Graduate Student Stories
Julianna Poupard (She/Her/Hers)
MA in English Literature
Hometown: New City, NY
“Studying at BU makes me excited to be a student again. So often, the grass is greener on the other side—you miss being a student when you’re done or you wish you were done with school while you’re in the thick of it—but despite being right in the middle of the semester when assignments are looming, I still feel giddy to be studying here.“
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Thomas Liu(He/Him/His)
MS in Computer Science
Hometown: Guangzhou,China
“My favorite part about attending BU is the diversity of perspectives I encounter, both inside and outside the classroom. The academic environment is stimulating, and the collaborative culture encourages innovative thinking. Beyond BU and campus life, Boston is very rich in its cultural diversity. “
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Carly McDermott(She/Her/Hers)
BA/MS in Biology
Hometown: Duxbury, Massachusetts
“My favorite part about attending BU is the vibrant atmosphere and the exceptional support from its biology faculty. BU’s size is impressive – it’s like a small city, housing countless departments, faculty across a wide array of specialties, and a diverse student body from all corners of the world. What’s particularly striking is how, despite its size, BU manages to foster a sense of community.“
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Ishita Deb (She/Her/Hers)
MS in Quantitative Economics
Hometown: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
“I am very satisfied with my attendance at Boston University, where the faculty’s unwavering support, the conducive learning environment, invaluable career resources, vibrant cultural events, enlightening guest lectures, and engaging alumni gatherings collectively form the cornerstone of my academic journey.“
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Shriram Raja (He/Him/His)
Ph.D. in Computer Science
Hometown: Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
“My primary reason for joining BU is my advisor, who I feel is a great fit for me both in terms of research interests and in helping me achieve my goals. On joining BU, I was also pleasantly surprised by the sense of community among the graduate students.”
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Linjing He (she/her/hers)
MS in Quantitative Economics
Hometown: Chengdu, China
“BU thrives on diversity and provides a wealth of student resources, including career events and panels. Plenty of student organizations, clubs, and engaging PDP (physical education, recreation & dance) courses are also available. Also, the professors in the programs are kind and approachable…”
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Elif Naz Ozsen (she/her/hers)
Ph.D. in Neurobiology
Hometown: Egg Harbor City, NJ
“What I love the most about attending BU is the support I receive from the faculty and how seamless it was to join the community at this institution. The Biology program encourages engagement through organizing a variety of programs and events, such as Friday morning BioBrunches and the weekly seminar series.”
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Michelle Kelley (she/her/hers)
MA in History of Art & Architecture
Hometown: Fairfax, VA
“The access to museums and academic resources is really amazing. BU generally has a lot of resources relevant to my field of study across its colleges—Communications has photojournalism and photography, and Fine Arts brings in working artists to talk about their processes—both of which are useful when studying contemporary art.”
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Syeda Rumana Mehdi (she/her/hers)
Ph.D. in Anthropology
Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan
“I knew that the Ph.D. program in Anthropology does not just make informed social sciences, but also focuses on helping us become better versions of ourselves. My belief became stronger when I started my application at BU and got in touch with the professors here.“
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Jared Pincus (he/him/his)
Ph.D. in Computer Science
Hometown: Green Brook, New Jersey, USA
“Among the universities to which I was accepted, I felt the strongest connection with my prospective advisors at BU and with the general philosophy of BU’s programming languages research group. The academic density of Boston also increased the appeal of BU, compared with other programs in relative isolation.“
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Smridhi Chawla (she/her/hers)
Ph.D. in Physics
Hometown: Delhi(Panipat), India
“Selecting BU for my graduate degree was a natural choice. BU boasts a stellar reputation for STEM programs, and Boston itself is a thriving hub for top-tier education. The city is brimming with opportunities, making it an ideal environment to further my academic pursuits.”
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Gizem Kaftan (she/her/hers)
Ph.D. in Political Science
Hometown: Ankara, Turkey
“Studying in the US has also been beneficial to me as it’s a leading country in scientific research. The US is also very diverse and multicultural which helped me to interact with people belonging to different cultures. “
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Sarah Bonna (she/her/hers)
MS in Computer Science
Hometown: Singapore
“My favorite part of attending BU has been meeting new people and learning new things. I got to know so many people with different backgrounds than mine whose experiences– technical or otherwise– have allowed me to look at my life and studies differently. “
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Sasha Gilmore (she/her/hers)
Ph.D. Earth & Environment
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
“One of the other perks of living in a city is the diversity of people that you come across everyday, even if just on campus. You can never have a boring day, as there are events that happen all the time that are put on by numerous groups and organizations, either student or college-led. There is a place for everyone, and it’s not hard to find those who share backgrounds, experiences, and values similar to yours!”
