Meet the incoming Future Leaders Fellows for Fall 2022!
The Future Leaders Fellows are outstanding master's students who will contribute collectively to a greater diversity of perspectives and experiences within GSAS programs. Incoming students are nominated for this fellowship by departments and programs, and selected by the GSAS Dean.
MA in Classics
Mikayla Barreiro received her BA summa cum laude from Tufts in 2021, majoring in History and Classical Studies, before going to Yale for an MA in Medieval Studies. She is thrilled to return to Tufts for an additional MA in Classical Studies, where her research focuses on how Roman history has been remembered, and misremembered, from antiquity to the present. She is particularly interested in how historical narratives have been used to justify sex discrimination, colonialism, and alt-right ideologies.
MS in Mathematics
My name is Emarie Rose De La Nuez (They/Them/Theirs) and I am pursing a MS in Applied Mathematics. My research and scholarship interests primarily lie within statistical data analysis, origami, and machine learning. Before attending Tufts, I graduated from Oberlin College with a BA in Africana Studies with double minors in Mathematics and Economics. Then, I attended Smith College’s post-baccalaureate program for mathematics.
Outside of school, I can often be found skipping rocks at a nearby pond, collecting seashells down by the seashore, or folding paper in my room.
MA in Music
Jordan grew up playing viola, piano, and clarinet. She did her undergraduate studies at NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where she combined focuses in music and psychology. She would like to continue exploring these ideas at Tufts, with interests in music + immersion, emotion and time perception in video game soundtracks. She likes to arrange and program music for music boxes, and is an amateur cruciverbalist (crossword maker).
MS in Biology
I'm a Randolph, MA native who currently resides in Franklin, Massachusetts where I live with my mother, brother, and dog ace. I attended Western New England University where I got a bachelor's in forensic biology with a minor in chemistry. At WNE I was on both the football and lacrosse teams.
At Tufts I am getting a master's in Biology (OCMS) where I have chosen my concentration to be in the area of genetics, molecular and developmental biology. I currently have an internship at Boston Children's Hospital where I conduct research in the Watnick Lab. My experience here has strengthened my interest in working with genetics and molecular biology, but also to work with drosophila as a model organism, which I wish to continue to work with either at Children's Hospital or research at Tufts.
MA in Child Study and Human Development
Kylett has a passion for research as a means to document, share, and prioritize marginalized voices and experiences. She graduated from Emory University with a BS in Psychology and Human Health and at Tufts, she will be pursuing her MA in Child Study and Human Development.
Kylett wants to explore the means through which media representation can spark curiosity, transform social perspectives, and affect the thoughts, ideas, and actions of children as they grow and conceptualize the world around them. She hopes to create evidence-based research that illustrates the need and desire for media representation and influence children's media because children's conceptualization of what is possible is impacted by the media they consume.
Master of Fine Arts
My name is Niko Krivanek and I am a photographer from Salt Lake City. My work focuses on the stories of families impacted by incarceration and the prison industrial complex. As a child of an incarcerated parent, I aim to create positive representation of prisoners and to inform my audience about the realities of incarceration. The goal of my work is to document a comprehensive survey of the lives of prisoners and their families across the United States, starting in New England with this program.
MA in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Leadership
My name is Marya Mahmood and my pronouns are they/them. I am originally from Brooklyn, NY. I went to school for History, Gender Studies, Secondary Ed and Special Ed during undergrad. I taught High School history and gender studies for two years before joining Tufts, and this is my first year here. My work has always focused on inclusion and anti-racism in both my undergraduate and professional life. To support this, I am getting a Master's in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Leadership starting this fall. My life's passion is social justice, specifically within lower-income and queer communities of color. My interests lie within how race, gender, sexuality, abilities, and socioeconomic status all interconnect to form one’s experiences. Previously my undergraduate research focused on the media representations of Muslim women and men in America along with the political and social implications of such from 1980-2019. While my past research was historical, I strive to do research on current day inequalities and what we can do to bridge the gap.
MA in Music
I am a first year graduate student in Music Composition from Slovakia, and my biggest passion is orchestral, chamber, and piano music for film. Apart from becoming a good performer, scholar, and teacher, I would love to compose music to a movie one day.
