Friendly and empathetic Yale staff members who aim to help all Yale students–inclusive of background, identity, interests, and experience–understand the mindsets, habits, and resources that will allow you to find the most satisfaction and meaning in your academic work at Yale.
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karin.gosselink@yale.edu
Karin Gosselink is the founding Director of Academic Strategies and serves as the Director of Academic Strategies and the Office of Educational Opportunity at Yale's Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. Karin grew up in Bolingbrook, Illinois, and was awarded a scholarship to Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. There she majored in English and started her professional academic career as a tutor in their writing center. After coordinating the writing center at the University of Illinois at Chicago, she enrolled in a Ph.D. program in literatures in English at Rutgers University, where she wrote a dissertation on community creation in the wake of civil violence in contemporary global anglophone novels. In 2006, she started as a full-time writing lecturer in Yale's English department, and in 2010 became the Assistant Director of the Yale College Writing Center. In 2016, Karin started the Academic Strategies program to help students develop strong practices and approaches to their academic work at Yale. Karin also helped to create the Community Initiative for first-generation and lower-income students at Yale in 2018. In her online work this year, Karin will be frequently Zoom bombed by her three children, William, Oscar, and Nora, and her two new kittens, Simon and Eloise.
lynda.paul@yale.edu
Lynda Paul is the Associate Director of Academic Strategies and Undergraduate Writing and Tutoring at Yale. She grew up in southern California, just north of Los Angeles, but began her educational journey across the country from there, as a bassoonist at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. Realizing fairly quickly after arriving in upstate NY that a career in an orchestra was not right for her, Lynda explored multiple other instruments, majors, and degrees throughout the rest of her undergraduate studies, ending up with a self-designed B.M./B.A. double-degree and then spending the next several years studying, researching, performing, and teaching across different fields in the arts and humanities, with a special focus on writing—first at the University of Chicago and then at Yale, where she earned her Ph.D. and M.F.A. degrees, and joined the faculty. At Yale, she has taught interdisciplinary classes listed in nine different departments (most frequently in English, Theater Studies, and Music), served as a college advisor and senior thesis advisor to numerous students, and worked as one of the Residential College Writing Tutors. Her passion is for student mentorship and teaching across the liberal arts, and her goal is to help all students at Yale figure out how to learn, grow, and thrive in the way that works best for them in this academic environment. She loves to talk with students, so please don't hesitate to reach out anytime!
mamta.agarwal@yale.edu
Mamta Agarwal is the Program Coordinator for the Writing program, Academic Strategies program, STEM Education and Evaluation team, and the Accessibility team at the Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. Mamta earned a Master's in Nonprofit Management at New School University in New York and a Master's in Social Work at Nirmala Niketan Institute in Mumbai. She has worked extensively in the field of child care and protection, earlier through her work as a Program Manager for a national phone helpline and later through her efforts of assessing state and federal programs for children. Some of her skills include fundraising, event management, training and recruiting. She has always been actively involved in volunteer work and some of her highlights include: initiating a nonprofit for the mentally challenged children and securing funds for it, providing relief, reconstruction & rehabilitation to cyclone-hit as well as earthquake prone areas in India, providing counseling to victims of communal riots, and in recent years, starting a non-formal group called "Pathshala", that educates kids about Indian culture and values and will be celebrating their 10th year, in 2020. In her spare time, she loves to travel, read and socialize with friends and family.
nancy.sanchez@yale.edu
Nancy Sanchez is a third-year PhD student in the Genetics Department. Her research focuses on understanding how our germ cells produce small signals to protect their genetic information from foreign invaders. Outside of research, she serves as Social Chair for the Society of Advancing Chicanos and Native in Science Chapter at Yale (YSACNAS) a student organization that aims at increasing diversity in the STEM workforce and building a community. As Social Chair, she organizers fun community building events. Outside of Yale, she enjoys hanging out with her Shiba Inu puppy and playing video games.