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Philip Nalla (he/him/his)
MS in Remote Sensing and Geospatial Science
Hometown: Surulere, Lagos
“With the Kathleen Goodman Scholarship, BU gave me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the world in a different light, learn in a different way, and realize a lifelong dream. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity, the scholarship, and the chance to learn from the best…”
Alumni Corner
Kayam Karnawat (he/him/his)
MS in Energy & Environment, Class of 2022
Company and Position: Energy Industry Analyst at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
“It was easy to make friends through the Club Water Polo team and as Secretary of the Outing Club. Both clubs allowed me to travel throughout New England. The community in Boston is great…”
Alumni Corner
Bolaji Olagbegi (she/her/hers)
MS in Energy & Environment, Class of 2020
Company and Position: Ceres, Senior Associate
“courses that offered international perspectives and connected to actual energy and climate trends helped to bridge the disconnect I felt at times between academia and the real world…”
Greeshma Yaluru (she/her/hers)
MS in Computer Science with a specialization in Data-Centric Computing
Hometown: Hyderabad, India
“BU provides excellent opportunities for research and ample job opportunities. For instance, I could attend a project pitch in the Build Lab before attending my salsa class– it is that convenient to explore multiple interests…”
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Atibhi Sharma (she/her/hers)
MS in Economic Policy & Practice
Hometown: Navi Mumbai, India
“I was very inspired by Esther Duflo and Abhijeet Banerjee’s foundation: J-PAL , a development focused research organization, and I wanted to study in the city that had the first J-PAL office…”
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Marlowe Gardner (she/they)
MS in Energy & Environment
Hometown: Ambler, Pennsylvania
“These professors truly care about their students and transform their program to help us in our dream careers. This makes it a truly moldable experience…”
Daria Bogatova (she/her)
Ph.D. in Molecular Cell Biology
Hometown: Kyiv, Ukraine
“So I chose BU because of the people, what I heard from the students, the dynamics, and the non-toxic environment…”
Abhishek Malakar
MS in Computer Science
Hometown: Mumbai, India
“With its amazing faculty and research opportunities, not just in the sciences but in other programs as well, Boston University stood out as a really great opportunity for me to fulfill my dreams… “
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Preshita Dave
MS in Bioinformatics
Hometown: Bangalore, India
“There is a broad selection of courses available to meet students’ needs, for example, for those who want to find a job in finance, the Economics department has 16 pre-approved Questrom Business School courses available for masters students to take… “
Ruohao Ren
MS in Economic Policy & Practice
Hometown: Shanxi, China
“There is a broad selection of courses available to meet students’ needs, for example, for those who want to find a job in finance, the Economics department has 16 pre-approved Questrom Business School courses available for masters students to take…. “
Aditya Pal
MS in Computer Science
Hometown: New Delhi, India
“Boston University has the perfect course structure for computer science, combined with amazing faculty and research opportunities. The open city campus makes it very lively compared to a conventional campus… “
Maddie Hayes
MS in Remote Sensing and Geospatial Sciences
Hometown: Rochester, NY
“My main advice would be to find a mentor. I would say that that is probably one of the most important things that you can do for yourself, even if you’re not specifically working in a lab, or you’re not specifically in graduate school doing research…”
Taylor Warburton
MS in Energy & Environment
Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
“I would say that the most impactful experience I’ve had at BU is having the opportunity to be a teaching fellow and to help guide the new generation of scientists, which has been really impactful to my life because I think it’s really important…”
Michael Toolan
MS in Quantitative Economics
Hometown: Ireland
“Really believe that you can do it because– I almost didn’t even apply– so no matter how daunting or competitive something looks, I would definitely encourage you to go for it…”
Anjali Kini
MA in Global Development Economics
Hometown: India
“Scholarship was a big criterion for me while applying to graduate school. I don’t think I would be here at BU if I didn’t receive the merit scholarship from the department…”
Tomoki Ogasa
MS in Economic Policy & Practice
Hometown: Tokushima, Japan
“My program provides specific courses for the economics degree, for example, public economics or labor economics…”
Hannah Sherseth
MS in Quantitative Economics
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
“The strength and rigor of the master’s program and the economics faculty completely sold me on coming to BU…”
Alise Perault
MA in Preservation Studies
Hometown: Columbus, Nebraska
“I honestly wouldn’t have the job I have today if it weren’t for my choice to study at BU…”
Edilsa Sofía Monterrey-Quintero de Bassilli
MFA in Literary Translation
Hometown: Panama City, Panama. Currently living in Egypt
“From the moment I expressed my interest in joining BU, all those involved in the process have been very welcoming and helpful…”
Kristina McAvoy
MA in Remote Sensing & Geospatial Sciences
Hometown: Brockton, Massachusetts
“Getting to work on the NASA-funded research mission MEaSUREs has been a unique experience I have been a part of as a student at BU. I do not believe I would have had this opportunity elsewhere…”
Danielle Aron
MA in Global Development Economics
Hometown: California Bay Area
“BU has one of the best economics faculties in the country, and I was excited by the program because many of the master’s level courses are taught by faculty members who are on the frontier of economics research…”
Hyun Soo Suh
MS in Quantitative Economics
Hometown: Seoul, South Korea
“I would say the professors were my favorite part of BU. They are always present for the students and open to questions on the lecture materials and research…”
Christian Abys
MA in Remote Sensing & Geospatial Sciences
Hometown: Guilford, Connecticut
“Due to my choice to study at BU, I was able to have an incredible opportunity working as a Geospatial Analyst at Indigo Agriculture for the spring of 2020. At this co-op, I gained experience working in exactly what I wanted to do…”