2025 Future Leaders Fellows | Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering

Yousef Abdo

MS in Data Analytics

I’m Yousef Abdo, a master’s student in Data Analytics at Tufts University with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, combining engineering design and data analytics to address challenges in healthcare.

I am drawn to high impact work across that makes an impact in the world. My current research focuses on creating an assistive technology device that helps blind people better navigate in-door environments. I am especially passionate about work that helps improve people's lives, one design iteration, and one new data insight at a time.

Colin Bailey

MAT in Middle and High School Education

I'm Colin Bailey, a graduate student and educator from Medford, MA. I graduated summa cum laude as a first-generation college student from Tufts with a Bachelor of Arts in English and education.

Since I can remember, my dream has always been to teach English. My undergraduate experience led me to amazing professors who gave me the tools and ideas necessary to implement in a forward-thinking classroom. With a rewarding student teaching experience, the MAT in Middle and High School Education program has instilled an excitement for English and teaching in me that I hope I can pass on to my students!

Elizabeth Bergeron

MA in Museum Education

I’m studying Museum Education at Tufts. I am a Double Jumbo, and my undergrad was in Astrophysics! I’m really interested in collections and curation, and hope to pursue that in the future.

In my spare time I enjoy designing and creating costumes and handling my Bulldog, Harvey Dent, in dog shows. I also enjoy playing video games and painting Warhammer minis.

Elizabeth Buitrago

MA in Child Study and Human Development

I’m Elizabeth Buitrago, a master’s student in Child Study and Human Development with a concentration in Clinical Developmental Health and Psychology at Tufts University. I previously earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Child Study and Human Development from Tufts University in May 2025. Coming from a Colombian immigrant family raised in Boston, I witnessed the dedication and resilience families demonstrate to support their children’s growth, which strongly informs my academic and professional interests. I am deeply passionate about working with vulnerable children from diverse backgrounds who face mental health and developmental challenges. My goal is to continue developing culturally responsive approaches to supporting children and families as my career progresses.

Nicolas Cordova Loor

MS in Biology

My name is Nicolas Cordova Loor, and I am a first-generation graduate student in the MS in Biology program with a focus in molecular biology. I was born in Spain to Ecuadorian immigrant parents and raised in New York City. I am doing the fifth-year master's program so that makes me a double jumbo!

During undergrad and my graduate year, my research has focused on DNA repair mechanisms and damage tolerance, with an interest in how these pathways can better help us understand human disease and therapeutic development. I am committed to giving back to my community and to help create pathways for future students to see themselves as scientists!

Jocelyn Demos Utrera

MA in Child Study and Human Development

I am Jocelyn Demos Utrera (she/they) and am a Latina trans woman from Miami Dade and Broward County, Florida. I am a master’s student in Child Study and Human Development building the skills to weave community engagement, applied research, and organizational change for social justice. In collaboration with the MA Commission on LGBTQ Youth, my capstone investigates how social structures and policies impact transgender youth in Massachusetts, especially Black, Latine, working class, and state system-involved trans women, femmes, and girls.

Gabrielle Dominique

MS in Data Analytics

My name is Gabrielle Dominique, and I am a fifth-year master’s student in Data Analytics at Tufts University. I completed my undergraduate degree in Economics with a minor in Computer Science and am passionate about using data to improve decision-making in organizations.

My interests sit at the intersection of business analytics and social impact, where I use quantitative methods to help organizations operate more effectively while advancing equitable outcomes. I am especially interested in applying data, visualization, and statistical modeling to public-sector and mission-driven work.

Ezenwanyi Queensheba Duru

MS in Data Analytics

My name is Ezey Duru, and I was born and raised in Houston, Texas as a first-generation Nigerian American. I became a QuestBridge Match Scholar at Tufts University and had the opportunity to graduate summa cum laude in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in Cognitive and Brain Sciences, with additional studies in Computer Science and Entrepreneurship. I am now continuing my education at Tufts as master’s student in Data Analytics and I am grateful and honored to be a Future Leaders Fellow.

My interests lie at the intersection of data analytics, business strategy, and impact, where I can use my quantitative, technical, and computational skills to inform real-world decision-making. Alongside my academic work, I volunteer with the QuestBridge Regional Alumni Club in Boston and the Tufts First Reunion Committee, giving back to the communities that have supported my journey.

David Gipson

MS in Biology

My name is David Gipson, and I am a Biology master's student in my last year of the Fifth-Year Master's Program. I'm originally from Mississippi and a first-gen college student, and my experiences growing up neurodivergent have shaped both my academic path and my commitment to working with children.