audrey.yeung@yale.edu
Audrey Yeung is the Woodbridge Fellow for Academic Strategies, and graduated from Yale Class of 2022 majoring in Neuroscience. She was a longtime Academic Strategies FGLI Peer Mentor and is thrilled to continue working with ASP as she is applying to medical schools. Outside of academics, she was in STARS I, the Yale QuestBridge Chapter, the Davenport Pops Orchestra, and Yale Movement. She also enjoys volunteering at the Yale New Haven Hospital and HAVEN Free Clinic. In her free time she enjoys watching YouTube, baking, dancing to K-Pop, and playing video games.
caitlin.willis@yale.edu
Caitlin Willis was born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut. She studied History, English, and Political Science at Southern Connecticut State University. She graduated in December of 2021, and is now back as a graduate student studying Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Equity and Diversity. She's currently the New Haven Promise Fellow in the Poorvu Center. She's passionate about helping unrepresented students feel welcome and at home in the Yale community. Her ultimate career goal is to make education as accessible as possible.
jkirkland.rice@yale.edu
Jae Rice is one of the Graduate Student Lead Mentors for Directed Studies. He was born and raised in Columbia, SC and is now a sixth year PhD candidate in the Department of Comparative Literature, researching grammar and the vernacular in Renaissance Italian and 19th-20th century Caribbean poetry and poetic treatises. He is passionate about helping students develop their skills as writers, readers, and researchers. Outside of his academic work, he enjoys music, cooking, tabletop and video games, and walking his dog, Sprocket.
meghanlata.gupta@yale.edu
Meghanlata Gupta is a first-year law student from Ann Arbor, Michigan. She graduated from Yale College in 2021 with a BA in Ethnicity, Race, and Migration and from the University of Oxford in 2022 with a master's degree in US History. She enjoyed supporting her fellow students as an undergraduate Academic Strategies Mentor, and she is excited to continue doing so in her new role as a graduate student mentor. She is happy to speak with students about a variety of topics ranging from time management to choosing a major as well as questions about fellowships, graduate school, and law school. Outside of school, she loves spending time with family and friends, drinking bubble tea, and watching tv.
ramona.teepe@yale.edu
Ramona Teepe is a fourth-year PhD student in the Near Eastern Languages and Civilization Department. Her research focuses on how languages are acquired and fall out of use in the Medieval Near East. This year, she also serves as representative for her department on the Graduate Student Assembly committee for International Students. Originally from Germany, Ramona has first-hand experience in navigating new cultural environments and fostering conversations across different (academic) traditions. She spends her free time writing, preferably with a good coffee on the side.
kyrillos.abdallah@yale.edu
Kyrillos Abdallah is a PhD student in the department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry studying mRNA. Specifically, his research focuses on studying how mRNAs are translated and make proteins, with the goal of developing improved RNA therapeutics. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan, studying biophysics and during his time there, he worked on several experimental and computational projects focused on RNA structure and function. Outside of lab work, he enjoys reading, watching movies, and hanging out with friends. He is involved in several education and outreach initiatives in his department and is excited to expand that work as a Graduate Lead Mentor.
anthony.isenhour@yale.edu
Anthony Isenhour is a third year PhD student in Cell Biology from Placerville, California. He studied Biology and English at the University of Richmond. His current research investigates how proteins involved in maintaining integrity of the nucleus regulate the cell's innate immune response to cytosolic DNA. Outside of research he spends time on the Graduate Student Assembly advocating for graduate student needs. Outside of Yale, he spends time rock climbing, brewing beer, and hiking.
ketty.munyenyembe@yale.edu
Ketty Munyenyembe is one of the Graduate Lead Academic Mentors. A third-year Ph.D. student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Ketty is a member of the Ogbunu Research Lab. She uses experimental evolution to understand how viruses evolve in different ecological settings and how that influences disease. Apart from her scientific interests, Ketty is interested in teaching and learning. She is interested in equitable, active, and collaborative teaching strategies that inspire students to think critically during their intellectual growth. Ketty leads workshops on the Fundamentals of equitable teaching for Yale Graduate students and Postdoctoral Fellows as a McDougal Fellow. During her time at Yale, she has also conducted summer seminars for the Yale African Scholars titled "Becoming A Scientist" and "Viruses All Around Us."
