Current Leadership Fellows

2023-2024 Fellows

Lamia BagasrawalaLamia Bagasrawala (she/her) is a second-year doctoral student in the School Psychology program in the MSU College of Education. Through her leadership in the School Initiative for Mental Health Advocacy (SIMHA), a research, advocacy, and capacity-building project of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Lamia has been involved in capacity building and research to create equitable school mental health practices in India. Lamia’s research interests are grounded in a socio-ecological framework and include: 1) decolonial approaches to psychotherapy, 2) critical theories applied to school psychology research, training, and practice, 3) school-based mental health services, and 4) international school psychology. Through the leadership fellowship, Lamia aims to examine the experiences of international students accessing on-campus mental health services in the U.S. and hopes to create more culturally responsive mental health care for international students. She also serves as a Vice Chair for the Science Committee for the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS), APA and as the NASP Student Leader for MSU. In her time away from work, Lamia enjoys creating art, reading, and long-distance running.

Sanfeng MiaoSunanda Dey is a fifth-year PhD student in Chemical Engineering. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering in 2018 from West Bengal University of Technology, India. Prior to joining ChEMS, she worked as a research assistant in a nanotechnology lab at her undergraduate school. She is currently working on fabricating an electrochemical biosensor under the supervision of Dr. Hickey and Dr. Woldring. She enjoys singing, reading fiction, cooking, and networking with fellow researchers. As a Leadership fellow, she aims to develop a better understanding of her own leadership style, strengths, and areas for improvement.

Haritha MullaguraHaritha Mullagura is a 5th year PhD student in Mechanical Engineering. Her research focuses on the intersection of pharmacology and biomechanics, applied to the fascinating world of Cardiovascular mechanics. With her research she aims to personalize treatment and reduce the ambiguity around pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) treatment. Beyond her academic pursuits, she finds joy in culinary adventures and discovering new literary gems.

Helena StechHelena Stech is an international PhD student in German Studies. She did her Bachelor’s degree in Education Science and Cultural Studies at Humboldt University of Berlin. Helena taught German as a foreign language to adult learners at language schools and companies in Berlin. She also is a certified Yoga teacher and taught all levels in Germany. At MSU, Helena’s work is focusing on language pedagogy, foreign language teaching and learning, and the connection between culture and language. In her free time, Helena enjoys dancing, singing, swimming, and exploring the outdoors with her bike.

Jesenia RosalesJesenia Rosales (she/her/hers/ella) is a doctoral candidate in the Higher, Adult, and Lifelong education Education program at Michigan State University (MSU). She is also a Chicano/Latino Studies certificate student at MSU. Jesenia received her B.A. in Psychology & Hispanic Studies and minors in Studio Art & Latin American Studies from Wheaton College. She earned a M.Ed. in Postsecondary Administration & Student Affairs at the University of Southern California. Jesenia began her professional experience in education as a secondary education teacher and later transitioned to a career in student affairs, specifically in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Jesenia’s research interests includes the professoriate, organizational equity, critical whiteness studies, computer science spaces, and arts based methods. As a Leadership Fellow, Jesenia is excited to explore opportunities to foster advocacy and unity across ethnic graduate student organizations.

Ethan VossEthan Voss is a second-year master’s student studying composition studies and writing pedagogy in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures. Throughout his academic career, Ethan has worked in the writing center at the University of Minnesota and the University of Alaska—Fairbanks, co-directed the University of Minnesota’s First-Year Experience Program, and taught first-year writing at Michigan State. Currently, he is serving as the Graduate Assistant of MSU’s First-Year Writing Program. His research interests include writing-program administration, writing across the curriculum, leadership theory, first-year composition, writing assessment, and writing pedagogy and theory.

Chandani BhandariChandani Bhandari (she/her) is an international student from India and currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Human Development and Family Studies. Her research interests are the promotion of well-being interventions for children with developmental disabilities, their caregivers and educators. She is specifically interested in mindfulness-based stress and anxiety reduction interventions. As a Leadership Fellow, she hopes to develop mindfulness interventions that cater to the stress and anxiety issues of MSU graduate students.

