beyond her academic pursuits, Ruoyu enjoys hiking, rock climbing, ballroom dancing, bird and animal watching, and film.

She writes: Looking forward to meeting everyone!

Emerson Lynch They/Them

Visiting Assistant Professor, Earth & Environmental Geosciences (PhD, Northern Arizona University, 2023; BA, Smith College, 2015)

Emerson is a geologist specializing in earthquake geology and tectonics, with a focus on how low strain-rate faults contribute to seismic hazard. Their research combines fieldwork, structural analysis, and seismic hazard assessment to better understand fault behavior in complex geologic settings.

Emerson earned their PhD with a dissertation titled Strain Accommodation on Forearc Faults: A Case Study on the Beaufort Range Fault, an Active Crustal Fault in the Northern Cascadia Forearc, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. Before joining Colgate, they were a Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow with the U.S. Geological Survey and most recently taught as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Washington & Lee University.

Their teaching focuses on Structural Geology, Tectonics, and Natural Hazards, and they are passionate about helping students connect geoscience concepts to real-world challenges.

Outside of their academic work, Emerson enjoys roller derby, gluten-free baking, and all kinds of crafts.

Lori McCabe She/Her

Assistant Professor, Physics & Astronomy (PhD, Auburn University, 2022; MS, Auburn University, 2019; BS, Baylor University, 2016)

Lori is a physicist whose work explores the dynamic behavior of complex systems, with a particular focus on plasma and granular material physics. She earned her PhD with a dissertation titled Investigation of the Redistribution of Kinetic Energy in a Complex (Dusty) Plasma, research that has continued, remarkably, aboard the International Space Station.

Before coming to Colgate, Lori was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Mount Holyoke College, where she continued her work in experimental plasma physics. Her teaching focuses on electricity & magnetism and related areas within classical physics.

Her research interests include dusty (complex) plasmas—charged microparticle systems often used to simulate astrophysical and space environments—as well as the broader behavior of granular materials.

Outside the lab and classroom, Lori enjoys reading, playing the flute, and crafting.

Sarah McMillan She/Her/Hers

Assistant Professor, Biology (PhD, University of Wisconsin - Madison; BS, Bradley University)

Sarah McMillan comes to Colgate as an Assistant Professor of Biology. She earned her PhD with the dissertation Structural and Biochemical Mechanisms of Replicative Helicase Loading in E. coli. Before this appointment, she was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her teaching specialty is molecular biology, and her research focuses on characterizing proteins involved in repairing DNA damage in cells using a variety of biochemical and genetic techniques. Outside of academia, she enjoys running, biking, volleyball, tennis, and reading. 

María Medín Doce She/Her

Visiting Instructor, Romance Languages & Literatures (Spanish) (PhD, Stony Brook University, 2025; MA, Universidade da Coruña, 2019; MA, Universiade da Coruña, 2017; BA, Universidade da Coruña, 2016)

María comes to Colgate as a Visiting Instructor in Spanish, bringing a passion for exploring how themes of exile, migration, and identity shape 20th-century Hispanic literature. A PhD candidate at Stony Brook University, her dissertation—Ficciones del hogar: voces femeninas del desplazamiento en la literatura española del siglo XX (Fictions of Home: Female Voices of Displacement in 20th-Century Spanish Literature)—examines how women writers navigate ideas of home, memory, and belonging. In the classroom, she teaches Spanish language and literature with an emphasis on feminist perspectives and transatlantic connections. Outside of academia, María is a devoted hiker and nature enthusiast, an avid baker and café explorer, and a fan of everything from mystery films to historical documentaries. She’s excited to get to know the community—and hopes to find fellow adventurers for group hikes or local explorations.

