Scholar Spotlight

  • Scholar Spotlight: Moussa Seck

    Scholar Spotlight: Moussa Seck

    “I introduce students to the vast histories and exciting cultural expressions of the French-speaking worlds.” Moussa SeckAssistant ProfessorDepartment of World Languages and Culture I enjoy teaching the French language and francophone studies with a focus on culture. I study the historical trajectories of the African migrant and the impacts of migration on post-independence African communities,…

  • Scholar Spotlight: Zachary Burcham

    Scholar Spotlight: Zachary Burcham

    “I study tiny organisms—like bacteria living in mammals, insects, and soil that eat dead things and waste products—to understand how they can help us break down our wastes or clean up pollution.” Zachary BurchamAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Microbiology My research focuses on microbial community dynamics using computational and lab-based approaches to understand how microbes interact with…

  • Scholar Spotlight: Molly Granatino

    Scholar Spotlight: Molly Granatino

    “I help students improve their writing and research skills, as well as their ability to analyze a piece of literature.” Molly GranatinoTeaching Assistant ProfessorDepartment of English I teach a range of English classes, from first-year composition to introduction to fiction. My research examines the intersection of architecture, narration, and subjectivity in the mid-Victorian novel. My…

  • Scholar Spotlight: Ehsan Lor Afshar

    Scholar Spotlight: Ehsan Lor Afshar

    “I study the things people care about most, and how those things shape our lives, choices, and feelings.” Ehsan Lor AfsharAssistant Teaching ProfessorDepartment of Anthropology My work explores how changes in what we value—especially when something important loses its worth—can make people feel out of place or disconnected from their home and community. My research…

  • Scholar Spotlight: Billy You Bun Lau

    Scholar Spotlight: Billy You Bun Lau

    “My research helps us understand how the brain adapts under healthy conditions and what might go wrong in brain disorders.” Billy You Bun LauAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Psychology and NeuroscienceDepartment of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology I study how the brain changes with experience, such as when a mouse learns from a mother to care…

  • Scholar Spotlight: Irene Guerinot

    Scholar Spotlight: Irene Guerinot

    “My most important objective is to challenge, motivate, encourage, and inspire my students to think about their world, in new ways and with a scientific perspective.” Irene GuerinotTeaching Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Physics and Astronomy  Some of my students are physics, math, and engineering majors diving deep into the subject. Others are studying fields like biology,…

  • Scholar Spotlight: Marcus Harvey

    Scholar Spotlight: Marcus Harvey

    “I explore the world of traditional African ideas and consider their relevance for how African Americans make sense of their religious history and experience in the United States.” Marcus HarveyAssistant professorDepartment of Religious Studies With a focus on the ancestral religions of the Akan and Yorùbá peoples of southern Ghana and southwestern Nigeria, I examine…