Adam PfauAdam Pfau is a third year PhD student in the Second Language Studies program. He received his MA in TESOL from MSU, and holds a BA in English, and a BA in Secondary Education from MSU’s College of Education. His research interests include computer-assisted language learning (CALL), automated writing evaluation (AWE) systems, the relationship between technology and cognition, and corpus linguistics as a learning tool. In his free time, Adam enjoys kayaking, magnet fishing, going for long drives, exploring the Michigan area, and pretty much anything outdoors.

Saima AlamSaima Alam is a Ph.D student and Research Assistant working for the Turbo-machinery Lab at the department of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on reducing global warming by smart thermal management in Electric Vehicles. Currently she is performing physics-based simulations of automotive heat pump cycle and conducting transient experiments in a modular vehicle heat pump test rig built in house at the MSU Turbo-machinery lab. These models are used to develop control strategies for cooling cabins and battery packs in electric vehicles efficiently, which reduces energy wastage and environmental emissions. She has also worked as instructor for the undergraduate Fluid Mechanics for several semesters. Alongside her academic pursuits, Saima loves debating, toastmaster and extempore speech. She also actively participates in cultural activities of the Bangladesh Student Association at MSU and loves to attend all international student celebrations for community engagement.

Tanzilur RahmanTanzilur Rahman joined Michigan State University in 2020 as a Ph.D. student in Materials Science and Engineering. He is investigating the relationship between the microstructure-processing parameters of severe plastic-deformed Zinc-Magnesium alloys by high-pressure torsion for biomedical applications. He received his B.Sc. degree in Materials and Metallurgical Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and an M.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tuskegee University, Alabama. He was a member of the CHEMS Graduate Student Association (GSA) executive board 2022-2023 and was elected as the graduate student representative of the 2022-2023 Computing Services Advisory Committee (CSAC) for the MSU College of Engineering. Tanzil loves history and geography and enjoys reading, hiking, and traveling. As a graduate leadership fellow, he is looking forward to fostering leadership skills and empowering himself along with the graduate student community.

Peyton EllisPeyton Ellis is a 3rd year doctoral student in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics. She is originally from rural North Carolina, which fostered her interest in community development in rural areas. Her academic background is in political science, philosophy, history, and economics. Peyton pulls from each of these fields in her current research on developing more effective metrics that capture social inclusivity and resulting economic empowerment. Her goal in this research is to drive effective policy that addresses the unique and systemic obstacles faced by marginalized communities. Outside of academia, Peyton enjoys baking, participating in community sports, and hiking with her friends and family.Ph.D.

Andii LaytonAndii Layton is a third year doctoral student in K-12 Education Administration. She is the Past Chair of the American Education Research Association (AERA) Graduate Student Council. She bring over 10 years of experience in DEI, equity and college access experience and is the recipient of several grants and fellowships. She is looking forward to building a commitment with emergent scholars that are passionate about equity and education reform.

Nunzio CarducciNunzio Carducci is a third-year doctoral student in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. His research combines electrochemistry and the design of biomimetic enzyme cofactors to convert biomass into platform chemicals. He earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wyoming in 2020. He is currently serving as the vice president of the ChEMS Graduate Student Association, and he is looking forward to leading the second year of the ChEMS Mentorship Program that helps new ChEMS doctoral students transition to grad school and prepare for their qualifying examinations. Outside of the laboratory, he manages his own photography brand and loves to cook.