Patrick Owens 

Visiting Assistant Professor, Classics (PhD, Università Pontificia Salesiana 2015; MA, University of Kentucky, 2009; BA, Fordham University, 2005)

Patrick first arrived at Colgate in 2023 as the NEH Visiting Assistant Professor and Distinguished Chair. In 2025, he returns for a renewed appointment as Visiting Professor in Classics. Patrick’s path has spanned the classroom, the editorial desk, and even the walls of the Kansas State Maximum Security Penitentiary, where he taught literature. Formerly an Assistant Professor of Literature at the University of Saint Mary, he now also serves as editor of Neo-Latin News, president of the American Association for Neo-Latin Studies, and editor of the Neo-Latin Lexicon. His dissertation, Invention and Imitation in the Anti-Lucretius, anchors his expertise in Renaissance and Early-Modern Latin literature, humanist philosophy, lexicography, and Roman liturgy. When he’s not immersed in classical texts, Patrick is likely out running long distances, meditating, exploring new languages, or picking up a squash or pickleball racquet—novice status proudly acknowledged.

Rachel Montgomery Paupeck

Assistant Professor, Art (B.A. Smith College, 2004; M.Arch Rhode Island School Of Design, 2012; Higher Education Teaching + Pedagogy Certification Brown University, 2012)

Rachel Paupeck joins Colgate as Assistant Professor of Art (Architecture). She has been teaching at the collegiate level since 2010, with appointments at the Boston Architectural College, Parsons School of Design, Pratt Institute, Columbia University, and most recently, Colorado College, where she founded the Integrated Design and Architecture track. In addition to her teaching, she has been a guest critic and lecturer at leading institutions including Yale, RISD, The Cooper Union, and the University of Pennsylvania.

In 2014, she founded Montgomery, an interdisciplinary architecture and design firm based in Brooklyn, specializing in experimental interiors, public art installations, immersive experiences, and community-based projects. Her collaborators have included the Whitney Museum of American Art, Dior, Nike, Rolls Royce, and Friends of the High Line.

Rachel’s teaching centers on cultivating resilient, adaptable designers who embrace risk-taking, iteration, and the unexpected. Outside of work, she enjoys time with her dog, Stevie Knicks; creative projects in her studio; her Sangha community; and long-distance bike trips with minimal preparation.

Dan Poston He/His

Visiting Assistant Professor, Theater (PhD, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 2018; MFA, Bard College, 2008; MA, New York University, 2007; Harvard College, 2003)

Dan joins Colgate as Visiting Professor of Theater. He earned his PhD with the dissertation The Theatrical King: Joseph Addison's invention of modern sovereignty and has spent the past decade teaching English, American Studies, and Comparative Literature at the University of Tübingen. Beyond the classroom, his professional path has also taken him through journalism, politics, government, and scientific management. Dan’s teaching and research span global theater history and performance studies, English and American literatures from 1580 to today, and the intersections of performance with politics and sovereignty. His current interests include North American Indigenous theater, 18th-century literature and culture, and contemporary performance art. Outside of his academic work, Dan enjoys art, walking, music, and running. 

Khusiman Pun He/His/Him

Visiting Assistant Professor, Economics (PhD, University of New Mexico, 2023)

With a focus on child health and education in Nepal, Khusiman explores the ways economic forces shape childhood outcomes. His dissertation, Three Essays on the Economics of Children's Health and Education in Nepal, reflects this commitment, and his recent work examines how Nepal’s earthquake affected the health of rural children. Before coming to Colgate, he taught at Whitman College, offering courses in development economics, public economics, and the economics of child health and education. Beyond his academic work, he enjoys soccer, hiking, camping, and cooking.

Abdullah Sakib He/Him

Visiting Assistant Professor, Economics (PhD, University of Wyoming, 2023; MS, University of Wyoming, 2023)

Abdullah joins Colgate as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics. He earned his PhD and MS in Economics from the University of Wyoming in 2023, completing a dissertation titled Essays on International and Environmental Economics. Before arriving at Colgate, he taught as a Lecturer of Economics at the University of Vermont. His teaching and research sit at the intersection of international and environmental economics.