I currently work in psychiatric neuroimaging research at MGH, where I study structural effects of psychiatric disease. My research interests focus on neurodevelopmental and pediatric-onset disorders, motivated by a desire to improve how neurodivergent children are understood and supported, particularly within systems that have historically failed them. I am especially interested in supporting neurodivergent children through research that informs advocacy, early intervention, and more inclusive approaches to care that center dignity, access, and lived experience.

Lilia Goncharova

MS in Biology

My name is Lilia (she/her) and I’m a first generation Ukrainian American. I studied biopsych and history in undergrad, the combination of which greatly influenced my academic interests. As a master's student I’m interested in evolution, ecology, and psychology. I’m currently working on a group paper on the evolutionary origins of the appendix and where it is situated in the context of modern medicine.

In my free time I’m playing Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, or channeling creativity through cosplay. I’m not sure where the future will take me, but I hope to teach abroad before studying for a PhD related to ecology or evolution!

Sarah Hussain

MA in History

My name is Sarah Hussain, and I am a master’s student in the History Department. Before coming to Tufts, I completed my BA at the University of Texas at Austin, where I studied History, Political Science, International Relations, and Asian Studies.

My research focuses on environmental and intellectual history in South Asia within broader global contexts. I am particularly interested in how large-scale infrastructures and ecological transformations shape everyday life, as well as how forms of knowledge production inform post-colonial imaginaries and futures.

Culiandra Nero

MA in Child Study and Human Development

My name is Culiandra Nero, and I am a master's student in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development. I’m from Maine, and I received my Bachelor of Arts in Child Studies & Human Development and Film & Media Studies from Tufts University in May 2025.

My research interests lie in the intersection between media, communications, education, and human development. Currently, I am working on my master’s thesis where I am using an interdisciplinary approach to research fan identity development in young adults. I am also a graduate research assistant in The Belonging Lab for Equity and Flourishing (B-LEAF) where I am investigating how AWE (awe, wonder, exploration) practices enhance high school students’ well-being, academic engagement, and civic identity.

Ayub Nur

MA in Digital Humanities

My name is Ayub Nur and I am a master's student in Digital Humanities. Born and raised in Portland, Maine, I moved to Massachusetts to pursue my bachelor's in computer science at Tufts University, where I met wonderful mentors who helped me connect my interests in CS and the humanities.

My research has focused on how we can better bridge computers with texts of all sorts: from understanding the geometry of LLM embeddings, to reconstructing Arabic narrations, to statistically identifying the authors of medieval books. Outside of school, I love to play music, bake, and take pictures of my cats.

Isaac Rodríguez Zúñiga

MS in Sustainability

My name is Isaac Rodríguez Zúñiga and I am from Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica. I am a fifth-year student in the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning in the MS in Sustainability program, and I completed a BSE in Environmental Health at the School of Engineering last May.

At UEP, I am interested in learning how to apply an intersectional environmental justice lens to energy and water to achieve a just decarbonization and greater, more sustainable access to clean water. As a first-generation and low-income student, I am grateful for this fellowship, and I hope that, wherever I work in the future, this academic experience will help me to support communities in becoming more resilient to the current climate crisis.

Ilan Solano

MAT in Education

My name is Ilan Solano (He/Him), a proud Dominican American hailing from the Bronx. I moved to Massachusetts in 2021 to pursue my BA in sociology. I have worked in education spaces around Greater Boston for the past three years and I hope to make a positive impact on the students I work with.

Matthew Soto

MS in Data Analytics

My name is Matthew D. Soto (he/him), a first-generation student who grew up in northern Virginia near DC, though my family is from Argentina and Bolivia. I am excited to be a double Jumbo, pursuing a master's degree in Data Analytics through the Fifth-Year Master's Program after double majoring in Computer Science and Cognitive & Brain Science during my undergraduate.

My research interests lie at the intersection of security, privacy, data, and public policy. My most recent projects explored large language models and virtual/augmented reality devices, and I hope to pursue a PhD after this master's program to continue investigating emerging technologies. Outside of school, I love baking chocolate chip banana bread and eating sweet treats.

Lauren Sylvester

MA in Child Study and Human Development

My name Lauren Sylvester (she/her) and I was born and raised in Farmingdale, Maine. I am currently in my last year of the Child Study and Human Development Fifth-Year Master's program. In my undergraduate program I studied Psychology and Child Study and Human Development. I'm passionate about youth justice and empowerment and its intersections among many disciplines including experiential and international learning and the arts. In my free time I love dance, craft, and go outside.