Garam LeeGaram Lee is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Educational Psychology and Educational Technology program. Her work involves integrating theories and practices from various fields, such as psychology, education, and business. Her main focus is on developing and implementing interventions that help individuals understand themselves better. This understanding allows them to set goals that align with their personal values and identities, leading to a sense of excitement and motivation to pursue and achieve those goals. Garam's ultimate goal with these interventions is to improve people's overall well-being by enabling them to lead purposeful and meaningful lives. As a Leadership Development Fellow, she aims to provide MSU graduate students with an opportunity to enhance their well-being, particularly focusing on their sense of purpose, meaning, and life satisfaction. Recognizing that a one-size-fits-all approach may not be suitable for everyone, Garam plans to design and implement a program specifically tailored to the needs of graduate students at MSU. By doing so, she hopes to make a positive impact on their lives and support their personal growth and development.

Seyoung HongSeyoung Hong is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education (HALE) program at Michigan State University. She grew up in South Korea. Her area of interest centers on educational equity, racial justice, and diverse learners. Specifically, she is interested in the experience of international students of color focused on their racialized experience and solidarity across diverse groups. As a leadership fellow, she hopes to work toward empowering international students and encouraging them to be actively involved in discourses on racial justice. Seyoung enjoys gardening, cooking, and playing the music.

Liz KrauseLiz Krause is a master's in clinical social work student and graduate assistant in the Office of Community and Student Relations. Previously, Liz worked as an English and history middle and high school teacher in the Greater Lansing area before returning to school to pursue social work. Liz is excited to be back engaging with the community as both a graduate student and now a long-term resident of East Lansing. Having lived in the Lansing area for over a decade, Liz is passionate about assisting fellow graduate students or anyone new to the area with finding a sense of community and belonging in the Greater Lansing area.

Gloria J. AshaoluGloria J. Ashaolu is a candidate for the PhD in history at Michigan State University. Within the Leadership Fellowships, she looks forward to an enriching experience with other fellows-as we grow and challenge ourselves to develop innovative means to put into action skills fostered and goals nurtured to meet the needs of our campus community effectively. Inspired by indigenous (Yorùbá) epistemology and recent reports in Public Health and Higher Education, Gloria's project for this fellowship seeks to (re)center joy, a proven marker of well-being and an accelerant of healing, in graduate education-through the immeasurable and abounding gifts of gratitude, community, and celebration.  

Edmond AndersonEdmond Anderson is a second-year graduate student pursing a Master's degree in Data Science at MSU. He graduated from Morehouse College with a B.S/ in Mathematics and a B.S Psychology, and plans to pursue a PhD in Counseling Psychology. Currently, Edmond is interested in the development of personality, and how the use of social media may influence this process in teens and young adults. As a leadership fellow, Edmond hopes to implement workshops designed to increase community awareness of the importance of mental wellbeing, and increase accessibility to resources that may help improve overall mental health.

Moldir MoldagaliyevaMoldir Moldagaliyeva is an Information and Media doctoral student in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations. She is an international student from Kazakhstan interested in cross-cultural comparative studies on social media and digital technology use, the digital divide, and digital literacy. She is working on projects on older adults' ICT use in the US and Central Asia. She is also a Research Assistant at the Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection at MSU for a global study on counterfeit product sales. She earned her Master's in Advertising and Public Relations from Michigan State University in 2022. Before joining MSU, Moldir worked as a Marketing and Public Relations Specialist for a nationally recognized IT company in Kazakhstan and participated in initiatives to promote e-government services and enhance citizens' digital literacy through the e-government portal.

Prince OwusuPrince Owusu is a third-year doctoral student in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS), with concentration in Child Development. Prince’s research explores culturally relevant interventions to support children with disabilities and their families. He seeks to adapt evidence-based interventions to improve social interaction and education of children with disabilities from resource limited settings. With the goal of promoting cross-cultural and community-based learning, Prince, together with his advisor run a Study Abroad program to Ghana. Prince is also a co-founder and Director of Organizational Development of Center for Learning and Childhood Development-Ghana (CLCD) https://www.clcdghana.org/. CLCD is a collaborative research-based non-profit that create solutions to advance children’s survival and development. For fun. Prince likes to spend quality time with friends or listen to music.