Ahmed Siddiqi

Assistant Professor, Political Science (PhD, University of Texas at Austin, 2018; MA, University of Texas at Austin, 2014; BS/BA, University of North Texas, 2010)

Ahmed joins Colgate as Assistant Professor of Political Science. His scholarship focuses on the intersection of religion, philosophy, and politics, with a particular interest in medieval Islamic political thought and the reception of ancient Greek philosophy in the Islamic world. His dissertation, Revival, Reform, and Reason in Islam: Alfarabi on the Proper Relationship Between Religion and Politics, explores questions that continue to resonate in contemporary debates about faith and governance.

Before coming to Colgate, Siddiqi was a tutor at St. John’s College in Santa Fe, where he taught across the history of political thought and political philosophy. Outside of academia, he is deeply engaged with music, art, and film.

Katherine Smith (Katie) She/Her

Visiting Assistant Professor, Chemistry (PhD, Texas Christian University, 2024; BS, Wheaton College, 2018)

Katie brings a passion for both research and teaching to her role as Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry. She earned her PhD at Texas Christian University, where her dissertation—Synthesis and Characterization of RPy₂N₂ Pyridinophane Ligands and Transition Metal Complexes as Therapeutics and Catalysts—explored innovative applications in catalysis and drug development.

Before coming to Colgate, Katie served as a PhD candidate and later as an adjunct professor at TCU. Beyond the classroom, she has extensive experience mentoring undergraduate researchers in the lab.

Her teaching interests span general chemistry, inorganic and organometallic chemistry, bioinorganic chemistry, organic synthesis, analytical chemistry, and instrumentation. Her research focuses on the development of new 5HT1A agonists to be used alongside SSRI antidepressants, as well as designing organometallic pincer complexes for nitrogen fixation under mild conditions.

Outside the lab, Katie enjoys jogging, baking, and crocheting.

Brian Stark He/Him

Assistant Professor, Music (DMA, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2022; Master of Music, University of North Texas, 2017; Bachelor of Music, University of North Texas, 2008)

Brian came to Colgate in 2023 as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Music and was appointed Assistant Professor in 2025. A saxophonist, composer, and arranger, his teaching focuses on the History of Jazz, History of Hip Hop, Jazz Theory and Improvisation, and Jazz Ensemble.

His research interests include Miles Davis, flamenco, Gil Evans, and Charles Mingus. His doctoral dissertation, Finding Flamenco in Sketches of Spain: An Analytical Study of Musical Transmission, examines the cross-cultural elements in the iconic collaboration between Miles Davis and Gil Evans.

Nicole Tanquary She/They

Visiting Instructor, Writing and Rhetoric (PhD, Carnegie Mellon, anticipated for 2025; MA, Syracuse University, 2020; BA, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, 2017)

Nicole joins Colgate as a Visiting Instructor while completing her PhD at Carnegie Mellon University. Her dissertation, How Journalists Depict Sexual Violence and Accountability in U.S. Politics, reflects her deep engagement with feminist rhetorics, political discourse, and critical discourse studies.

Her teaching specialties include first-year writing, professional writing, and feminist studies. Nicole’s research interests span feminist rhetorics; political discourses and rhetorics; studies of public accountability; rhetorical and discursive treatments of power; media studies; rhetorics of horror; rhetorical criticism; and rhetorics and discourses of victimization. Beyond her teaching and research, Nicole has worked as a research assistant for a discourse analyst and in a geoscience lab.

Originally from the Syracuse area, Nicole is excited to return to central New York after four years in Pennsylvania. Outside of academia, she enjoys sewing, drawing, painting, exploring woodland trails, playing with her pet rats, spending time with family and friends, and discovering local food destinations. A lifelong animal lover, she looks forward to connecting with the campus and community.

Alessia Torresan She/Her/Hers

Italian Language Intern (MA, Ca' Foscari University of Venice (Italy), 2025; MA University of Amsterdam (Netherlands), 2023; BA Ca' Foscari University of Venice (Italy), 2022)

Alessia recently completed two MA theses at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice: one exploring foreign language anxiety and enjoyment among Italian high school students and teachers (2023), and another investigating plurilingual identity among upper secondary school students in South Tyrol (2025). Alongside her academic work, she served as an Italian and English language tutor at Ca’ Foscari in 2024–2025. Her research interests span sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and the intersections of multi- and plurilingualism with education. Outside the classroom, she is an avid swimmer and hiker. .