My current academic research focuses on the topic of Talent in Music, particularly what it means to be talented, where talent comes from, and how it can be properly developed. My specific interest is the development of talent at later stages in life - in individuals who did not follow the traditional path of becoming professional musicians, particularly those who did not study music as children.
MA/EdS in School Psychology
I am from East Hartford, CT, and I graduated from the University of Virginia in May 2022, where I earned a BA in Psychology with a minor in American Sign Language and Deaf Culture. Currently, I am in my first year of the School Psychology MA/EdS program here at Tufts.
I am interested in exploring ways to advocate for students and families who may not have the ability or resources to do so for themselves, as well as decreasing the stigma of mental health in communities of color. I have witnessed the ways in which disparities in the education system can play a significant role in the academic experience of students from marginalized backgrounds, and so I hope to work towards creating a more equitable and enjoyable schooling journey for them and their families.
MS in Economics
I got my BA in Math and Economics at New College of Florida and an MA in Regional Science at Cornell University. I am interested in cities and urbanism. I am interested in them academically, but I also love experiencing urban life firsthand. Naturally, I'm looking forward to living near Boston and exploring everything it has to offer.
I am interested in doing research in urban economics. More specifically, I hope to do research in the following areas: agglomeration economies, (urban) network effects, and land (or house price) capitalization.
MS in STEM Education
I am an upcoming Graduate Research Assistant at the Institute for Research on Learning and Instruction and a Future Leader Fellow at the GSAS at Tufts University. I will be pursuing a Master's Degree in STEM Education (Math Education). My scientific research will be supervised by Prof. Andrew Izsak and will focus on the Multiplicative Foundations of Calculus.
Mathematics has always been my passion. During my scientific career, I did research in Mathematical Physics, PDE's theory, and the EdTech field at both Alaska University of Fairbanks (2019-2022) and the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (Ukraine) (2012-2018). In addition, I was leading EdTech projects such as QCE and Smart-Grader and became an author of four scientific publications.
MA in History and Museum Studies
My name is Lamisa Syed. I am the daughter of Bangladeshi immigrants and love to learn about my heritage. I am very outgoing and do makeup, dance, and embroidery as creative outlets. I want to study anti-British imperialism in the Bengal region. I enjoy learning how marginalized peoples empower themselves and want to share that knowledge through museums.
MS in Mathematics
My name is Ugbonta Chidera Precious, I am a new master's student at Tufts University. I obtained my Bachelor of science degree certificate in mathematics at the University of Nigeria Nsukka. I am a mathematics Coache. I enjoy helping people, I love traveling and I love volley ball.
My research interest is in numerical analysis and scientific computing. I love differential equations and different numerical approaches used in solving ordinary differential equations and partial differential equations. I am so grateful for this fellowship and I promise to support and uphold the goals of this fellowship.
MS in Economics
I worked as a lead economist at the Central Bank of Uzbekistan. I graduated my Bachelor’s degree from the University of World Economy and Diplomacy majoring in international economics with honors.
My academic research interests involve macroeconomic theory, monetary economics and international trade.
MS in Data Analytics
I am Eliza Vardanyan from Yerevan, Armenia. I graduated from Earlham College with a degree in Computer Science and Business. For the past year, I have been working with enFocus, a non-profit based in South Bend, on various community projects, including working with the Women in STEM Network.
I am passionate about education, entrepreneurship, data, and community development. I plan on using my degree in Data Analytics to harness the power of data, analyze the current trends in education/the education gap, and causes of homelessness, and study many more factors that impact each of these social problems to derive an innovation.
MA in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning
My name is Melissa Velasquez, I was born and raised in the smallest country in Central America, El Salvador. As someone that has experienced the challenges of growing up in an impoverished city, I intend to make diversity, inclusion, and equity vital elements of my work. Throughout my career, I seek to change the trajectory of underrepresented and vulnerable groups.
I am excited to join the UEP, where I will do a Master's in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning. Planning brings together my desire to engage with local communities combined with careful and rigorous analysis to develop policy. I am particularly interested in the research areas of Housing and Community Development, and Sustainability. I want to explore the dynamics between cities and their communities to learn how to reshape urban structures, fight gentrification, and work towards spatial and environmental justice for everyone.