Emily Ury She/Her

Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, Environmental Studies Program (PhD Ecology, Duke University, 2021; Masters of Environmental Science, Yale School of the Environment, 2016; BA, Williams College, 2013)

Emily is an ecologist whose work focuses on the intersection of wetland restoration, climate resilience, and ecosystem services. She holds a PhD from Duke University, where her dissertation—Ecosystem Consequences of Sea Level Rise and Salinization in North Carolina’s Coastal Wetlands—examined how coastal ecosystems respond to changing environmental conditions.

Before joining Colgate, Emily was a postdoctoral fellow at both the University of Waterloo (2021–2023) and the Environmental Defense Fund (2023–2025), where she contributed to research on greenhouse gas management in aquatic systems. She also taught Wetland Ecology in a Changing World at Duke University in Spring 2021.

Her teaching interests include Wetland Ecology, Environmental Science, and Global Change. Her research continues to explore the impacts of climate change on wetland ecosystems and the role of ecological restoration in enhancing resilience.

Outside of her academic work, Emily enjoys running, backpacking, gardening, reading, knitting, board games, crossword puzzles, and tackling the New York Times Spelling Bee. 

Samantha Usman (Sam) any/She

Visiting Assistant Professor, Physics & Astronomy (PhD, University of Chicago, 2025; MPhil, Cardiff University, 2018; BS, Syracuse University, 2016)

Sam earned her PhD at the University of Chicago with the dissertation, Probing Multiple Populations in Globular Clusters Using Stellar Streams. Her research explores nucleosynthesis and chemical evolution in stars, as well as binary stars as sources of gravitational waves. Beyond her academic work, Sam enjoys pottery and practicing Brazilian jiu jitsu.

Mengling Wang She/Her/Hers

Assistant Professor, East Asian Languages and Literatures (PhD, The Ohio State University, 2023; MA, The Ohio State University, 2018; BA, Nanjing University, 2015)

Mengling specializes in Chinese language, literature, and culture, with a particular focus on the literary networks and book history of early China. Her dissertation, Early Medieval Anthologies in China: A Literary Network Analysis, explores the structure and circulation of early literary collections through the lens of digital humanities.

Before joining the Colgate, Mengling was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Asian Studies at Furman University (2023–2025). While there, she also served on the Edward Jones Fund Committee and was a Faculty Advisor for the Chinese Language House.

Her teaching focuses on Chinese language instruction and pre-modern Chinese literature and culture. Her research interests include classical Chinese poetry, East Asian book history, and the application of digital tools to the study of pre-modern texts.

Outside of her academic work, Mengling enjoys yoga, dancing, baking, and practicing calligraphy.

Chelsea Ward She/Her/Hers

Visiting Assistant Professor, Japanese (PhD, University of California, Berkeley (2023); BA, Columbia University (2009))

Chelsea completed her PhD with the dissertation Nervous Systems: Interwar Japanese Modernism in the Realm of the Senses. Before joining Colgate, she was a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Japanese at Wellesley College. Her teaching spans modern and contemporary Japanese literature, media, culture, and language, while her research explores topics including global modernism, comparative literature, translation studies, film and media theory, the history of science, and sensory history. Outside of academia, she enjoys reading, writing, running, backpacking, playing violin, and attending films and live performances.

Leyla Yardimci

Visiting Assistant Professor, Mathematics (PhD, Wesleyan University, 2025; Master, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, 2015; Bachelor, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, 2011)

Leyla recently completed her PhD at Wesleyan University, where her dissertation—Specification Property of Benoist 3-Manifolds—explored dynamic properties within geometric structures and mathematical systems. At Wesleyan, she gained extensive teaching experience in introductory statistics and calculus courses and mentored undergraduate students in their academic development. Her research interests lie at the intersection of geometry and dynamics. Outside of mathematics, she enjoys hiking and swimming. Leyla shares, “I would like to organize a program to support first-generation college students, as they often face unique challenges throughout their education and career.”